Hello everyone! I hope you are well! I know have briefly talked about beddings in the past, quite often within a post about degu enclosures. This time I wanted to offer some more detailed information on the subject. Before I begin, I also wanted to say a quick thank you to esteemed degu owner Nightwishraven999 - who helped me write this article. Guide: Bedding and Substrate Providing your degus with access to bedding or substrate is an important part of stimulating natural and healthy behaviour. While degus do have the ability to climb and jump, they are primarily ground animals. They rely far more on ground space and available running area than they do height and climbing opportunities. In the wild, degus create elaborate underground tunnels and passages. The tunnels are used as shelter from predators and the outdoor elements and they also serve as communal nesting grounds. Females often work together at caring for the different litters in these underground chambers. In the cold months, where temperatures can reach freezing point, the degus can also find shelter there. It is true that in captivity, degus seldom have to worry about large birds or cold temperatures, but it is important to keep in mind that bedding and substrate can stimulate natural behaviour patterns and provide an important environmental enrichment. Keeping in mind that degus enjoy digging and burrowing, it is easy to understand that substrate is an important part of degu keeping, whether used in the cage or in a separate enclosure. * Bedding often refers to the material that is used to absorb urine. * Substrate often refers to materials used for digging and burrowing purposes. The Bedding In many countries, it is customary for degu owners to layer the cage floor and levels with absorbent bedding. This is a very useful and effective way of keeping smells to a minimum, all the while keeping cage levels clean and dry. In a wooden cage, there is often more opportunity to use generous amounts of bedding. When enough bedding is placed on the bottom of the degu cage, vigorous digging activities can take place. The Substrate Substrate like dirt, sand, clay based materials, hay and straw are an even better way of encouraging digging and burrowing. Many degu owners use aquariums and bins to create a special place for the degus to endulge themselves. These can be filled up with beddings and substrates, mixed together with flowers and treats to provide even further stimuli. In Germany, it is not uncommon for owners to create specially built digging boxes. Some beddings and substrates can also encourage the act of foraging, an important communal activity in the group life of degus. This can be accomplished by hiding treats, flowers, herbs, leaves and seeds in the bedding. Searching for food is very good stimuli for the degus, one that is often used in zoos to keep the captive animals mentally sharp and alert. Communal foraging can also encourage important social interactions in the group. Bedding and Substrate Types Paper based beddings These beddings include paper mulch type substrates; they are often made up of scented cardboard based beddings and recycled paper materials. In general, paper based beddings are quite light and loft up well. The substrate is cosy and adequate for digging and burrowing. One of the characteristics that attract degu owners towards this kind of bedding is the low dust factor. Depending on quality of material and brand, paper based beddings can be quite cheap to expensive. Depending on type and texture, varying levels of absorbency can be experienced. Since paper based beddings are light and fluffy, they do not provide opportunity for foraging activities. Seeds, grains and small ingredients will quickly fall to the bottom of the lofty substrate layer. Wood shavings Wood shavings are quite simply, thin bits of wood. Not all shavings are suitable though. Some are too fine and/or too dusty while others are of unsafe wood sources and contain harmful oils. Although this bedding type in undoubtedly unmatched in popularity, wood shavings need to be chosen with care. This will be discussed more in details in the paragraphs below. One reason why wood shavings are popular among degu owners is the high level of absorbency and odour control they provide. In addition, wood shavings are heavy, compact and usually very well suited for digging and burrowing activities. Depending on the brand, wood shavings are available in either small wood chips or large ones. The smaller shavings offer better absorbency, more comfort and are often more compact. Why is the density of bedding important? It is quite simple; bedding layers that are more compact contain fewer air pockets. This means that grains, flowers and herbs are more likely to stay on the surface of the bedding layer, making this type of substrate ideal for foraging activities. Smaller shavings are, unavoidably, more compact than the larger shavings. This being said, sawdust type bedding is not suitable for degus and should not be used in the cage. Although the price of beddings will vary from country to country, in general, wood shavings are of moderate costs. This bedding type is readily available and can also be purchased in bulk quantities. Those of us housing our degus in wooden cages also need to pay added attention to the dust factor of the wood shavings. More on this subject below... Hay and Straw Although hay and straw does not provide absorbency, it does add some enrichment to the degu cage. Hay is not only an excellent material to incite foraging, but it is also ideal for digging, burrowing and nesting. There are many different types of hay available on the market, some large and hard, other thin and softer. Some owners create thick piles of hay and straw in the degu cage. These are good hiding places and provide good cover for sleepy degus. Which Bedding/Substrate is suitable for me and my degus ? This question often depends on the type of enclosure you own and the location within your home. Where possible, all owners will want to provide at least two different kinds of bedding where possible. Of these two, one should always be hay or straw. The reason for providing different substrates is that it will enrich your degus environment – your degus will have the opportunity to use their natural senses; being inquisitive animals, you will want to provide them with as much variation as possible. The key senses bedding will stimulate for your degus is touch and smell. Wire Cages In a wire cage you may find that paper based beddings are far more appropriate. The pieces tend to be bigger, so less is kicked out of the cage. Paper based bedding is also very absorbent and completely dust free. As previously stated this bedding is very light, this means that any treats you mix into the bedding will be quickly lost to the bottom – for this reason it is difficult to provide good enrichment while using this form of bedding. If you can create a kind of tray around each level in your cage, you will further help yourself in decreasing the amount of bedding that is kicked out of the cage. In this instance you may even be able to offer a wood shavings bedding. If your cage is located on or near a carpeted area, you may wish to avoid wood shavings all together. You will find that wood shavings often weave themselves into the fibres in the carpet; if you wish to keep a clean house you may find yourself having to pull shavings from the carpet from time to time. It is far easier to hoover up paper bedding. If your cage is on a wooden or laminated surface, it’s much easier to sweep up the excess bedding whether its paper or shavings. You should always provide your degus with hay or straw. Again, on a carpet, the hay can weave itself into the fibres – because of this you may wish to tuck the hay into a nest box or similar. Wooden Enclosures In a wooden enclosure you have much more flexibility when it comes to bedding; this is something you may wish to take advantage of to enrich the environment of your degus. A sealed degu enclosure prevents large quantities of mess; if your enclosure has deep levels you can supply a large quantity of bedding. In wooden enclosures the bedding of choice tends to be wood shavings. Wood shavings are great for digging and holds treats well. Wood shavings are highly absorbent, compliment the natural aesthetic of the enclosure and are cost effective. They can be dusty, try to look for beddings that are sold as “dust extracted”. Some owners use a mixture of beddings such as different wood shavings, hay, recycled cardboard and scattered foliage – this can provide much entertainment and enrichment for your degus. Although wooden enclosures can hold large amounts of bedding, keeping pets is never truly mess free. Considering the location of your enclosure and choice of beddings will still be important. In a wooden enclosure you may also want to take advantage of the space available for large quantities of hay. Degus enjoy tunnelling and rummaging through the hay and using it as bedding. Things to look out for: when choosing a bedding or substrate Its always a good idea to utilise commercial beddings; commercial beddings are used by many which keeps them in the spotlight, because of this they have no choice but to take more care with their products. Large businesses cannot afford to risk mass dissatisfaction in their products and are therefore more inclined to ensure the quality of their products. They are also subject to more laws and policies encouraging fair trade. If you are choosing to use a local store that is not part of a chain, try asking to sample the products before you use them. The opportunity to feel, smell and view these products before purchase is invaluable. The more information you can gather about this local produce the better; the easier it is to determine the safety of the bedding (and other products) for your degus. Many beddings sold in pet supply shops are quite dusty. Prolonged exposure these beddings can often result in severe respiratory ailment and health degradation. This is something that is especially important to consider when housing degus in wooden enclosures, where the air circulation is lower. When the degus are housed in relatively closed up environments like wooden cages and terrariums, it is vital to pay attention to the dust factor and pay close attention to the degus for sign of respiratory irritation; the first signs often consisting of repetitive sneezing. Pellet based beddings and cat litter type beddings are unnaceptable. Once ingested, these pellets will swell, often proving fatal for the animal. In addition, many woods contain natural oils that are toxic to the degus. Cedar is of course unnaceptable because of its oils, but its general toxicity as well. Pine bedding should be Kiln dried; a process that dries up the shavings, removing harmful natural oils. If you choose to layer the cage base and levels with bedding, it is important to choose wisely which type of bedding will be used. Any signs of respiratory irritation should be taken seriously. The cage substrate should be changed promptly if it does not agree with one of the degus in the cage. If signs of irritation persist, please bring the affected degu to your veterinarian for help. Article written by: Nightwishraven999, Smithomatic Photos from: Nightwishraven999, Maravilla, Greeneye Providing your degus with an opportunity to dig ! Please visit Degus international forum for more information. There is a discussion thread - viewtopic.php?f=10&t=262 - to find out how some of our members are providing their degus with opportunities to dig and burrow, in the cage or in a seperate digging box. Questions and suggestions about beddings and substrates are welcome there.
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