QUESTION-
Appearance |
ANSWER |
Are
degus camouflaged? |
Yes.
Wild
degus are a similar colour
to their surrounding environment.
This makes it much harder for predators such as birds of prey to spot
them so easily when they are standing still. However, the degu's ventral
(belly) fur is highly UV reflective, allowing them to signal to each
other from the ground. Since many raptors can see UV, it is beneficial
for the degu to have UV fur underneath, where it is hidden from view
from above, and they can choose when to expose it. |
When my degus
were only 5/6 weeks old, they had these markings on their noses that
helped me tell them apart. Then within the last month both have
disappeared and looked almost identical.... but in the past week or so,
they each have new markings appearing on their noses/snout area that are
different than one another. Is this a winter coat they are starting to
get, or what is going on?! Thanks for the help! |
The
markings that appear and disappear on the hair of their snouts are to do
with coat shedding, as you say. Degus shed up to twice a year, but don't
always shed their summer coat- this shed is a lot more subtle than the
winter coat shed in summer, but it does happen. Anyway, the markings on
the nose- these appear due to the order in which the coat is shed. The
order is largely dependant on the areas they are able to scratch, so you
may first notice shedding around the shoulders and sides. Another of the
first areas to go is the hair on the snout- up to wherever they can't
scratch (the top of the head). In fact, the top of the head and the
small of the back above the tail are the last areas to be shed. So, you
have a short coat growing in the areas where your degu scratches, and
longer (old) coat where they can't. The line you see appear as a dark
band is the border between the short and long coat. this is shown as a
dark line because of the agouti
structure of degu's fur- dark grey underneath and a light brown tip. We
usually see only the light brown colour, but the markings appear during
shedding as the grey fur is revealed by the different coat lengths.
Phew!
As you probably
know, shedding is very useful for telling identical degus apart, but you
just can't rely on it!!
|
I have two
female degus that I just recently got and have noticed there are bumps
on their feet. It doesn't seem to bother them and doesn't look like its
irritated. I noticed that both of them have the bumps in the same spots
so I was wondering if they have bumps to begin with, thanks in advance
for any help. |
These
'bumps' on their feet are called pads. You are probably more familiar
with seeing pads on other animals such as a cat's paws- they're the
fleshy areas you see poking out from the fur. It's the same in degus and
other caviomorphs, only without being surrounded by fur.
These pads appear
where there is contact of the paw with the ground and act as pressure
cushions for the bones of the toes to help provide resistance to
impact/damage when walking, running and jumping (etc).
You're absolutely
right to check the pads for sores regularly, as this is a condition
called 'bumblefoot'
(pododermatitis). Bumblefoot occurs where the pads are subjected to
continual, intense pressure such as that generated by walking/standing
on wire mesh for long periods of time. For that reason it is essential
to cover over mesh areas of your degus' cage that are frequently used
(such as ramps and shelves).
|
One of my three
degus has eyes that appear a bit bigger than the others, but other than
looking a little odd she's perfectly fine and it seems she can see well.
Is there something wrong? |
Well I
think it's probably that some of our degus have more protrusive eyes due
to subtle anatomical differences. If their eye sockets are slightly
shallower it will cause the eyes to protrude slightly more than usual,
allowing the conjunctiva (white membranes between the cornea and sclera)
to become visible. Hence the reason you can't see the conjunctiva all
the time. It's the same in animals that are afraid- it is said you can
see the 'whites of their eyes' which basically shows their eyes are open
wider allowing conjunctiva to be exposed. Of course the other
alternative is glaucoma, a build up of fluid pressure inside the eye,
but this leads to other symptoms which it sounds like are not present in
your degu. |
I was
wondering, what are the normal signs to look at for to see if my degus
are healthy? They have lovely orange teeth which I read is a good sign. |
The
things to check for in a healthy
degu include orange teeth (as you've spotted), clear, bright eyes, a
shiny, smooth coat, alertness, good appetite and activity. If you notice
your degus are hunched up, with ruffled fur and not interested in their
surroundings, it can be a sign of illness and you should get them
checked over by an experienced degu vet. Please remember that a degu's
fur appears ruffled when they are cold, so make sure the room
temperature is not too low. |
One of
my degus is fatter than his brother and has developed a lump quarter the
way down his tail ..Should I take him to the vet or is it just something
that happens to degus? I only feed them Gerty Guinea Pig food and I
always check on them so what could have happened? |
This
is not common in degus, but it can happen. I would suggest that the lump
is caused by one of three things:
1. Injury- the
tail has been injured somehow (for example by a bite from the other
degu, or being caught in something such as a wheel). This would cause a
swelling to appear at the injury site. If there is no wound apparent, it
may have been caused by blunt trauma and the tail may be broken or
fractured.
2. Infection-
often follows injury. The tail will become swollen and inflamed around
the site of infection, also known as an abscess. Your degu will need
antibiotics and the lump may be lanced by a vet.
3. Tumour- the
lump is a cancerous growth. This may have been brought on by injury, or
a genetic problem, but the good news is it is located on the tail and
should be easily removed.
In any case, I
advise you get the lump looked at by a vet. They will be able to make an
accurate diagnosis and give appropriate treatment. As long as you get it
checked out soon, I don't think this is a big problem and your degu
should be fine.
|
I am a
student at university studying animal management. One of my assignment
questions is "how would you treat a degu with a de-gloving injury
to its tail"? I don't seem to be able to find out what treatment
would be advised. Can you help please? |
Of
course I'll help! If
the degu's tail is completely de-gloved, I
personally would not treat it at all. The exposed ligaments are likely
to bleed immediately after de-gloving, but this stops within 10 minutes
and begins to dry. After 3-7 days, the ligaments dry out completely and
become shriveled, after which time the degu (or a cagemate!) chews off
the dried tendons and vertebrae. Since this type of injury occurs
naturally in the wild as a degu's antipredatory defense, it is best to
let nature take it's course and the degu will deal with it itself. The
only time I would intervene is if part of the tail became infected
during this process. In this case, I would treat the area with saline
solution twice daily until healed. In the worst case, a course of
antibiotics may be required, but the tail is usually remarkably quick in
healing itself and I personally have never seen a de-gloving case become
infected.
There is a page on de-gloving
that has some references you might want to take a look at (if you
haven't already).
|
QUESTION-
Size & Growth |
ANSWER |
I
noticed one of my degus is getting a bit plumper. I thought it might be
their diet but my other degu still looks relatively thin. What kind of
size do male degus tend to grow to? |
There are several possible causes of a
large size difference between degus, which I will list for you so you
can see which one is most likely to be the case with your degus. As
always, if you have any further questions or need more advice please
don't hesitate to get in touch!
1. Pregnancy- Sadly many pet shops seem
unable to correctly sex degus and this frequently leads to
male/female degus being mistakenly sold together. Male and female
degus housed together will breed at this time of year, so I would
strongly advise you double check that you have two males and not a
male and a female. Sexing degus is easy when you know what to look
for, full details and pictures can be found on Degutopia's website
under the 'appearance
and biology' section. If you need a hand with this let me know.
2. Age difference- If your two degus are
of slightly different ages, they are likely to grow at different
rates. Degus do not reach full adulthood (and thus full weight/size)
until they are just over 1 year old (58 weeks), so if one of your
degus is older than the other they are likely to remain different
weights until they are both fully adult.
3. Genetic difference- Sometimes degus can
have slightly different genes even if they are brothers from the
same litter. Different genes can cause things like different metabolic
rates (i.e. how fast your degus use energy during the day) which will
affect their growth and weight gain. So just as with humans, some
degus can eat a lot and not put on any weight, while others can eat a
little but become overweight, particularly if they don't get
enough exercise. Also, degus that are the runt of a litter are very
often much smaller and lighter than healthier pups, so it could be
that one of your degus was a runt at birth and will remain small
through adulthood.
4. Difference in activity- This can be
linked to the above, but often some degus are more active than
others and they need your help to keep them entertained! Make sure
you're able to let your degus out of their cage in a secure play area
(the stairs make great exercise areas!) for at least half an hour
every day. Degus need to expend a lot of energy to keep them fit and
healthy, so providing them with a solid, spoke free running wheel
inside the cage is essential (make sure one degu isn't stopping the
other from using it).
5. Dominance and food intake- A very
dominant degu can prevent a subordinate degu from eating as much
as they need to during mealtimes, especially if they don't have their
own bowls. Watch the degus when they get fed and make sure the larger
degu isn't pushing out the smaller degu and stopping them from getting
enough food. It is usually advised to give each degu their own feed
dish at mealtimes to stop this sort of 'food bullying' from happening,
so each degu gets their fair share. Also don't give your degus
constant access to hard feed as overeating is a common cause of
obesity in degus, which can have dramatic health consequences. It
is advised to feed a degu over 6 months old 8-10 g of hard feed
per day only but always give them constant access to hay. See the diet
section on Degutopia's site for more information.
6. Health problems- Problems with the way
the body processes food (particularly the kidney and liver) can often
affect how efficiently the body burns calories after eating. These
problems can cause the body to turn more nutrition into fat to store
energy rather than using the energy straight away. It can also affect
things like how much protein and fat passes through the body or is
absorbed and stored by the body. If you're worried about this, a visit
to the vet will help get the bottom of any problem. Sometimes the
answer is as simple as hormonal imbalance.
These are the basic areas you should look
into in order to investigate the problem further. I should point out
that both male and female degus reach a similar size and weight in
adulthood, i.e. there is no sexual dimorphism. Adult degus grow to
about the size of an adult human's open palm (not including the tail),
however by far the best indicator of size and growth is a degu's
weight. A healthy, adult degu should ideally weight 220 - 250 g, degus
younger than 58 weeks should weigh less accordingly. We
advise weighing
your degus regularly each month to keep
track of their weight and as a useful indicator for any potential
problems (since a change in weight is often the first sign of a
problem).
|
QUESTION-
Diet |
ANSWER |
Do
degus avoid eating things that are bad for them- like sugar? |
No.
Degus will eat
anything (and everything!) they can get their paws on. This includes
sugary things and even toxic substances. Why do they do this? Well, they
don't know that that particular thing could cause them harm or even kill
them, just that it smells edible and is rewarding to them when they eat
it. Humans also eat things that are bad for them- such as clotted cream
and tobacco... |
Do
degus eat cheese? |
Degus
will (try to) eat almost anything. However, you should NOT give them
cheese as it is high in fat, salt, protein and milk sugars that your
degu is not adapted to digest properly and could cause them harm. |
We have been
using Supapet's Reggie Rat formula for degu food with additions of
weekly veggies. Is this OK as a healthy diet? |
I
wouldn't recommend feeding a rat diet
to your degus. It's very high in protein that degus only have an 85%
digestive capacity for and doesn't contain added vitamin C which it is
beneficial in the degu diet. I would recommend instead that you switch
to the 'Gerty guinea pig' diet which is ideal. |
Hello, I was
hoping I could get some good suggestions for training treats. I've been
using yogurt drops, but I'm afraid of the sugar content. Id feel better
using something more suitable. Everyday I give my girl, Roxy a treat out
of my hand to start training her to be more hand friendly. She wasn't
handled as a baby, and I rescued her a few months ago. Her mate died and
I think she is lonely, so I want to provide her with some human
companionship. |
Definitely
not a good idea to use yogurt drops as a training aid on a regular basis
as you're right, they contain sugar and may also contain lactose.
I find that the
best training treats are cereals such as natural puffed rice or rolled
oats. These go a long way and don't fill your degus up too quickly. You
could also try using small bits of cracker or a crispbread, but make
sure you check the salt content first.
For more
tips on training and treats, visit the training
section of Degutopia.
|
I have read
that to change the degu's food it should be done slowly, I normally feed
them Vitacraft Degu Menu but the shop has gone out of stock, and I can
not find it any where else. I am almost out of the Vitacraft Degu Menu-
I have guinea pig pellets and chinchilla pellets that I could give them
for a week until the shop gets more in stock. would this be ok as I can
not lay hands on any more? |
You're
right, you shouldn't suddenly switch your degus diet from one type to
another, or even from one brand to another as this can upset the
digestive balance of your degu's guts, which is largely caused by even
slight variations in nutritive content upsetting the intestinal
microfloral population. But in this case you don't have much
alternative. My advice would be to mix the little original diet you have
left with some of the pellets, but increase the amount of hay they are
fed. If your degus are fed hay ad lib. then this is not necessary. This
will enable you to cut down their diet for a week until your feed is
back in stock, without causing any major intestinal imbalance. You could
even try mixing in a small amount of natural oats with their temporary
diet to make it go further, but remember that oats are a good energy
source, so don't overfeed them unless your degus can run it off!! |
I would like to
give my degus sweet potatoes but I need to know if I should cook them
first and how do I cook them? Or do I just peel them and give them raw.
I have 6 degus so about how much sweet potato do I give? |
You
don't need to cook the sweet potatoes before giving it to your degus. I
would only give your degus a small amount, I would say cut the potato
into cubes and give them a few cubes each once or twice per week.
Overfeeding of potatoes can cause gastrointestinal bloating in your
degus if overfed.
But degus do love
sweet potatoes, and it's a great treat for them! for a list of other
vegies degus can have see the veg guide.
|
Hey! I bought
my very first pair of female Degus yesterday and am pretty excited :o) I
have been doing a lot of reading on them (mostly on the internet), and
today read that I shouldn't feed them anything with Molasses in it. I
knew they shouldn't have sugar (or much of it), but didn't think to look
on the Guinea Pig and Chinchilla food since the people at the pet store
told me which ones to buy. Today I looked on both bags, and both of them
contain Molasses in it way down in the list of ingredients and now I am
all annoyed that I was sold the wrong things!!! Can I continue giving
them this until the bags run out or should I go back and buy completely
new food? |
Well
done in reading up about degus- its surprising how many 'experts' don't
give you the right information. You're right, degus can't have sugar
containing foods on a regular basis due to the way their metabolism
works. Molasses is a sugar containing substance (similar to treacle)
that is frequently added to animal feeds (especially common in horse
feed) to make it more palatable. Degus must NOT be fed a diet containing
molasses as the constant consumption of dietary
sugar can cause them to develop diabetes, which can also lead to
other complications such as cataracts and will almost certainly reduce
their life span. You should STOP feeding them this diet and switch to
one without sugar as soon as possible.
As a side note,
it is possible to feed
your degus the OCCASIONAL bit of fruit, even though fruit contains
sugar. This is because research has shown that degus ARE able to
metabolise sugar to a certain extent. But if in doubt, I would leave it
out completely.
|
My Degus really
don't seem to be interested in veggies. When I got them, there were on a
hamster diet. Now they're eating a guinea pig/chinchilla mix, with hay.
But I can't seem to get them into veggies. I feed all my animals fresh
fruit and veggies, and would like to get the degus eating it. (not so
much fruit). What kinds of veggies do they tend to enjoy? Thanks. |
Degus
often aren't great fans of fresh veggies as in the wild their diet
consists mainly of shrub leaves, herbs and forbs. However, they do seem
to have a preference for veggies such as Savoy cabbage (small amounts),
green/runner beans, carrots and spring onions. This may purely be a
taste preference thing, or it may be that these particular veggies
contain essential nutrients, thus provoking a motivational eating
response. You can also feed your degus on small bits of apple once a
week (at the most), as degus love it and if fed in small quantities is
perfectly safe (see research in the health
section). My degus also enjoy cauliflower and broccoli stems, and the
odd cube of sweet potato. |
Where I bought
my Degus, The lady said to feed them Chinchilla food and Guinea Pig food
mixed, so that's what I've been feeding them. And on
your site it said to only feed them Guinea Pig food. What should I
do? |
Hi
there, Don't worry. I personally only feed my degus guinea pig food, but
you can give a mix of guinea and chin food if you take into account
what's in it. Firstly, make sure to check the ingredients list of both
for molasses. This is a sugary substance and must not be fed to degus,
so make sure it's not added to the feeds. Secondly, I would only use
chinchilla pellets and not chinchilla mix. This is because chinchilla
mix often contains dried fruit which should not be fed to your degus on
a regular basis. If in doubt, check the ingredients list. As long as you
stick to the 'rules' above, you should be fine! Remember that as long as
your degus are fed a balanced diet, it really doesn't matter whether you
feed them guinea pig food or chinchilla food, or even both. Hope this
helps you out! |
My son
has just become the proud owner of 4 new degus - mum, dad and 2 babies -
the 2 babies I have found are boys so now the poor mum is all alone in a
cage on her own but right next to the boys and their dad. I have been
reading up quite a lot on the internet about these little creatures, as
I, like most people out there, had never heard of them before. My
question is regarding food. When we brought them home I bought some
chinchilla pellets to feed them but I have today bought some guinea pig
nuggets. I note from your site that you cannot give food containing
molasses but have read the ingredients on the nuggets and they are as
follows:- wheat, grass meal, soya peas, oat bran, now comes the tricky
one which has totally thrown me - unmolassed sugar beet pulp and other
ingredients. Is this safe to feed the degus? |
Food
is always a tricky one with degus, you have to be quite careful about
what's in it. It's best to find a food that's safe and the degus like
and stick with it, but of course until a company manufactures a degu
feed, we just have to take what we can find! You're absolutely right to
check the ingredients and I can see why they've confused you! 'Sugar
beet' is a staple crop commonly used in the feed industry. As the name
suggests, sugar beet does indeed contain sugar. HOWEVER, sugar beet PULP
does NOT contain sugar. The pulp is the fibrous material that is left after
the beet has been soaked and the sugar extracted. The pulp is very high
in fibre and a good source of energy. As it does not contain sugar, it
is safe to give to your degus. I would advise, however, that you feed
this sparingly as the dehydrated pulp can expand inside the gut when
rehydrated, which can cause constipation. I would recommend feeding a
ratio of 2:1 chin pellets: this gp food. Remember that the amount of
hard feed given in total per day should be very small- about one
tablespoon of feed per degu per day. This of course should be
supplemented with as much hay as your degus can eat. If you're still
worried about diet, I can recommend some brands that are available here
in the UK. Supreme Petfood's Gerty Guinea Pig mix is good, as are some
of the degu specific diets. We feed our degus
a mixture of both these feeds for a well balanced diet and a touch of
variety. |
QUESTION-
Teeth |
ANSWER |
My daughter has
2 degus Nibbles is 1 year old and Curly approx 2 year old. The older of
the 2 had very overgrown teeth and infected gums, the first vet we went
to gave antibiotics and said he would probably be dead within 2 weeks so
not to bother (cruel person) we then visited a second vet who
immediately took Curly in and within 24 hours had cleaned his gums and
filed down his teeth, given antibiotics and we fetched him back home. He
wouldn't eat and when we went back he had a throat abscess. This cleared
and he started to take rescue food and then started on ordinary food. He
has lost loads of weight, and despite visits to the vet he is still not
eating properly or putting weight on. We have got some more rescue food
but he is hardly taking any of it. He looks like he is eating but after
he finishes hardly anything has been taken. Could his teeth still be too
long? Do you have any suggestions? Were we too late in discovering the
problem as we had our grandson staying (2yr old) and thought Curly was
just keeping out of his way. We don't want to lose him but after the
last experience with local vet we now wonder if they could have been
saved by going to the new vet. Can you help? |
Sorry
to hear about your problem. It sounds a lot to me like your degu still
has a very sore mouth and gums. This could be due to the ulceration and
infection caused by the laceration prior to the operation not clearing
up properly for one of two reasons: Are you still giving your degu
antibiotics? If you're not I suggest (this might sound a little
strange!) that you sniff your degu's mouth. If there is a foul smell
there is infection present that needs to be treated in order for the
mouth to heal properly. The second option is that the degu's molar teeth
(the cheek teeth that you can't see) are overgrown. Degus molar teeth
continuously grow as the incisors do, and if not kept short can overgrow
and become sharp, lacerating the sides of the mouth, a condition known
as bruxism (for more information please visit the illness
section). Your degu is not eating because of the pain, and in effect may
be making it worse for itself- if all it can eat is soggy diet then it
can't keep it's molar teeth short. Unfortunately there is little you can
do to make the degu eat- the reward of eating is negated by the pain
felt when doing so. If it were me, I would take your degu to a vet with
degu experience and ask about starting a course of antibiotics and
possibly booking in to have a tooth examination under anaesthetic- it is
near impossible examining an awake degu's molar teeth. Have the teeth
filed if necessary and continue with the soggy diet. However try to
'wean' your degu onto hard food as soon as possible to prevent
overgrowth reoccurring. Perhaps ask your vet about a mild analgesic or
something similar to numb your degu's mouth slightly to get them to
start eating.
This is going to be tricky to sort out as it's like a vicious cycle, but
you will notice immediately when your degu starts eating and putting on
weight. I would strongly advise your weigh your degu regularly and
record the weight- do this daily where possible until your degu starts
to recover.
As for vets, I know how hard it can be to find a good degu vet, and you
have to have the confidence (like you did) to challenge one vet's
opinion by going to another. But for the sake of our furry little
friends it's all worth it in the end. |
Do degu's need
their teeth clipped on a regular basis? I might get their teeth clipped
while I'm at this awesome vet. |
Degu
incisors wear naturally as they eat and chew and should not require
clipping. On rare occasions, there may be a problem with the way your
degus teeth line up, causing them to grow unevenly. It is better to get
your degus molar teeth (back teeth) checked while you are at the vets,
as these are much harder to check on a regular basis. Your vet can then
file them down as necessary to prevent bruxism occurring (see the teeth
section of the ILLNESS
page). |
I have
a pair of young degus (approx 3 months old) and I had a degu years ago,
and know that their teeth are supposed be a yellowish/orange color. Well
one of my lil cuties has the yellowish teeth and the other does
not. They are a very pale yellow, almost white color. Is this normal? |
Young
degus tend to develop the orange colouration
of their teeth after a couple of months post weaning, before which they
are a pale yellow in colour. At three months old, I would have thought
your degus teeth would have turned orange already, although it can take
up to 6 months. It sounds as though one degu is beginning to change, but
the other is not. This is either due to differences in the development
rate of the two degus, a nutritive deficiency, or illness. Hopefully, it
will be the case of the former. To make certain it is not a dietary
deficiency, ensure your degus are being fed a good quality guinea pig or
degu mix with added vitamin C and iron. This should also be supplemented
with fresh vegetables weekly (and hay daily), it may also help to
supplement them with iron and antioxidant rich veg like parsley, red
pepper, broccoli, rosehips and carrot. You might also try giving your
degus a mineral stone to lick. To check that your degus are both
healthy, watch them closely for signs of change in behaviour such
as increased drinking, lethargy or inactivity as these are early
indicators of disease. With luck, your degus teeth should become
noticeably more orange in the next month or so. Remember that if one
degu's teeth have turned orange and the other still has white teeth,
it's worthwhile getting them checked over by an experienced degu vet
just to ensure that they aren't showing any signs of illness. |
One of
my degus teeth are orange at the front but whitish at the back? is this
normal? |
A
healthy degu's teeth should appear orange in colour, but it is only the
enamel that is coloured- the rest of the tooth is creamy white. As you
have seen, this will appear as orange on the front surface of the tooth
and white behind. It's perfectly normal. |
Just
wanted some advice really. I've got two male degus around 7 months old.
I've just noticed that one of them has 1 white tooth - the other 3 front
teeth are orange. I've read that this is a sign of a serious illness yet
he seems fine - he's playing, eating and drinking. I've booked him in to
the vet on Tuesday morning but is there anything I can do for him? |
I
would say that it is very unlikely that your degu is seriously ill-
white teeth are often only linked to serious illness if ALL the teeth
are white, rather than just one. I would say that there is a completely
separate reason behind this one tooth being white, so don't panic! To
give you the basics on how degu teeth work: Degu teeth are orange at the
front because the cells that produce tooth enamel take up an enzyme that
is orange in colour (these cells are called ameloblasts- more info can
be found here). If
these cells become damaged in some way, then they stop producing enamel,
resulting in the tooth appearing white. The enamel production may start
again at a later date or it may be permanent, but it doesn't really
affect the degu's health. The most common way for ameloblasts to become
damaged is if the degu has a fall and hits it's teeth on something hard.
This could happen, for example, after a fall in the cage, or even if the
degu runs into something by accident, such as a table leg, etc. The
other possibility is that there is disruption caused by tumor growth,
but this would be visible inside the degu's mouth, and the degu would be
showing signs of being unwell/having trouble eating and drinking. It's
worth having his teeth checked by the vet to make sure they're not
overgrowing, too. On the whole, it sounds like your degu will be fine,
although it's hard to say if the tooth will revert to normal or not.
Don't cancel you vet appointment, it's a good idea to give him a health
check just to put your mind at rest. If you would like to read more
about this condition (it's called ENAMEL HYPOPLASIA), you can visit the illness
section. |
QUESTION-
Wounds & Sores |
ANSWER |
Thanks for the
response to my previous question (about fur chewing- see the behaviour
FAQ). In the meantime, is there any sort of salve that we might be
able to use to prevent infection and/or pain on the part of his leg that
is bleeding? Something that wouldn't be harmful
to him when he chews it (because we know he will)? |
I
recommend using a mild moisturising baby lotion or E45 cream on the
chewed areas. It will really help to soften the skin and encourage re-
growth of the hair after chewing stops. Apply a small amount once per
day and rub it in until it's absorbed. With yours, I would say it would
be beneficial for you to bathe the sore areas in saline solution prior
to applying any moisturiser to prevent infection. However, on fresh or
open wounds you should just use saline and not apply any creams. More
information about making saline solution can be found in the illness
section. Alternatively you could use dilute TCP or dilute iodine as an
antibacterial wash, but remember not to go crazy with strong solutions
like these and dry off any excess after application as you don't want
your degu to ingest them (when they chew at the area). |
I have 3 male
degu's they are brothers.. Well about 2 hours ago 1 of them got hurt..
He was bleeding on his back paw ... I stopped it with corn starch... He
is by himself right now, but he seems lonely.. I knew they are very
social and do not like to be alone.. Should I put him back with his
brothers or keep him separate tonight? |
You
did the right thing to separate them until the bleeding has stopped.
After that it should be fine to put the degu back in with his brothers
as long as he isn't having trouble walking or appears to be in pain. If
he's in pain, or is lethargic, sitting hunched up in the corner and
unresponsive, take your degu to the vet immediately.
If not, remember
to monitor your degu closely over the next days until the wound starts
to heal. Bathe it daily in saline solution to prevent infection and
encourage healing. Remember that removing your degu from his brothers is
stressful for him and will slow the healing process, so put him back as
soon as you can.
|
Need help! We
have 2 degu's - brothers. They're always fighting over the wheel. (We
have a plastic wheel with the metal support). We heard a loud squeal and
one of them now can't use his right foot/side at all. He's lopsided! Is
it broken? How do I tell? The 2 of them are "arguing" - every
time the healthy one goes to check on the injured one, there's a lot of
"talk" going on. He won't come to me either. He's hiding under
a log.
What do we do? |
Please,
please take your injured degu to a vet as soon as you can. It's possible
that your degu has broken his leg. If he is still limping/unable to bear
weight on the leg, you need to take him as soon as you can- if he isn't
responding to you touching his foot it could be that he has damaged the
nerves in his leg or worse still is losing the circulation to the leg. A
vet should be able to sort it out, but if you leave it the leg could
start to become gangrenous and if this happens it may have to be
amputated. Your degu is hiding as this is a stress response- an obvious
sign that he is in pain. You need to seek professional advice about this
from a qualified vet who has looked at the leg. |
I need
help very badly, I have a very sick degu. No vet anywhere to be found.
Her teeth grew up too much and she is in extreme pain. Last night I had
her out and noticed the problem was worse then I thought; behind her top
teeth is quite a mess. I will spare you the details but she also has a
huge mass of what I believe is infection. I had the poor baby cuddled
all night but I had to cut the tooth due to the very severe damage it
was causing. She now does nothing. I am worried sick she wont make it.
She ate well last night but now has not touched food or water all day. I
have 8 other girls and I can't bare to lose her. |
I'm really
sorry to hear that and will do my best to help, but you need to act
quickly because she sounds very poorly. Of course my first advice would
be to take her to a vet as soon as you can, as they will give her drugs
for the pain and some antibiotics to clear the infection. Until you are
able to get to a vet, here's what I suggest you do:
1. Make your degu as
comfortable as possible. She will be in pain, tired and stressed, so
avoid handling her too much but don't separate her from the group.
Having company will really help her out. Give her plenty of bedding and
make sure she's not cold or shivering- if she is, try putting the cage
on a hot water bottle (don't put it in the cage- you don't want the
degus to chew it or burn themselves).
2. Keep a close eye on
her mouth and teeth. If there is an abscess in her mouth, the vet may
need to lance it to release the infection and allow her to eat properly.
Lancing involves draining out the infection from under the skin.
Remember that degus teeth grow very fast, so you may need to trim them
again soon.
3. Make sure she has
access to food and water. Make up some really soft food for her to eat
such as oats/porridge, or bran mashed with a little water.
4. Monitor her
eating/drinking habits and her behaviour closely. Keep a record of it
all so you can check. Also it's a great idea to weigh her every day, so
you can see if she's getting worse or better, and record this, too.
5. Don't panic. You can
help her much better with a clear head, and remember to rationalise your
actions. Talking to her calmly will help keep her calm. However, she
does sound very poorly, so it's important to prepare yourself for the
worst, but above all be strong and know you are doing all you can. I
know how hard it is to see your pet who you love go through this, but if
you act quickly and calmly, you can do the very best you can to help her
and make her comfortable.
|
QUESTION-
Respiratory, Sinus & Allergy |
ANSWER |
About
a month ago I got two baby degus. I was really happy to have them but
after four days one started to get a runny nose so I rang the breeder.
We had a chat about bedding and food which he thought I was doing all
the right things so he decided the best thing was to let him 'sort
himself out' as he had been taken from his mum and was in a new
environment. A week passed and he still had a runny nose, so I decided
to give him antibiotics to be on the safe side. One week on, still the
same. I have put him on paper bedding and dust extracted hay. The only
things left in the cage are his food (giunea pig food and vegetables)
plus his wood hut and brother. His brother is fine so please help me,
what is possibly wrong with this animal? The poor thing has had a runny
nose for over a month and I feel this might be serious. Please can you
help this sweet animal, local vets are not used to treating them. |
It sounds like
your breeder suspected a respiratory infection/irritation which is why
he advised you to switch bedding and to dust extracted hay. This
condition could have been caused by this initially, but here's the
possibilities of what it sounds like it could be:
1. Pneumonia- your degu
has a respiratory infection that may have been triggered by dust
particles initially, or he may have had it much longer through inhaling
milk while he was weaning. Since it's not clearing up, he's having
trouble fighting off the infection and will need a course of antibiotics
to help him clear it up. If it is pneumonia, the discharge will be clear
to yellowish, and you will hear wheezing/clicking noises when he
breathes. You need to take him to the vet and they may take an x-ray of
his lungs, or just prescribe the antibiotics.
2. Sinus problem- this is
quite common in degus, one or both sinus ducts may become blocked and
this can lead to a build up of infection. Discharge usually comes out
through the tear duct, giving the degu a 'gammy eye', and is yellow to
dark red or even pink in colour. This could be a possibility- your vet
will prescribe antibiotics and the degu may have his sinuses flushed if
the problem reoccurs.
3. Bruxism- your degu
could have a tooth problem caused by malocclusion. This usually becomes
apparent by trouble eating and drooling- you will see a clear liquid
(saliva) coming from the degu's mouth and nose. This condition is caused
by a lack of alignment of the teeth, particularly the back teeth
(molars), which results in a sharp edge forming that cuts the degu's
cheek. Your vet will need to examine your degus molars, which will
involve anaesthesia to get a proper look. They will then be able to file
down any sharp edges/burrs to allow the cheek laceration to heal and
your degu will be able to start eating properly again. If it is found to
be bruxism, unfortunately this will be a recurring problem and his teeth
may need regular checkups/filing. I think the best thing for you to do
is to take him to a vet, armed with these possibilities and talk it over
with the vet. Even if they don't have degu experience, you will find
they are able to treat all the above conditions and will be able to
diagnose your degu and find the best treatment for him. I really think
you should take him sooner rather than later as if he does need
antibiotics, you need to get him started on them straight away to give
him a good chance of recovery.
|
I have
a 4 years old male degu who has just lost his brother who had a
bacterial infection. He has now lost a patch of hair on his back. I've
taken him to the vet as it looks as if he is trying to scratch all the
time. The vet thinks it is lice and has seen him on several occasions to
give him a solution to kill the lice, however it is not going away and I
don't think the vet has much idea about degus. I've also tried a saline
solution but to no effect. Could this just be stress?
Also he has
started to sneeze or what I think is sneezing quite regularly (every
minute or so) but his eyes are not watering or nose running. All of this
is concerning me. And it does not help having a vet that does not really
know the physiology. His behaviour has not changed a great deal and is
still as active as ever. He has always been in the best of health.
|
It
sounds to me like he has an allergy to something. This would certainly
explain the scratching, hair loss and sneezing. The tricky part is going
to be finding the allergen that is causing him irritation! You're going
to need to work at it methodically. Firstly, I suggest you remove
anything from his cage that is new (i.e. prior to the development of
these symptoms). The most common allergen for degus is the bedding.
Degus can develop allergies to sawdust/pine shavings over long periods
of time, so even if he has had shavings for a long while I would always
recommend changing bedding first of all. Don't change to other wood
shavings (I would avoid wood completely as the dust alone can aggravate
respiratory allergies), instead try one of the alternatives. Some common
alternatives include recycled newspaper (also branded as 'Carefresh'),
shredded plain paper (you can often find this in the equine industry),
or corncob bedding. One of our degus has a sawdust allergy so I changed
them all to a brand of chopped straw, which is excellent and he has no
more problems. Over here in the UK (not sure where you are) the chopped
straw is made by the 'Supreme Petfoods' brand who make Gerty Guinea Pig
feed.
Leave these changes with him for
at least two weeks. If you don't notice an improvement in him, you need
to change something else to eliminate that. The next thing I would look
to is the diet. Some degus can have allergies to certain foods, just
like humans. It may be that one brand uses something slightly different
compared to another, but since you can't always tell what manufacturers
put into their feeds, you'll have to swap and change. Remember that it's
important to phase in any new diet over the course of a week to allow
your degu's digestion time to adapt accordingly, this is essential. Once
your degu is started on the new diet, leave it another two weeks to look
for changes.
The other major allergy area is
cleaning mediums- a lot of people overlook this. Degus can be very
sensitive to cleaning products like washing up liquid, so try and change
what you use to clean his cage with. Avoid washing liquids completely
and instead try a mild disinfectant diluted in hot water. Again, leave
it for two weeks before switching to different brands.
All in all, it's going to take a
while to find out what is causing this. Persevere and you will find it,
remember that the little changes all add up.
I can also recommend supplementing
his food once a month with evening primrose oil. This is fantastic for
dry skin and might soothe the itchy areas. You could also apply it
directly to the skin once a week. In
the meantime, things you might like to try asking your vet to check for
you are mites- I think he's unlikely to have mites, but it's worth
covering all possibilities. This will involve the vet taking a skin
scraping from his bald patch.
Incidentally, stress often brings
out these allergies in degus and makes them worse than they might have
been before. The loss of his brother may have affected him in such a way
that the raised stress brought out the condition. I would say that if
you make these changes, over time as he learns to cope with his new
situation, he will gradually improve.
|
QUESTION-
Other |
ANSWER |
In
the wild, does anything eat degus?! |
Wild
degus are preyed
upon most frequently by black-chested buzzards, Culpeo foxes and owls. Historically,
it has recently been shown that humans have even eaten degus! |
One of my girls
passed away yesterday morning and I now have just one degu remaining.
I have read information on
Degutopia regarding a degu living alone and have been giving her loads
of attention yesterday and today.
However, I am worried that
I may not recognise if she starts to become depressed.
I would appreciate
any advice regarding the warning signs I need to look out for - if she
is not happy living alone then I will need to find some company for her.
Thanks in advance.
|
I'm
sorry to hear
that. Of course your degu will notice the absence
of their friend straight away, so you're doing absolutely the right
thing by giving them more attention straight away. I would also
suggest you give your degu some new toys to play with to keep them
occupied.
It's quite hard
to tell if your degu is becoming depressed. The signs of depression
include lethargy, huddling in a corner, lack of movement, loss of
appetite and disinterest in playing/interacting with you when let out.
I would suggest
you keep on giving lots of attention, let them out more, give them some
new toys and perhaps introduce some new training to their playtime to
keep them occupied. Watch for the signs of depression and your degu
should be fine. You may notice that your degu starts actively seeking
more attention from you and spends more time with you than before- this
is perfectly normal.
|
I've seen a lot
of different figures on life expectance for degus. A lot say 5-6 years
but I've seen figures up to 10years+.
Anyone got any ideas on
this? Pumpkin is pushing 5 now and it would be nice to know if she is a
senior citizen or just a middle aged lady!!
|
A lot
of research I've read gives the average life expectancy of a captive
degu as 6-8 years. Other studies give the expectancy of wild degus as
8-10 years with some reaching 15 in captivity! They seem to hypothesise
that this difference between wild and captive degus is due to the poor
genetic history that our pets have been bred from. So I suppose that the
life expectancy of a pet degu would vary (amongst other factors of which
stress plays a major role) depending on their genetic lineage. I guess
it would be useful to know what age their parents reached to get a good
picture, but this isn't always (if ever) possible!
If you would like
to contribute to some research, Degutopia is currently investigating
degu longevity. Complete our online
form to tell us about your degu's age.
|
I am
getting a degu for my birthday [3 days!] but my mom is scared that if it
bites her she will get a disease. Is this true? If so, What kinds of
diseases can you get? |
Good
choice! Don't worry, pet degus don't carry diseases, and even wild degus
only carry diseases that don't commonly affect humans (not zoonoses).
Unless your degu is wild, you can tell your mum that they are germ free!
Obviously degus can and do get ill, but the most common diseases they
suffer from are things like diabetes and cataracts, which are not
contagious (even to other degus!). As a side note, degus very rarely
bite. In fact, degus only bite when they feel very threatened and even
then it rarely breaks the skin- they're very gentle animals. You may
even find your degu grooms you from time to time- this is a soft
nibbling of the skin, which doesn't hurt at all- they do it to each
other. Before you get your degu (not long now!), can I please ask you
not to get only one. Degus are very social animals and can become
depressed and ill if housed alone. Please get at least a pair of degus-
these should be littermates and the same sex. I often get asked if it's
OK to house two males together- it's fine as long as they're brothers or
have grown up together. Happy birthday in advance, your new degus will
give you lots of happy memories! If you would like any further advice,
don't hesitate to e-mail me, I'm always here to help! Perhaps you would
like to join Degutopia's group
for advice and tips from other degu owners? Once you've got your degus,
why not register
them (free!) and receive a certificate. |
Hi, we
have a 3 month old male degu who so far has been doing really well and
seems very attached to us, particularly to my son. Anyway, just a few
minutes ago, little Gooey pooped out a brownish worm, and then proceeded
to consume said worm. My son is in hysterics about this, and with it
being Thanksgiving, we're not sure if we'd be able to get in touch with
a vet. Do you have any experience with such a thing? Is it possible to
give him de-worming medication? We live in a small town, but we
purchased the degu from a very reputable pet shop and were planning to
get more degus from the same shop at Christmas. I don't think our local
vets would know much about degus. We'd really appreciate any help and
suggestions you can offer. |
Degus
very rarely get worms, however once they have them they can be stuck
with them for quite some time until treated. Well done for spotting it,
if left unnoticed, degus can become quite ill with a heavy parasite
burden, but if caught in time you can plan treatment. Internal
parasites, particularly worms are highly contagious between degus, and
your degu probably caught them from one of his brothers at the pet shop.
It's a good idea to inform the pet shop once your degu has seen the vet.
Before you go to the vet, I recommend (if possible) you try to obtain
another sample of the worm (before your degu eats it!), or some faecal
pellets to give to the vet. This will allow the vet to determine exactly
what kind of worm it is, for example if it is a nematode, etc, and they
can then decide which wormer to give. Hope this helps you out, good luck
with sample hunting! |
Do you
know about hepatitis in degu? I have lost both my degus, one died and
the other one had to be put to sleep. They were brothers and they were
three and a half years old. The first one became unwell and its ears
turned yellow, so I took it straight to a vet, but it died at the vet.
His brother became unwell one month after and they gave him antibiotics
and fluids for 7 days but the day after his treatment stopped he went
down hill and had to be put to sleep. The first degu I had a autopsy
done and they found his liver a 'funny' colour. I was too upset to have
the second one done. Now, did these animal have viral hepatitis? Do they
get that? Or was it their food? I always feed them correctly. I would be
most grateful if you have any knowledge on hepatitis, I did witness the
first degu lick some water off the floor before I could retrieve him
also I gave them a calcium block with contain fish shell could these
have been the reason? |
I'm
sorry to hear that. I don't know a lot about hepatitis in the degu as
it's not actually that common. I can say that the calcium block you gave
is unlikely to be the cause as calcium is not really involved with the
liver- the fish shell is only there to provide the calcium and not a lot
else. Since both your degus were brothers I would say the most likely
explanation is they had a genetic disease that caused them both to
develop liver failure. The fact that they both became ill at similar
times is strongly indicative that it was a genetic problem. Is there any
way you can get in touch with owners of the rest of the litter or the
parents of your degus? It might be worth finding out their background to
see if any of their siblings suffered the same fate. It's more than
likely that your degus were a directly inbred litter and this was one
mutation that developed as a result. It's so hard trying to determine
our degus backgrounds- this is why I'm developing the degu registration
scheme to try and prevent this kind of thing from occurring. I
applaud you for having an autopsy done on your first degu, I know it can
be very heartbreaking but it's best to be sure. Unfortunately liver
failure can develop without any outward symptoms and only show itself
when in the most advanced stages- lethargy, dehydration and yellow skin.
Degus are so furry the yellow skin is only immediately apparent in the
ears- caused because the yellow chemical bilirubin is not metabolised
correctly. I'm afraid the only thing we can do to stop this sort of
thing from happening is pay more attention to how we breed degus and
stop inbreeding from occurring. I'm glad you brought this to my
attention, I can add it to the list of the many defects that
registration will help to iron out. With help from people like you
Degutopia can stop our degus from suffering and improve their lives
greatly. Thanks, and sympathy. |
I have
a 4 year old male degu that has pneumonia. Prognosis is not good but I
am trying to get oral antibiotics into him. The vet recommended crushing
the pill and mixing it with jam, however my degu turned his nose up to
that! I was wondering if you would have any suggestions about how I can
get him to take the antibiotic. |
Hmmm
I'm a little unsure as to why your vet thought it best to give the pill
in jam- degus sugar intake needs to be carefully controlled and
something as sweet as jam could cause no end of problems to your degu's
system. It's a good job he doesn't like it! I also think it's a little
odd that the vet prescribed a solid antibiotic rather
than a liquid one- this is much easier to get inside picky degus!
What I suggest you try
first is crushing the tablet into a fine powder. You can then mix this
with some natural oats (the ones you make porridge out of). He should go
for this, most degus are crazy about oats! If not, try mixing the oats
with water into a paste. You could also try this with bran. If neither
of these work, I suggest you go back to the vet, tell them that your
degu refuses the solid antibiotic and ask them to give you a liquid
antibiotic instead. Ask specifically for 'Baytril 2.5% oral solution',
this is very common and safe for degu use. Liquid antibiotics are MUCH
easier to administer. You can either syringe/pipette it directly into
your degus mouth, or you can split the dose and apply it to bits of your
degu's normal feed- trust me they don't even notice!
|
Do
degus carry any disease and will they be ok near a dog and five birds in
the house (well not next to them but on a different floor) my mother is
actually concerned for her birds but just wants to make sure the birds
will be ok. |
Domestic
degus do not carry diseases that can be transferred to other animals or
humans (zoonoses). Occasionally, and very rarely, degus can have a
disease that will affect other degus in the cage (as with most animals),
but this will never affect you or your mum's birds! Your mum has
absolutely nothing to worry about! |