Can Degus Eat Strawberries? (Fresh, Dried, and Dehydrated)

Degus are animals that need hay and high-quality pellets or seed mixes as a staple diet. You should supplement this diet with low-sugar foods such as vegetables and herbs. You might also be tempted to feed your degus fruit such as strawberries, but can degus eat strawberries?

Degus can’t eat strawberries. Fresh strawberries contain approximately 5% sugar, while dried and dehydrated strawberries contain at least 60% sugar. Since degus are susceptible to diabetes, degus should avoid high-sugar foods like strawberries.

Although most pocket pets can eat strawberries, degus are an important exception to this rule. This is because strawberries contain a lot of sugar and should never be given to degus.

Some sources suggest that you can give some fruit to degus in small proportions. Although tiny amounts of (fresh) strawberries will likely have a minimal impact on the development of diabetes, we don’t recommend giving strawberries because it will be complicated to estimate the right amount.

Based on our extensive research, we recommend that degu owners never feed strawberries to degus.

Do Degus Eat Strawberries in the Wild?

Degus live in a semi-arid shrubland called “matorral” on the western slopes of the Andes.^[1]https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Octodon_degus/#habitat This region’s climate is called Mediterranean, meaning it has rainy winters and dry summers.^[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_Matorral

The mean annual maximum temperatures in this region are between 20 and 25°C. Rain occurs mainly during the cooler months (April to September). The annual rainfall is below 200-700 mm.^[3]Read, J., Sanson, G. and Pérez Trautmann, M.F. (2016), Leaf traits in Chilean matorral: sclerophylly within, among, and beyond matorral, and its environmental determinants. Ecol Evol, 6: … Continue reading

The matorral region has mostly shrubland, such as hard-leaved shrubs and small trees, cactus, and bromeliads.^[4]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_Matorral Our modern strawberries actually are a hybrid of a North American strawberry and a Chilean strawberry. So, strawberries grow in Chile and have been for a long time.^[5]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragaria_chiloensis

The availability of strawberries in Chile doesn’t mean that wild degus eat them. In fact, I have found no evidence that wild degus eat fruit. However, this doesn’t mean that degus won’t eat strawberries when you give them. Doing so can be a health risk, especially when you give too much and too many times.

Nutritional Value of Strawberries (Analysis)

You can find the nutritional value of strawberries on FoodData Central, a US Department of Agriculture database. Below you can find the most important data:

Nutrient	Amount (per 100 grams)
Water	91.1 g
Protein	0.64 g
Fiber	1.8 g
Sugars	5.34 g
Calcium	12 mg
Magnesium	11.8 mg
Phosphorus	20 mg
Vitamin C	56 mg

Why Degus Shouldn’t Eat Strawberries

Although not all degus will develop diabetes, they are more at risk of getting it than other pets. So the general advice is to avoid high-sugar foods such as treats and fruits. Giving such foods can cause diabetes and cataracts.^[6]Brown, C., & M. Donnelly, T. (2012). Chapter 27 – Disease Problems of Small Rodents. Στο K. E. Quesenberry & J. W. Carpenter (Επιμ.), Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents (Third … Continue reading

Most reputable sources recommend not feeding fruit to degus. The RSPCA recommends avoiding fruit that contains a lot of sugar, indicating that many fruits are high in sugar.^[7]https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/degus/diet The PDSA also recommends avoiding fruit, except the occasional apple.^[8]https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/small-pets/your-degus-diet PetMD recommends avoiding fruit, without making a distinction between certain fruits.^[9]https://www.petmd.com/exotic/care/everything-you-need-know-about-caring-degu

Degus are trendy pets in Germany and Switzerland. The Swiss Animal Protection Society says to avoid fruit because of the risk of diabetes. You should also avoid dried fruit in pellet or seed mixes.^[10]https://www.tierschutz.com/publikationen/heimtiere/infothek/kleintiere/degus.pdf

Fresh strawberries contain 5% sugar, while dried or dehydrated strawberries usually contain at least 60% sugar or more. Tiny amounts of strawberries that are given extremely rare will have a minimal impact on the development of diabetes. But, like the above-mentioned sources, I recommend not feeding strawberries because of the potential risks.

Alternative Treats

There are plenty of alternative treats that you can feed to your degus. For example, you can provide vegetables and herbs to your degus, but you can also give certain treats that you can buy in pet stores or online.

When you live in Europe, you can probably get your hands on one of the favorite treats of degus, the ‘crocks’ (Versele Laga Crocks Complete Herbs). These are my go-to treats for my own degus. Although degus would love a crock daily, you should limit it to once every two to three days.

When you don’t live in Europe, you can feed dandelion roots or sunflower seeds (which are high in fat). You can also probably find meadow loops and woodland loops, which are also loved by degus.

Want to Learn More?

If you’re interested in learning more about degus as pets, please read the following articles:

• Complete and illustrated degu diet guide
• Can degus eat fruit?
• Can degus eat apples?

If you’re interested in getting degus as pets, you should read our beginner’s guide to keeping degus as pets and our degu care guide.