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Help!!
May 22, 2013 3:45:43 GMT
Post by destiny on May 22, 2013 3:45:43 GMT
I am really hoping someone is online right now because I need help asap!
My Degu female just had babies 10 minutes ago but she had them on the top shelf of the cage and two dropped on the floor. I had put a whelping box in the cage and had it on the bottom but for some reason she didn´t use it.
There are four babies and I put them all and the mommy in the box on the floor but she refuses to be there and keeps climbing up to the top so I put the box there. She seems very confused and is going in and out of the box and not letting them feed while the male is screaming his head of.
What should I do? I am afraid that since I had to intervene that she wont take care of them and I don´t know how long a time the babies can be in the box by themselves. They have grass and torn papertowels in the box and the room is warm.
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Help!!
May 22, 2013 7:32:47 GMT
via mobile
Post by saddlers on May 22, 2013 7:32:47 GMT
Unfortunately I have very little experience with pups, is there any way to try and discourage the pups from walking to the edges if the shelves. I know we have had similar problems before and it has been recommended that they be moved to lower ground, but if she is determined to be up there it may be better to try and protect them in place... Hopefully one of the others with better pup advice will be along shortly
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Help!!
May 22, 2013 7:54:13 GMT
Post by saddlers on May 22, 2013 7:54:13 GMT
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Help!!
May 22, 2013 8:03:15 GMT
Post by destiny on May 22, 2013 8:03:15 GMT
Well I put them in the box on the top shelf and they are so little that they cant get out of the box just yet. I am hoping someone knows if it will be alright to move the box down to the bottom tomorrow or the next day and hopefully mommy will follow.
She is now going in and out of the box and the male has stopped screaming but I also had my son sleep in my room and have closed his room off to give them a little space. I am also going to try to take the male out of the cage within a few hours. I don´t want her to get pregnant again.
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Help!!
May 22, 2013 9:18:52 GMT
Post by moletteuk on May 22, 2013 9:18:52 GMT
The father needs to come out immediately, you might be too late already to prevent another pregnancy. Dad is supposed to come out immediately and then he can go back in after about 3 says for 10 or 12 days, but after that it's not worth risking.
I don't have baby experience either but I think you might have a day or two before the babies start trying to escape the box. If you move the box down, you might need to block off access to the shelf to stop mum taking them back up there. If a plan doesn't work, try something different, just keeping on moving the box will just stress them out. You might be able to make them feel more secure in a new location by providing more bedding and cardboard or something else to screen them off a bit.
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Help!!
May 22, 2013 15:23:49 GMT
Post by deguconvert on May 22, 2013 15:23:49 GMT
Yes, you might well have to block off the means of getting to the upper shelves for a couple of weeks or so. Momma goo will definitely try to move the pups if she thinks she can at all do it. One of our females moved her pups on a daily basis, sometimes two or three times. She absolutely hated that we might pop our heads in and find them . . . so she moved them a lot. Our cage is arranged in a manner that makes it very difficult to block off sections though, so I couldn't do anything much about it. Well, except do our best to keep it peaceful and not be snooping after the pups very often.
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Help!!
May 22, 2013 15:27:27 GMT
Post by destiny on May 22, 2013 15:27:27 GMT
I could just remove the shelf altogether for the time being. I just have a regular chinchilla cage so it´s fairly easy to take stuff out as needed.
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Help!!
May 23, 2013 20:37:48 GMT
Post by deguconvert on May 23, 2013 20:37:48 GMT
I like the sound of that! Once your pups are older, you could restore the shelf, but for their protection, I suggest that you also install some hammocks, or cargo nets that would prevent any of them falling over the edge.
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Help!!
May 23, 2013 21:01:39 GMT
Post by destiny on May 23, 2013 21:01:39 GMT
I like the sound of that! Once your pups are older, you could restore the shelf, but for their protection, I suggest that you also install some hammocks, or cargo nets that would prevent any of them falling over the edge. Good idea. I just have to find out where I can get that type of stuff. We are short of supplies when it comes to animals like Degus, Chincillas, Ferrets and alike.
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