degu health question

Question
I have two degu and i usely get gunia pig food because at the pet store the degu food is so expensive, and it has little peices of fruit. my degu have been getting fat, do you think its deibeit? also my degu are both girls and they are humping each other can they get pregnat? thanx Emily

Answer
Dear Emily,
thank you for your question.
Going fat is not usually a symptom of diabetes, but it's possible that one or both degus has it nonetheless. They shouldn't have any fruit at all and you need to find a different food for them. A good degu diet contains lots of high quality hay, vegetables and leafy greens, fresh twigs, leaves and branches to gnaw (important source of minerals), a food that consists of dried herbs/grasses and very little seeds (budgie or canary food). Offer the food and the seeds in a small bowl and fill it again when it's empty.
This is a good food for degus for example (even though it's meant for tortoises):
http://www.reptilica.co.uk/Agrobs-Pre-Alpin-Testudo.phtml

Possible fresh foods are: dandelion (leaves, root and flowers), daisies, chickweed, marigold, pansies, zucchini, chard /mangold), pumpkin, beetroot, swede (turnip), carrot and carrot greens, celery (stalks and root), fennel, parsley, basil, grass seeds, parsnip and leaves and twigs of hazel, apple, pear, willow, poplar, alder, currant, beech, birch or maple (anything you gather outside must no be treated with pesticides or grow near a busy street).

With the change in diet, there's a good chance that the degu will loose weight. Don't give them less food, degus as all rodents need access to enough food every day even when they are fat. The only way to make them loose weight is a change in their diet and making them move more by hiding food and getting them to work for their food, like clamping vegetables between the cage bars or somewhere else where it's hard to reach.

The fake matings are part of their normal behaviour. It's a way to establish who's the dominant one and they transfer their scent to each other that way. Two females cannot get pregnant whatever they do.

I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer