Did my degu have a stroke?

[jibs]

Hello! I am the owner of 2 beautiful degu girls (Hissy and Holly) for about 7 years now, but today was extremely stressful and confusing for me and one of my goos.

Hissy was acting very strange the whole day. From the morning through most of the day she was very sleepy. She wouldn't move around much, just change locations for where she would sleep around the floor of the cage. Her eyes would barely part, she would plop down like a pancake and her breathing was more heavy than usual. Like, her whole body would move with each breath she took and she looked extremely exhausted. She found no interest in food or water despite sometimes walking up to the water bottle to sniff it. She would put her mouth against the nose of the bottle but wouldn't move her mouth to drink. She wouldn't even take her favourite treats. She didn't like to be touched or bothered by anyone, including her sister Holly, and for the most part, she just slep by herself. I think Holly could tell since she hung out further away from Hissy the whole day which is also unusual.

So around 6pm, I went to check up on Hissy only to find her acting very confused. She was stumbling around the floor of the cage and couldn't keep her balance. She would tip over and it seems like her legs don't follow her wishes. As if she can't really control her movement. She would sniff around as if unsure of where she was or what was around her. It almost made me think she was going blind? But she would react to movement and changes in light, though she did seem confused either way. This made me very worried.
Over the hours I kept a close watch over her. At 1am she has started to improve somewhat. She seems more keen to move around though she gets frightened if I move or if Holly moves around as well. But most importantly, she finally took food! She started eating everything I gave her and seemed interested in chewing on the hay around her as well. She is still unstable but not as horrible as before. She even started grooming herself again.
I did notice, however, that her right side is strange. Her right eye doesn't open as much as her left, and her right ear is more droopy. Overall it seems like she is leaning towards the right with her whole body.

After doing some reading online, I wonder if she may have had a stroke? Or is it signs of an ear infection? But I also must take into consideration that she is turning 7 years old in a few months, so I assume age isn't treating her any better.
I would love to take her to the vet, but as it happens, there are none that know things about degus or their health around where I live. The only vet that takes in small rodents apparently only accepts hamsters and rats. I would argue that there aren't any vets in my country that would be willing to take in degus, my searching for one for 6 years is proof enough.

I don't want to part ways with my little one just yet! But I also understand such things can't be avoided. So, I was wondering if anyone has had similar symptoms occur to their degus? Is there a chance she could fully recover after a stroke (if it even was a stroke)?

Either way, I will post updates of her health in the mronging. I hope she will be better by then.

1:30am She prefers only one corner of the cage the most. I helped her make a little nest and she hangs out there. Hissy has also started "exploring" her surroundings by sniffirng around and it really does seem like there is something off with her vision. She doesn't really walk around much, but is beginning to try and her movement is a bit more stable now. She still gets frightened of movement from around her, but seems to calm down when she hears my voice. She even stretches out her nose in my direction and tries coming closer when I talk to her, but it's clear she isn't confident enough to follow. I even heard her grind her teeth and voice a protest when Holly came closer to inspect the food I gave Hissy, which is something she hasn't done the whole day. I really hope she continues to improve.

[moletteuk]

It does seem quite likely she has had a stroke, particularly with you saying she has some weakness on the right side now. There isn't usually much that can be done for a stroke in a degu, you just have to wait and see how much recovery they make and assess quality of life in a few days.
Keep her warm and make life as easy and safe for her as you can by putting food and water near and altering or closing off any steep ramps or jumps or other areas of the cage that may not be safe for her. It is quite common for small animals to take themselves off to a quiet corner when they are gravely ill.

[jibs]

Today Hissy seems to be doing a bjt better. She certainly enjoys being active on the wheel. In fact, she has mastered her balance while using it. You could hardly tell anything is wrong just by how well she seems while exercising in the wheel.

But when she finally comes out of it, she again seems slightly confused and begins to sway around when walking. It has gotten better since last night though, and I find her crawling around the floor of the cage more often and a bit more confidently.

Hissy has, in my opinion, lost vision in her right eye. I tested it out and she hardly reacts to any movement on her right. On her left, however, she is inclined to look whenever something crosses her vision on that side.

She is more social with her sister today as well and I found them finally sleeping together in their house.

I still haven't seen her drinking (even after putting water right in front of her and letting her know what it was) and the only thing I saw her eat today was a few straws she found by herself. She still refuses her treats, so that worries me. She did accept a pumpkin seed, but she just holds it in her mouth and doesn't eat it. But because she is more active today, I hope she will begin to want to eat again.

I will update on tomorrow's condition.

[moletteuk]

Good to hear she is managing.

I can recommend trying some Oxbow Critical Care herbivore emergency food, or Supreme Recovery (or Recovery plus). You can syringe feed straight into the mouth if necessary and/or you can make it quite watery to get extra water into Hissy. You could also try some vegetable baby food.

I can also suggest you weigh Hissy every couple of days as weight loss is a good indicator of how poorly she is as well as how much or little she is eating.

[teemu]

If you do end up syringe feeding (I would also recommend trying it if she does not seem interested in a soft food otherwise), be careful to start with a very small amount since she's in an impaired state. She might aspirate some of it, or simply have trouble swallowing, so put just a bit in her mouth first and observe whether she swallows it before continuing.

If it looks like she isn't interested in baby food or a recovery food (it might smell weird to her since she's not used to it), one thing I've often done is crushing seeds into a very fine mush (kind of like making peanut butter, but stopping before it becomes a sticky paste, so that it's more like an oily powder/flour) and mixing some of that in. It'll do her good in any case since it'll give extra energy.

[bouncy]

This may also be a result of a small seizure, which would also leave Hissy exhausted and confused. Either way, I do think a vet is required. I know timing isn't good but, if she doesn't start showing improvement, there may be something they can do to help.

[jibs]

Hissy just got worse. She had multiple seizures. If she makes it through the night, I will take her to the vet in the morning. It's just so hard to watch knowing there's nothing I can do to help her anymore.
Holly was so worried, she couldn't leave Hissy's side, but I had to seperate them for Hissy's sake. She was thrashing and I didn't want her to hurt herself. By the way she is acting now, my guess is she had a second stroke.

Thank you all for your help, your support really made a difference.

[teemu]

I'm really sorry to hear that. If possible, try to make things as comfortable to her as is possible. If she is alone in a smaller space, try to put something with a familiar smell in with her, and try to make sure she can't hit herself on anything. If she becomes stabler, let Holly see her again, since it will comfort both of them. It does sounds like her issues are really serious, but I'm hoping the best for both of you.

Keep us updated on the situation.

[jibs]

Hissy passed away tonight, just past 1am. For what it was worth, I made sure she was comfortable in a large bed of hay before she eventually left us. It was clear she wouldn't make it through the night as she went through multiple seizures. It was hard to watch her in such a state, but I stayed by her side and talked to her the whole time.

As I said before, thank you all for sharing your tips on how to take care of her during this time. I wouldn't have been able to handle it otherwise. At least I can part ways with Hissy knowing we both tried our best. She really was the most amazing, stubborn little goo. Holly and I will miss her dearly.

[teemu]

My condolences. It did sound like the situation was really bad, and that it was simply her time. You did everything you could, and Hissy surely felt more at ease knowing you were with her. She'll be at peace now.

You may wish to let Holly say goodbye to her before anything else. It's often considered to be easier for cagemates to know what has happened than to be left guessing. If you have any concerns, or questions about Holly, don't hesitate to ask, we'll be here to help.

[jibs]

Please don't think I'm cruel for saying this, but I don't intend on introducing a new cagemate to Holly. She is the same age as Hissy (almost 7) and I don't have the space or resources for introduction of a new degu, but it breaks my heart to think Holly will get lonely. I really don't want her to be, but getting another degu will eventually lead to the same problem we are having now. I know my attention will not be enough for her, so is there is any other way I can make Holly feel more comfortable?

[savvy]

I am so very sorry. Sometimes there is nothing we can do, but it can be less stressful for them to pass peacefully at home than at the vets.

Does Holly have a heatpad? Something warm to snuggle to can help a lone degu, but she will still need time to grieve.

It can help them if the body of their deceased cage mate is placed in the cage for a few minutes so they can say their goodbyes.

Please let us know how Holly is getting on.

[teemu]

I don't think that's cruel at all. When an old animal is left alone, the consideration for whether to get them cagemates (and given the age multiple would be the best) is a serious one, and yes is not always the best answer. It is entirely reasonable, given the situation, to decide to not attempt new introductions at that age.

Degus that are left alone tend to become very attached to their people as a source of comfort and interaction. Especially during the coming days and weeks, helping her cope with the change in situation by spending as much time as possible with her will be important. Being there and interacting with her (to whatever degree she feels comfortable) will help her know that she's okay and that you are looking out for her. How are her living arrangements in general, is the cage in a place where you spend a lot of time during the day? If possible, it'd be good if this could be arranged. Though if it'd require reordering things, hold off on that until things have returned to some normalcy. In any case, any company you can keep her will be valuable.

The heat pad is a very good suggestion, especially for an older degu since they can feel the cold more in any case. Some degus also find comfort in a soft toy, or even just a stuffed sock (though some don't really like these and may just try to tear them apart, so keep an eye out after giving one to them). Especially the kind that can be comfortably sat on, or leaned against, is often appreciated.

[jibs]

Holly seems to be taking it in stride. I showed Hissy to her and Holly had almost no reaction at all. It was like she already knew what had happened before.

Her cage is in my bedroom, so she will always basically be in company of either me or my sister. Holly is eating and drinking and acting like her usual self almost as if nothing had happened at all. When I first seperated them after Hissy started getting really bad, Holly seemed to search for her for a couple hours. But now it seems she understands the situation. Actually, I think she might have understood that something was wrong since Hissy started feeling sick a few days ago.

I will try giving her a stuffed toy if Holly starts getting lonely, but knowing her, she will try to chew it. I've read people mention heating pads, but is it possible to substitute it with a warm bottle instead?

[moletteuk]

I'm sorry about Hissy. It's good to hear Holly isn't too distressed.
You can use a warm bottle like a hot water bottle if you think Holly won't chew it, but they don't tend to stay warm very long. The advantage of the microwave heatpads like a Snugglesafe is that they hold heat for quite a long time. You can also use a metal electric heatpad or heatlamp or whatever suits if you can totally protect the cable.

[jibs]

I put rice in a sock and microwaved it. Holly immediately flocked to it and seemed relaxed while sleeping on top of it.

[bouncy]

If you're in the UK, you might consider a Petnap with chew guard. Mine have them permanently plugged in, and can always be found lounging on them.

I'm sorry you had to go through that. Watching a degu have seizures is horrible. One of mine has them every day