Treats
Food in general is a huge part of training and bonding with your degu (And other pets and men), but treats seem to speed up the whole process a little bit. Being fed is one way of getting satisfied, but being given a treat is just a little bit better. But the reason why treats are treats, is often because they are filled with delicious things like fat and/or sugar. Therefor you should be careful with how big a part treats are in your degus diet. It is difficult to find an exact amount of treats a degu can be given a day, but 7-10% of a degus diet is the closest I come to a specific "number". At least I can personally say that I wouldn't go above this.
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But of course it also depends of what kind of treats you are using, since some are healthier than others. Therefor I've made a few lists (I'm really fond of lists, they are so wonderfully straight forward) for you to easily choose a few "safe treats" for your degus.
The list is devided into treats that can be given Daily, 1-3 Times a Week, Once a Week, Monthly and stuff you should Stay Away From. And again, if you have any ideas for treats not on the list, please send me a message - the same goes if you have any concerns or comments. |
- All nut's can be given with shell. This will not only be a challenge and keep them occupied for a while, but will also help wearing their teeth.
- All treats should always be given in moderation, especially the ones containing a lot of sugar. Small pieces! ;)
- Obviously you can serve any item from the "Plants" list as a treat as well. Especially items from the "Vegetable" and "Seeds" lists are things you should only feed your degus in small quantities, which makes them perfect as treats.
Daily
- Oats - Linseeds - Dandelion Roots - Nettle Roots - Wild Carrot Roots - Wild Parsnip Roots - Rose Petals - Puffed Rice |
1-3 Times a Week
- Sunflower seeds - Pumpkin seeds - Carrot - Celery - Bell Pepper- Rose Hips - Flaked Grains - Flaked Maize - Flaked Peas |
Once a Week
- Peanuts - Acorn - Beech fruits |
Monthly
- Hazel Nut - Brazil Nut - Pecan Nut - Almond Nut - Walnut - Apple - Pear |
Stay Away From
- Chocolate - Charamel - Sweet biscuits - Pretty much anything and everything we use as treats for ourselves. |