Can Degus Have Sugar or Fruit?

🐭 The short version: no — degus can’t have sugar, and that includes fruit. They’re highly prone to type 2 diabetes and simply can’t process sugar or rich carbohydrates, so a sugary diet leads to diabetes and cataracts. A degu’s diet is unlimited hay, molasses-free nuggets, no fruit at all, and only tiny occasional pieces of low-sugar veg. This is the single most important rule of degu care.

🔧 Tools for your degu: what can it eat? · is this normal?

Why sugar is the degu’s enemy

Degus are unusual: they’re so prone to type 2 diabetes that their bodies can’t safely handle the sugar most small pets tolerate in small amounts. Feed fruit or sugary treats and you risk diabetes, whose signs include cloudy eyes (cataracts), excessive drinking and urinating, and weight gain — often with the cataracts appearing first. This isn’t a “limit the treats” situation; it’s a no-sugar one.

What that rules out

• All fruit — too sugary, full stop.
• Anything with molasses — a sugary binder hidden in many cheap rodent foods and treats, so check the ingredients.
• Commercial “treat” products — often far too sugary.
• Chinchilla mixes containing dried fruit, and rabbit, hamster or gerbil foods — not suitable for degus.
• Even higher-sugar vegetables (carrot, sweet potato, beetroot, parsnip) are tiny-portion, occasional foods only.

What to feed instead

• Unlimited good-quality hay as the majority of the diet — it also wears down their continuously-growing teeth (healthy degu teeth are orange).
• About 1–2 tablespoons of degu nuggets a day. If you can’t get degu-specific nuggets, molasses-free guinea-pig or chinchilla nuggets are acceptable.
• Treats: keep them sugar-free — a little extra hay, or tiny occasional pieces of low-sugar vegetables.
• Fresh water at all times.

If you suspect diabetes

Cloudy eyes, drinking and urinating more, or unexplained weight gain all warrant a visit to an exotic vet experienced with degus — and a careful review of the diet for hidden sugar. Caught early, a lot can be managed by getting the diet right.

The honest takeaway

Every other part of degu care flexes; this one doesn’t. Keep sugar out entirely — no fruit, no molasses, no sugary treats — and you remove the biggest health risk a degu faces. Pair that with unlimited hay and a cool room, and these sociable, daytime-active little rodents thrive. See the full degu care guide for the rest.

Sources & further reading

• Hayfold — degu care guide — the full, fact-checked reference.
• RSPCA — degu diet — hay-first, low-sugar, no molasses.
• PDSA — degus as pets — diabetes, cataracts and diet.