my degu has a broken paw

[stuart]

My degu has broken its paw jumping from its cage it doesnt seem to be affected at all though its still running round normally and eating as usual and doesnt seem to be in any pain at all but is cradeiling the paw any advice would be mutch appreciated

[ilikedegus]

Well he may not have broken it, just sprained it.

The important things to watch out for are swelling and raised temperature - i.e. does the paw feel hotter than the rest of him; these 2 symptoms could well mean infection.

Having said that - I am not a vet, I cannot really advise. Can you get him to the vet? Watch him closely for the next few hours and see how he is.

[stuart]

Hi thanks the little guy seems fine now no temp still running around although on three legs and imposible to catch. Il keep an eye on him over the rest of the day.

[moletteuk]

Can you take out the wheel and make any ramps less steep, remove any jumps, and that type of thing?

I would really recommend a vet visit. It's important that the blood supply remains good beyond the point of any break, otherwise that portion can die off and cause big problems.

[toothbrush]

Definitely go to the vets - at the very least he'll need animal painkillers/ anti-inflammatories. Foot/ limb injuries even if not broken can be quite serious and if not treated appropriately can cause other knock-on problems. Having said that they usually heal relatively quickly and without problems, but you want to maximise the chances of that happening, so I'd try a range of things to catch him as it's much more important than just general handling.

[stuart]

Thanks all been to the vet and he is going to be fine. Giveing the cage a makeover on the weekend so will have better levels and more floor space. Time to look into pet insurance though.

[toothbrush]

How's he doing now?

I don't know about degus specifically, but with small pets often pet insurance isn't worth it re. what they'll actually pay out for, and the liklihood of one-off things vs ongoing health issues that will stop being covered. The recommendation usually is to start up a savings account or similar as a personal vet fund you put x amount into each month. Better returns, usually.