Help Very Urgent!!!!!

[thefuzz]

Salt and Pepper who I thought were both male had 6 degu pups, which shocked me silly. Now i have a few problems in which I need help.

1) I can't have all these degus and I'm wanting to give them to the pet store, now when the soonest I can give the pups, and Salt and Pepper to the store? The only reason I'm giving Salt and Pepper away is I can't have this suprise again.

2) I really need to change their bedding but I'm affraid to because i don't want to harm the pups. What should I do?

[james]

how old are the pups now?

[buzz]

I guess it would be better to leave the pups untill 6 weeks, but then again if shes going with them perhaps 4 weeks old. At 4 weeks they can be seperated from mum but its not the kindest thing to do for them, they need all the behavioural learning they can get. Does the pet store know what they are doing with degus? Its very likely they'd seperate the mum from pups at 4 weeks as its the best thing to do from a selling point of view. If I were in you're position I'd wait untill they were a day or two off 6 weeks and seperate the males from the females and give them to the pet store in two groups, mum and girls and dad and boys and request that they be sold in those groups, it just seems like the best thing to do for the goos welfare.

Has dad been in with the mum after the birth? Its recommended that he be taken out for 48 hours so as not to impregnate her again. If not I'd warn the pet store she might be carrying a second litter so that there are no more surprises.

How easy going is the mum. If shes is easy going I'd leave the cage till at least 1 week. If not I wouldn't bother till the pups are about 3 weeks.

[luke]

Where are you situated? People on here may be able to take some off you.

Luke~

[kerry]

i agree with all above. if you didn't take dad out there is a good chance that mom could be pregnant again. you would have to inform the pet shop of this.

where are you from?

[thefuzz]

I live in Edmonton, Canada

[deguconvert]

Well, of the many on here I am probably the closest to you, since I am in Calgary. Hmmm! Like Buzz told you, it is best for the pups to be 6 weeks old before they are sent away. Would you be interested in keeping the Mom and one or two of her female pups? If you have them properly sexed you won't have to worry about another shocking surprise.

I have family in Edmonton, who used to have gerbils and I know their kids were thinking they wanted goos now. I also know my sister has said NO!! But I might be able to soften her position. Don't take this as a promise, though, please. My sister is firm when she makes a decision and there may be no budging her. Still . . . let me know what kind of things you are thinking about for your goos, and I can check things out for you. I visit my sister every so often, so it is possible I can do something.