Breeder or Pets at home

[billybeemer]

Hi, I am looking to acquire 3 or 4 degu's. I have bought a cage which is 4ft x 2ft x 4ft which is massive! I'm a bit wary of buying from Pets at Home, however, no local pet shops have any and I can't find any local breeders. I live in N. Ireland. I've also tried animal shelters. Does anyone have any issues with Pets at home pets? I'm just a bit wary of buying live animals from a "chain petshop". Any advice appreciated, or any N. Ireland breeders?

[petmadness]

I have two blue degus from pets at home and have never had any problems with them x

[bijett]

My degus are from a breeder that sells to a pet shop and they came straight from the breeder to the pet shop to us and we've not had any problem.
Have you tried preloved or gumtree? They sometime have degus for sale.

[billybeemer]

Thanks for quick reply's. I have been on gumtree every day for the past month with absolutely no local adverts. All the preloved degus are on mainland UK. I'll keep watching though. I've heard mixed reports about pets at home animals although I have always found their staff very helpful and knowledgable.

[billybeemer]

Apologies, I just noticed a similar post on this subject below! I did check, honest!!
Thanks for replies anyway. I'm still interested to know if there are any other sources for Degu's in N. Ireland.
I'll keep you posted.

[moletteuk]

I don't know of any other sources in N Ireland, I'm afraid.

I haven't noticed any long term health problems with PAH degus on the forum, although it would be quite difficult to tell I suppose. They do seem to supply blues and champagnes, which concerns me about the line breeding required to get these colours.

We do commonly see sexing errors at PAH and occasionally animals with health problems right away such as respiratory infection or ringworm, so do keep an eye on the shop to see how well kept the animals seem generally and choose your degus carefully.

[swiffermuis]

I would not at all recommend Pets at Home for the above reasons and more.

Please check local shelters as well, lots of degus are put of for adoption all the time. If not now, then maybe in a couple of weeks. It's way more rewarding to adopt animals than buying them from a shop or breeder who does it for profit and often doesn't pay attention to their health

[ntg]

My main issue with P@H is the same as with buying animals from any pet store, which are usually giving business to mass breeders who care more for profit than health. However, it isn't always possible to find responsible breeders or rescues with degus in, although they are becoming more and more common.

As Molette says though, if you decide on P@H, observe how they are with the degus first by visiting the store a few times - do they ever leave them on mesh floors, how clean does the cage look, what the general health of the animals look like (most of the degus I've seen in my local P@H have white or pale teeth, rather than orange) - and ask the staff questions to see how much they know. Then, if you decide you're happy with what you've seen, check the sexes yourself before buying.

[del]

Two of my degus are from Pets at Home, and both are absolutely fine. I don't think there is a problem with the degus from Pets at Home. The only reason not to get degus from Pets at Home would be a) follow up advise if you need it may not be helpful, and b) why not get some from a shelter?

[del]

Just thought I'd add that the quality of degus may vary from store to store. The degus in my local Pets at Home have orange teeth, or did when I last checked.

[moletteuk]

All the Pets at Home animals come from the same breeding mill, I think it's in Essex.