Water

Question
QUESTION: Hi again...I'm a little confused about what the ideal water is for a degu?? Sounds silly I know, but I've read that you shouldn't use bottled water (which I am), some things say you should add vitamins, some say no. There was even an article that said to add I drop of bleach to a quart of water before giving it to them! I give my other rodents Vita sol for mice hamsters and gerbils. Is there a vitamin that would be helpful to give the degu...like a guinea pig one with extra vitamin C?? Thanks again.

ANSWER: Don't worry, most of the confusion is because so many people live in so many different areas and make blanket statements that cover everything when in fact you don't really need to do all that.  If you have city water (vs. well water, cistern, etc.) and live in the USA you are going to have a fairly safe water supply.  The reason people say not to give them bottled water is that living creatures need the trace minerals found in water.  While municipal water treatment facilities add either chlorine or chloramines usually to make it safer for us and fluoride to give us strong teeth, they don't process it via reverse osmosis or some of the other ways that bottled water can be treated.  Yes, it is very pure but actually it's also stripped of beneficial elements also.  So that's what the whole bleach thing is about.  As for the vitamin drops, you don't have to do that but if you want to do it every few bottles of water it won't hurt.  If they are getting a diet of 1/2 chinchilla food, 1/2 guinea pig food with timothy or alfalfa available all the time and either daily or every other day fresh veggies they don't really need the drops.  Vitamin C breaks down in the dried food as it ages, so make sure they have fresh food that isn't stored in direct sunlight.  My goos love carrots, lettuces of all kinds and the leafy part of celery (they won't touch the stalks).  

Good luck,
Carol

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the quick reply...I live in the country in Canada (decent water) and we have town water delivered to a cistern. If I do use the cistern should I add a drip of bleach (per quart)? We can drink it...but I prefer bottled for drinking. What do you think?? As far as her food... I found Sunseed Degus pellets, no sugar and she seems to like it. I've just started adding a few guinea pig pellets too for the vitamin C. I also gave her a pinch of oatmeal is that okay?  I thought she could search for it. Hope I'm not picking your brain too much? I do appreciate it.

Answer
If your water is considered safe for human consumption, I would consider it safe for animal consumption.  Don't worry about the bleach, just make sure you change and wash her bottle every day or two.  Degu pellets are obviously fine for degus, but I didn't recommend that for a couple of reasons--most people report their animals don't like it and that's if they can even find it.  It is not even available some places.  The oats are ok, and lots of folks hand feed Cheerios as a special treat to them once in a while.  Just try not to give them 'empty' calories.