|
Post by Cherpi on Dec 12, 2010 14:20:04 GMT
Hey guys, I was just wondering, would I be able to entice my degus onto my hand with a bit of apple? or are they too sugary, I've heard both sides on several site and I don't know. By the way how much apple should I use?
|
|
|
Post by nickymills30 on Dec 12, 2010 14:49:04 GMT
not sure about apple, but i used porridge oats for mine, and they love them. I just put some in my hand and allowed them to eat them, then move the oats further up your arm, and hay presto, they are sitting in your hand (unfortunately, it doesn't normally work that quick lol) xx
|
|
|
Post by Cherpi on Dec 12, 2010 15:00:26 GMT
My Olly will walk up my arm, but I'm scared he'll jump off so I quickly put him back in his cage. Joe on the other hand is very shy and I was so proud of him when he peeped over the cage door and put his paws on my hand. But I want Joe to sit on my hand.
off topic; 100th post ;D
|
|
|
Post by amie on Dec 12, 2010 16:35:44 GMT
Try millet spray, but only use little bits say every few days. I mean little bits. Mine can't resist it. It's very high in fat though.
|
|
|
Post by nuttz on Dec 12, 2010 16:41:44 GMT
i think its best not giving too much fruit...maybe once in a while wont hurt but id much rather not bother... if you do remember only give the size of their hands, sooooo really tiny peices
like the others have said, oats or mine love cornflakes ;D
|
|
|
Post by smux on Dec 12, 2010 19:35:37 GMT
Millet is fine but expensive, porridge oats are better...porridge oats can also be given in greater amounts. If you want to REALLY treat him, a small square of apple (no more than 2 or 3 mm across) is probably enough and he shouldn't have more than a couple at a time and no more than once or twice a week. However, try other treats like carrot (dried or otherwise) if you want to treat him. To give you an idea, I've mentioned before that some of my guys love chocolate, so I let them nibble the corner of a bar of chocolate today and each of them get more than just a little taste of it. Last time I did this was more than a week ago, and next time I do this will be probably less than a week (as I'll still have the bar of chocolate in a day or so, probably) but it won't happen again for a week or so. They are fine to have sugar in small doses as LONG as it is small doses and you give them time to "process" it (they don't actually process it, that's the problem...but give it enough time and it'll pass through their system and back out...once it's out, it'd be safer for them to have more sugar than it would be if they already had some in their system) although I am in no way suggesting that a regular intake of sugar like this should be considered for degus and personally I would prefer to limit it as much as possible, but that Theresa really is crazy for chocolate and I can't say no so I do my best to limit her intake (and her older babies too, they like chocolate, although the younger babies weren't interested) and one day I will probably either make sugar-free chocolate or cut it out completely for a few months.
|
|
|
Post by Kins on Dec 13, 2010 10:03:50 GMT
I found porridge oats are the best 'bribe' . All 4 of my boys adore them and cannot resist! Plus, like other have said, they can have quite a lot of them and it not be a problem. And they are really cheap and last ages ! Then you can also make porridge for yourself, yummy on a cold winter morning ;D! It took a while for mine to have the confidence to sit on my hand, they were happy to take the food but would then go and eat it elsewhere. Patience is a virtue...
|
|
|
Post by nuttz on Dec 13, 2010 10:23:24 GMT
hmmm.........isnt chocolate poisonous to dogs and rabbits, therefore i would guess to degus too???
|
|
|
Post by smux on Dec 13, 2010 21:29:19 GMT
Sugar is bad for degus, is it bad for dogs and rabbits? Chocolate IS poisonous to dogs and rabbits, it seems, but I have never had any problems with the degus so I guess either the chocolate I give has no theobromine (the toxic ingredient) or it is fine for them. Reading vetmedicine.about.com/cs/nutritiondogs/a/chocolatetoxici.htm gives a lot of information that may be handy. If you are indeed right, and it is possible (no-one has commented otherwise in the past), then the amounts given are probably the reason. I limit the chocolate they are allowed as much as possible because of the sugar content, and according to the link I gave above 25mg would be the fatal dose for a healthy adult...that's about 5 spoonfuls of chocolate, when these tend to get no more than a dropful (probably no more than 1mg). I have been scouring google, to no avail, the best I've found is albertarodents.com/?cat=97 which says nothing about WHY not to feed chocolate...I mean, is it because of the sugar or the chocolate/toxicity...it also has a useful list of other treats and stuff :-)
|
|
|
Post by nuttz on Dec 14, 2010 12:25:06 GMT
im not totally sure why smux, its just something ive heard in the past, i cant say ive never given my dogs a bit of choccy and they have been ok, well never curled up and died...lol but saying that, with so many other treats, id think id steer away from the choccy for the dagus, just to be on the safe side yer..i think its the toxins thats in the chocolate not the sugar content but cant be sure?
|
|
|
Post by nickymills30 on Dec 14, 2010 20:59:54 GMT
it is the toxins in chocolate. dogs are unable to break the toxins down, which is why, they can't have it, not sure about rabbits, but have never given any of my animals any chocolate xx
|
|
|
Post by smux on Dec 14, 2010 21:35:31 GMT
It IS the toxins in chocolate for dogs and cats, and I confirmed for rabbits too...but for degus, I don't know if it's the toxins or the sugar that they label it as bad because of.
|
|
|
Post by Cherpi on Dec 14, 2010 21:43:41 GMT
Guys my mum bought me some REALLy cheap cornflakes, and they've had a few flakes as a treat, how many should they have?
|
|
|
Post by smux on Dec 14, 2010 22:32:28 GMT
Look at the ingredients and the nutritional information...if it's high in salt or fat, limit the amount you give...if it's high in fibre, don't limit it as much but don't give loads...if it has sugar, greatly limit it to 1-2 every so often rather than daily...if it's just corn (which, BTW, is a treat in itself) as an ingredient then don't go overboard but don't be stingy (they can probably have 2-3 a day) :-)
Dried corn is more of a treat (to be given less often) than cornflakes.
However, if you have got it as a treat for them and they like it, treat it as a treat and give it to them rarely and only when they deserve a treat...if it's given all the time it isn't a treat any more :-)
|
|