Degu Treat Recipe

Are you looking for a treat that your degus will love? If they're fussy, on a special diet or on a budget, why not make your own degu treats by following our recipe? Your degus will love them (ours do)!

>INGREDIENTS<

2 handfuls natural, rolled porridge oats
2 handfuls plain wholemeal flour
1/2 handful raw peanuts, skinned and finely crushed
1 pinch sesame seeds
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons sunflower oil
some water to bind

1. Preheat the oven to 200 ºC
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together
3. Add the oil and mix thoroughly
4. Add the water little by little until the mixture forms a stiff paste
5. Take a tiny bit of mixture between your thumb and forefinger and roll the mixture into little balls. These should be small enough for your degu to handle, about 1 cm across (note that they will not rise)
6. Place the balls on a baking tray (no need to grease)
7. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown
Allow to cool thoroughly, the treats will be crunchy and very tasty (try one yourself!)

*It is VERY IMPORTANT that the treats are completely cool before giving them to your degus.*

Give your degus one treat each as a special reward, but don't overfeed them. If your degu is overweight and on a weight loss diet, you should modify the recipe so that there is no oil added, and only a few peanuts. If your degu is underweight or in recovery and needs to gain weight, modify the recipe to include 3 teaspoons of oil, 1 handful peanuts and 1/2 handful crushed, shelled sunflower seeds. In special cases you can also add 2-3 teaspoons recovery diet to the mixture, which will help encourage your degu to eat and put on weight.

>Beetroot & Rosehip Crunchies<

Thanks to Joanne for this fab alternative treat recipe- yummy!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons pulped/liquidised beetroot (you can instead use parsley or any degu-safe veg)
2 tablespoons powdered rosehips (available in health food shops)
2 tablespoons grass meal powder (also health food shops or online)- if you leave this out you may need to up the flour content
1 1/2 tablespoons plain wholemeal flour
1/2 tablespoon sunflower oil
a little water to bind


1. Preheat the oven to 160 ºC
2. Mix well all ingredients together in a bowl until they form a stiff dough.
3. Roll dough out on a floured surface, about 1 cm thick.
4. Cut out shapes to a small degu-manageable size (the end of an apple corer works well!).
5. Place shapes on a lightly greased baking tray and bake for 20-30 minutes until crunchy.
Allow to cool thoroughly before giving to your degus!

*It is VERY IMPORTANT that the treats are completely cool before giving them to your degus.*

Give your degus one treat each as a special reward, but don't overfeed them. If your degu is overweight and on a weight loss diet, you should modify the recipe so that there is no oil added (use water only). These treats can also be given to chinchillas!