nhoa
Newborn Degu
Posts: 18
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Post by nhoa on Apr 11, 2017 19:48:42 GMT
He does not always have squinting eyes and puffy face, but I've seen him that way a few times now, but never Gus. They gnaw the wodden toys they have, but I guess that is a normal thing as they are rodents, isn't it? Here you have a picture of Jack on its own. You can see the fatty cheeks and the eyes. Also the "broken" tail I told you about. The wheel size is 16cm, maybe a bit small for them, but I am actually looking for a wooden one like this one: www.petfactory.es/resources/_wsb_350x409_Rueda+Madera.jpgWhat type of toys do you have for your degus? About the cage, I am using a terrarium I had at home without being used, and a "fence" on its top from a cage I didn't use either. More or less like this one but home-made: media10.mediazs.com/bilder/jaula/para/hmsters/skyline/falco/2/400/25675_PLA_skyline_nagerkaefig_Falco_2.jpgThank you for your quick responses!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2017 20:06:00 GMT
nhoa gnawing is completely normal and they need lots of things to gnaw. Keep an eye on him and his teeth. You need a wheel that's 12 inches in diameter, the one you posted is good and inexpensive. Search on the internet for "Zooplus" and see if they'll ship to you. If not, search for "tictac wheels" and you'll find a website where most of us get our wheels from, they're brilliant and last forever and do huge sizes. They do world wide shipping I believe. What size is your terrarium? Does it have multiple levels? for two degus you're looking at needing a cage with a minimum of 100cm length across the front, 50cm deep, with three full levels of that size. That's a minimum for two degus. If you make a thread in the "housing" section we could help you find a more appropriate home if your cage doesn't meet the requirements. You could have a look on our "cage guide" which has all the minimum measurements etc and then you could let us know! they need such huge cages because they are ground squirrels, like prairie dogs, they don't climb, but cover huge distances in the wild. Jacks tail will be fine, lots of us have had degus lose the tips of their tails. Don't worry about it x Toys wise, I have a wheel for each of them, lots of natural safe branches (you can check our list in the diet section for what trees are safe), you can go and cut branches from safe trees in forests or gardens, just make sure they haven't been sprayed with anything. I have natural grass balls for them to play with, log tunnels, cork tunnels, hammocks, tubes, tunnels, coconut shells, hanging bridges. If you want to private message me I can help you out more! x or make your own thread with any questions like about finding a good cage, improving their diet etc x
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Post by savvy on Apr 11, 2017 20:11:43 GMT
They are really beautiful, so cute! They will establish dominance between themselves which may involve some fighting. He looks a little fluffed up in the photograph which could explain the cheeks, my two look like that when they're getting ready for sleep. The wheel needs to be a minimum of 12 inches (30cm), we usually recommend the wheels from www.tictacwheels.co.uk/ they may seem a bit expensive, but they are so much better than plastic wheels and they last years. They are also silent, which is a real blessing. A wheel which is too small will damage their spines. Anything wood will be chewed, they can also chew plastics and cardboard. They need to chew to keep their teeth down as they constantly grow. I use thick cardboard tubes in my cages, the sort you get inside carpet rolls, as they can run through them and also chew them. Cardboard boxes are also fun. Toilet rolls with the tissue still on can amuse them for hours. You don't have to spend a fortune on toys.
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nhoa
Newborn Degu
Posts: 18
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Post by nhoa on Apr 12, 2017 12:20:14 GMT
Their house now is 80cm long, just one level, so it seems small for them. I showed the previous owner the terrarium and told me it was big enough for them, but maybe he was just making sure I took them home. I've been having a look at some youtube and google pics about degus houses and I've seen lots of people create their own degu homes using some furniture (This is what I am talking about: www.degus.com/images/degu/Cage4.jpg ) So at the moment my idea is to make one of those for my babies. I have to look a new house for them so why not thinking big?!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2017 12:23:44 GMT
The link doesn't work. Why don't you post in our cage section and write out what you'd like to do and people will come and help x
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 12, 2017 15:30:11 GMT
The link worked for me, and I liked what I saw there. It looked like a good model for you to use for your own efforts.
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 13, 2017 9:46:47 GMT
Looks great It would keep the mess in better with edging along the front of the main shelves. You'll find lots more ideas and tips and cage building blogs in our housing section.
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