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Post by justwondering on Mar 17, 2014 16:32:55 GMT
Just recently my degu had 5 pups well 6 but one of them didn't make it past the first hour.:'(t has been 5 days since they were born and there are 4 of them about the same size but the last one is about half their size. what should i do? I was thinking maybe i should try and feed that one a bit more but what should i use to feed? please i really dont want anything to happen to them!
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Post by klbishop on Mar 17, 2014 19:52:39 GMT
I have no baby experience ...only fighting goos. Have you sexed the guys yet? I recollect they are fertile pretty fast.
someone will be along shortly with some knowledgable advise x
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Post by Maravilla on Mar 18, 2014 20:33:32 GMT
How's the little one doing?
I have no own experience with degu babies, thanks god! But as far as I know it is a difficult decision whether to feed babies who are also drinking breast milk. It is said that changing the milk can cause severe intestinal disorders so it is the same when the little one gets milk from two different sources.
The little ones should start trying the first normal food in a couple of days but normally drink breast milk until they are about 4 weeks old.
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Post by yasmin on Mar 18, 2014 22:31:53 GMT
A couple of years ago my degu, Lilac, had 6 pups, one of which passed away within a day or so after being born. Of the other five, two of them were noticeably smaller (though not half the size of the others; more like 20% smaller at most). All of the pups are now two and a half years old and the two smaller ones, Ichi and Ni, did speed up in growth to almost catch up with the others – they're just petite sized compared to their sisters and brother.
All that to say, I don't think that the baby's small size is because of feeding. He/she is probably either just smaller than the others or has a developmental issue that is likely beyond your control. Let's hope he/she is just the "runt" of the litter. Please keep us posted.
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 19, 2014 15:54:01 GMT
I'd have said much the same as Yasmin. Maravilla raises excellent points as well, and I would say that the only time to start supplementing the milk supply is when the mother has died and you have not other recourse.
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