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Post by eddyuk on Nov 29, 2014 17:48:39 GMT
Heya folks. Me and my partner are new owners of a pair of lovely Degus, but one has started having runny poos. It's not exactly water, but more like soft sludge? Kinda like mushy peas. I read on another site that very burnt toast can help, and I've done that. But is there anything else you great folks can suggest? Thanks!
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Post by moletteuk on Nov 29, 2014 17:59:40 GMT
Yikes, I wouldn't offer burnt toast, I have no idea what that is about.
Have they changed food? Sometimes a little stress and different food can cause slightly soft poo. Does the poo smell bad? If it smells bad and the degu appears unwell, then it could be a stomach bug and they may need prompt vet care.
The best thing is Oxbow Critical Care, but you probably wouldn't be able to get that until Monday, it's easiest to get it from a vet.
Don't feed any fresh veg or leaves, and encourage hay and make sure (s)he keeps drinking. Try and keep on top of clearing away the poop.
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Post by animalmadchloe on Nov 29, 2014 18:07:48 GMT
I'm.sure you can buy some online if you google it aswell  |
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Post by eddyuk on Nov 29, 2014 18:12:51 GMT
I'll remove the toast straight away. D: they're still active, drinking plenty and such. I haven't changed their diet, they also have plenty of hay. We did take them to the vets on Tuesday and they were fine. Maybe that stressed them out a bit? They both play, wrestle each other for dominance (which is adorable to watch!) and scurry around. Maybe it was just the stress of the vets?
Oh, and the poo doesn't smell bad. Hell, I can't even smell their normal poo. X3
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Post by moletteuk on Nov 29, 2014 18:39:35 GMT
How long has the poo been soft for? I'd be a bit concerned even with no other symptoms or smell if it has been more than 36 hours or so. Are they young? Mine were more prone to the very occasional soft poo when they were up to about 8 months old.
I would definitely get some Critical Care (for herbivores), it's great to have on hand anyway, and is really the best thing for straightening out gut issues.
Yes, healthy degu poo shouldn't smell at all. Lucky for us it's pretty innocuous since it often turns up in my slipper or even my bed.
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Post by Maravilla on Nov 29, 2014 18:56:52 GMT
Depending on how runny it is (if it is just quite soft but not liquid) you could try to offer only hay and oats (oats do not belong to their daily diet but could help if poos are too soft) during some days.
If the poos are more liquid, you have to go to the vet ASAP. It could also be a case of parasites (coccidia and/or giardia) which have to be treated carefully. For this, it is necessary to collect poos over 3 days and ask the vet for an ELISA test. They may tell you that degus do not get these parasites but this is wrong. Probably lots of degus do have small amounts of them in they intestines but are able to keep them at a low level. Stress, e.g. when moving to a new home, can cause a sudden increase of the number which can result in diarrhoea.
What about their hay? Does it smell like hay should smell?
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Post by eddyuk on Nov 29, 2014 19:02:06 GMT
The hay smells normal, and the poo has been on and off since Tuesday. Some days are normal, some a bit wet. I'll get some organic oats tomorrow and see if that helps, I'll look for Critical Care too :3
Just to make a quick edit; our boys have grown since we got them last week. So I think their young. Maybe a few months? I'll upload a pic or two of them for you guys to see if that'd help?
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Post by eddyuk on Nov 30, 2014 17:17:01 GMT
Just a quick update. I haven't seen any runny poo today from my boys, so maybe it was just the stress from the vets? And maybe it was cause they are still young? I hope that's what it was ^_^
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