Degus are some of the most charming and social pet animals. Even though they’re not as popular as some other pet rodents, a lot of people still love them for their cuteness and friendly nature.
They are great pets but they have some weird habits that can be difficult to handle.
For example, many people get confused about their pooping patterns and a lot of people have questions about how often they do it. So how often do degus poop?
Degus poop very often and on average, a degu can poop every 10 to 20 minutes. Degus poop so much because of how much they eat, along with their fast metabolism, and because they’re marking their territory.
Degus are not like some other animals, they don’t have a set pooping schedule.
Sometimes, it can be more and sometimes it can be less, but what is certain is that they keep pooping throughout the whole day.
So if you’re planning to get pet degus, then be ready to see and clean a lot of poop.
Some degus owners even say that they clean out poop over 5 or 6 times a day. So you’ll definitely have to be ready with the right cleaning supplies.
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Is It Normal For Degus To Poop A Lot?
Degus poops a lot and it is very normal for them. You’ll have to clean up after your degus a lot more but it is perfectly healthy for them.
In fact, if a degu is not pooping that often, then you should start to be worried.
The eating habits and efficiency of degus are slightly different from other pet rodents, that’s why it is very common for them to poop more.
But still, there are a couple of things that you should check to ensure that your degus are healthy. For example when cleaning up their poop check the:
- Color
- Shape
A healthy degu’s poop should be oval-shaped with a light brown color. So if you notice anything else than that, then there are chances that your degus are having some digestive issues.
The most common reason that causes improper poop is a bad diet. You should include more hay in your degus’ diet and try to limit the amount of fruit they eat.
Along with this, if you see that the degu’s poop is dry or clumped, then it is a clear sign of dehydration.
So don’t panic, just fill their water bowl or water bottle with some clean water and make sure they are drinking more of it.
Degus Eating Their Own Poop
Many owners will see their degus eating their own poop and wonder what they’re doing.
It’s actually very normal for degus to eat their poop. This behavior is common and is called coprophagy.
Like I said before when it comes to pooping, degus are slightly different from other pet rodents.
They create two types of feces, which are hard-type feces and a softer type of feces. Generally, degus do not eat the hard type of feces as it is a complete waste.
They only eat or consume the soft type feces because it contains the different vitamins and proteins that they need.
Not only degus, but coprophagy is also spread among different mammals and it’s believed that coprophagy helps them to get the nutrients in times of scarcity.
So if you see your degu eating poop, then remember it’s totally normal and they’re just fulfilling their needs.
How Much Do Degus Poop?
It depends on how recently they have eaten and how much of the food the ate.
Degus do not poop a lot at once but they keep pooping in short intervals, that’s why it seems to build up very quickly.
In general, degus poop a lot but if you talk about average, then a degu can poop more than 100 to 150 droppings in a day.
Sometimes it can be more than that and sometimes it can be slightly less than that.
This is the average that most degus owners will see, so if you were thinking about getting a pet degu, then keep in mind that you may have to clean up at least 100 droppings a day.
Why Do Degus Poop So Much?
One of the main reasons behind their excessive pooping is that they eat a lot. Yes, degus eat a lot more than others, that’s why they poop more.
When compared to some other animals, degus don’t have a fixed eating routine.
They eat all day long, which is the main reason why they poop a lot. It’s not only degus but mostly all rodents also have this trait. They poop while:
- Sleeping
- Eating
- They feel stressed
- They feel happy
Degus will poop generally whenever they feel like it. Though it’s not easy to determine when and how much a degu will poop in a day but you can make an assumption by looking at their eating habits and lifestyle.
So your degus are eating more than usual, then no doubt they will poop more often too.
This means that if you change their eating schedule and diet, then their pooping habits will also change.
Another reason why they poop a lot is that they’re trying to mark their territory.
When you clean up their poop sometimes they’ll feel like they have to mark their territory all over again which can make them poop even more.
Apart from this, degus also have a faster metabolism, which means that they process and digest food much faster than others, which is another reason why they eat and poop more.
How Often Should You Clean Up Degu Poop?
It’s recommended to spot clean your degus poop at least once a day. Along with this, there are some other factors that can help you determine how often you should clean.
How big your degus are and knowing if they have any digestive issues or not is very important.
Also, try learning their pooping habits and schedules. Once you have all that info, then you can start to create a cleaning schedule of your own.
At the very least, you should clean their poop once a day regularly and do a full cage clean up every week.
The more degus you have, the more often you’ll have to clean up after them. Any time you notice their poop starting to pile up, then you should clean it up.
Degus love to be clean so they’ll do the best they can to keep themselves that way, and as a pet degu owner, you’ll have to do your part too.