Feeding sunflower seeds/sweet potato

[yasmin]

My 4.5 yr old, female degu Azure suffers from back molar malocclusion. She has an appointment at the vet for Saturday to deal with this (again, after having it done about 6-7 weeks ago) but the past week she isn't eating very much. It has gotten worse in few days to the point that she will not eat any of the degu food. Sometimes she picks it up but will drop it. The only food she seems to be able to deal with is puffed rice, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, strips of sweet potato and the powdery bits of alfalfa hay.

I know that these foods should only be given in moderation because of the risk of the sugars in the sweet potato and the fats in the seeds/alfalfa causing diabetes, but if I were to let her have her fill of these foods just for the next few days until the vet has dealt with her teeth issues, would that be okay or would it be too dangerous? I am concerned that if she doesn't eat enough she will be in a too weakened condition (she seems to have also developed some sort of eye infection) to endure the dental work. (Am I just being paranoid? ) She weighed around 210g last Saturday and 230g the Saturday before that.

[Kins]

Hmm, it's horrible when they can't eat.

Have you tried making a 'mulch' by wetting degu pellets (if you use them?) and smushing them up? Some people have success with that...

I would think that if it were only for a few days a slightly more 'naughty' diet would be fine, as long as it didn't become a regular thing. It is quite often suggested to give pregnant degus a few extra sunflower seeds and oats to keep up their energy so in theory it should be the same with a poorly degu. Are you able to get some oats? I am yet to hear of a degu, even a poorly one, who turns down oats.

Poor Azure, good on you for looking after her so well!

[yasmin]

Azure loves oats but the last day or two she won't even eat these. I will try the "mulch" idea and see if she will take to that. Thanks Kins.

[moletteuk]

That seems a weird selection that she will still eat, not particularly easy to eat?? I wonder if it's because they are her favourites that they are worth the discomfort? I would think they are better than nothing, but it's a bit tricky. What other stuff have you tried? What about flaked brown rice, oat bran, wheat germ, other flaked grains like millet or buckwheat, plain millet, I'm thinking anything small with some energy in it? What about nuts, you could chop some up fine?

[yasmin]

Yes, I think you are right, moletteuk – they are her favourites (she normally gets them once a month and in very limited quantities) and they're probably worth the pain. She normally loves oats too but she picks them up and drops them as she is doing now with her favourite bits in the DeguNature mix. I think she is having trouble with 'flaked' foods for some reason. With the 'sticks' of sweet potato, she seems to be able to guide the sweet potato 'sticks' to one side of her mouth and feed them in that way, albeit very slowly. (Hmm, I didn't make note if that is the opposite side to where the eye swelling is.)

She is normally a very fussy eater - won't touch alot of vegetables especially leafy ones and doesn't like millet or rosehips either. Haven't tried nuts though – she might go for these – and I will get some green peas for her because she loves these as well.

[moletteuk]

You could try breaking oats up smaller with a knife, or blender or pestle and mortar. Oat bran and wheat germ are good and are virtually powder, she might go for those. I think tiny pieces or wet mush or slurry are good things to try.

[Karma]

From experience with jaw and eating issues - your favourite foods are worth the pain later ......

I've had more than my share with painful jaw joints and issues eating - some days not eating anything because I'm too tired to deal with the pain but then there are the days I bear it to have my skittles or eat a steak.

Hope the little goo feels better soon!!

[yasmin]

She's at the vet's as we speak. I found her weak and lying on her side this morning. She did "eat" a couple of sunflower seeds that I had hulled for her which shows, like you have experienced Karma, that favourite foods are worth the pain.

We took Azure into the vet immediately this morning when I found her on her side. The vet examined her and told us that Azure's jaw is extremely misaligned and the likelihood is that there is a tooth root growing towards her eye. They are putting her under anaesthesia as I write this, will take X-rays to better see what is happening and then will call me so that I can make a decision on whether to go ahead with dental work or not, or if it is better that she doesn't wake up from anesthesia.

[yasmin]

Got the call from the vet. Azure's prognosis is poor but I told them to go ahead and do the dental work. Best case scenario is that she will recover from anesthesia, will start eating her regular food in a couple of days and will last another four months before her elongated bottom teeth (that have already grown downwards past the confines of her lower jaw) and/or the three upper molar roots that are growing into various parts of her skull completely debilitate her.

I have high hopes that she will only need a few days of Critical Care feeding before she starts eating regular food again judging from her still eating sunflower seeds this morning. I will start a new thread to track her progress; it might some day be useful to someone else who finds their degu in a similar situation.

[moletteuk]

Oh no, I'm so sorry it turned out to be the worst option. I sincerely hope you can have a few more good months together x