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Post by manth1975 on Dec 11, 2014 10:46:23 GMT
Hi, I purchased 2 female degus from a chain pet store and I suspect one is pregnant. She has increased in size dramatically and is now very pear shaped. She will have been with us 10 weeks on Christmas eve. I've read up about post partum care for her and the pups but I'm wondering if I should be giving her any extra food items. They have degu pellets, fresh sage, access to hay and excel dried herbs every day. They also get sunflower seeds and monkey nuts or a Hazel nut as treats.
They do not seem to eat hay at all but I've provided a fruit tree branch which they chew on. The nest box is a wooden box on legs and it's on the ground floor as I didnt want any pups falling off shelves. They have a sand bath, wheel and a water bottle. I have checked sex on both and Ash (the pregnant one) and Hazel are definitely both girls.
Im still hoping she's just older than Hazel and greedy but in the meantime I thought it best to prepare.
I have had guinea pigs litter so I'm not completely clueless but I just wanted to check if anyone had any extra advice.
thanks
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Post by deguconvert on Dec 11, 2014 18:06:06 GMT
I can't think of much, although, you would do well to bump up her calcium intake, for the sake of her and any pups she may be carrying. There is calcium powder that is for reptiles that you can get at pet stores, and can sprinkle it on top of their food. That is about it for now. What size it your cage? What is the width between bars? Pups can squeeze through TINY spaces.
Pups are very mobile very early, and you will find them roaming the cage within days of birth. You did say that you have read up on that, so I won't ramble on about those things.
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Post by yasmin on Dec 15, 2014 1:18:07 GMT
I have been in this situation. Rolled oats are a good treat that will provide her with extra energy and I think perhaps calcium. Also, dandelion and spinach leaves (organic, of course) can provide extra calcium to her diet. Not sure about the nuts and not too much sage.
Good placement of the nest box.
Can't think of much else to do. I didn't do much except make sure they had lots of paper towels to shed and use in the nest, and to make sure there was food and water available at all times.
Please keep us posted. I have gone through this when three of the four (supposedly 4 females but actually 1 male and 3 females) degus I adopted were pregnant, so I have quite a bit of experience to share with you if indeed she gives birth. Will check for updates on this thread and will do my best to be here to answer any questions you may have.
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Post by dizzydegus on Apr 8, 2015 11:55:05 GMT
We have a pregnant goo right now and I am not very happy about it (angry with myself, I accepted some bad information and stupidly didn't check it out so introduced some baby girls to my males 2 days before my last male was neutered, thinking the girls were too young to get pregnant). The introductions didn't go well (possible the girls weren't as young as I thought) so they were only together a few hours in the end, but that was long enough. I reckon she is due between 13-20th April (counting from the 2 days I tried to introduce them), her nipples appeared last week and this week she is gaining weight and changing shape fast. She seems ok, but because she is so young I am worried for her, I genuinely would never have let her get pregnant on purpose. She hasn't built a nest, I have put in extra tissue etc and am hoping she chooses to have them in the nesting box on the bottom level of the cage. She is in a cage with her sister and one of my castrated males (not the dad as he was castrated before she arrived), but Gusgus is very close to her and seems to be taking care of her. She is eating more seeds than normal (they are on a natural diet, I normally only give 4g each per day of degu seed mix with unlimited forage but have been giving a bit more lately and it all goes.
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 9, 2015 10:21:06 GMT
Oh what a shame when you were trying to avoid this, but it does sound like you are on top of things. All you can do for now is make sure the cage is baby proof, feed up the mum and make plans for what you might do with the babies.
Just make sure the forage and seeds have enough variety that she is getting everything she needs. I presume you are giving a vit D supplement or UV light for vit D?
Interesting that you say the nipples became visible, I know this happens with hamsters and is a useful indicator, I don't recall anyone mentioning it about degus before, so it's good to know.
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Post by saddlers on Apr 9, 2015 15:55:56 GMT
I would also just add to keep an eye on her due to her age, so that you are prepared in case she does struggle with the birth being so young and needs to see a vet.
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Post by dizzydegus on Apr 9, 2015 21:51:00 GMT
I have already told my vet. I can't believe I was stupid enough to think they couldn't get pregnant until they were 4mths old I had been told they were 9wks old before I got the girls, though when I collected them the guy admitted he couldn't remember when they were born so I think they might have been 11-12wks, they were quite big but regardless since I now know they could have got pregnant from 8wks anyway I messed up. I am just grateful that only one is pregnant, as the introductions didn't go well and the boys didn't accept them they were only together a few hours, and then the week after I moved Gusgus in with them and he had been neutered a long time beforehand. The castration of the other 2 ended up postponed as Jensen was too sick to have the operation due to an inoperable tumour in his mouth, he has since died and so sentimentality has got the better of me and I am hoping he was the father, so the babies will be his legacy. Yes we have UV lights on the cage 12hrs per day on a timer, but I still give a VitD supplement (less than I used to before the lights as it is hard to quantify the effect of the lights). I have been feeding her up, she's been getting some extra treats and have provided extra nesting and a new nest box at the bottom of the cage, as I am hoping that's where she'll chose to have the babies. She seems to have taken to it. The plan is for us to keep the babies, the females will stay with mum and her cage mates. The males will go with Jacques, who is currently living alone. If by some miracle there are no male babies then we will put a few females in with Jacques (he is castrated) so he is not alone. I am really hoping she isn't having many babies as I am worried for her health. I can feel them moving inside her now so am trying to leave her alone to settle and nest.
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 10, 2015 9:51:52 GMT
We all make mistakes, I know it's hard to believe how soon they can get pregnant, especially when it takes a year for them to be fully grown, it defies all logic. You are doing everything you can, they have a nice home, vet care on standby, good diet to help her bounce back, homes for the babies. Is she still up and about or is she spending more time in the nest?
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Post by dizzydegus on Apr 10, 2015 19:02:16 GMT
She is still up and about but the last 2 days noticeably less so. Fingere crossed soon we will have babies. I think Monday is 83days from the first day they played with the boys. She is quite 'lumpy' now.
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mmc
Newborn Degu
Posts: 7
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Post by mmc on Apr 10, 2015 19:10:52 GMT
That's good, I hope all the babies arrive safely for you!!!
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Post by dizzydegus on Apr 14, 2015 14:12:48 GMT
Lottie gave birth to 5 babies yesterday afternoon, about 4pm. Mum and babies all seem to be doing well, so glad it wasn't a huge litter. Mum is eating well, she has been on the wheel and even surprised me by coming out for playtime this afternoon, I thought she might stay with the babies. Thanks to Uncle Gus chewing the cage we have had to put the nest inside a cardboard box so that when the babies venture out they can't fall down the front of the cage (between the edge of the floor and the sliding glass doors), we will just have to watch that Gusgus doesn't chew that, or maybe in a few days move her nest down to the bottom level of the cage, where we were hoping she would have the babies. I do fear that we will have to find homes for the boys , but waiting to see what sex they are. All our groups are mixed (we had to put Custo back in with Jacques, it was breaking my heart to see him so miserable without her, so my plan to move the boys in with him has gone wrong, unless we consider having her neutered) and we really can't have any more groups, we have no more space for cages
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 14, 2015 15:31:40 GMT
Good to hear all went well with the birth
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 15, 2015 14:49:13 GMT
I am so glad that all has gone well with the birth. It sounds like she and the babies are both doing very well.
Female pups can conceive as early as six weeks of age, which is frightfully early, but it is the result of the high quality and abundance of food available to them as captive/pet degus. Be aware that the same may also apply to the male pups. I know for certain that a 10 week old male can impregnate females (through my own experience), so . . . do not keep them with females past the eight week age at the longest. Earliest you should be thinking of separating the sexes/removing the male pups is six weeks, but they develop better skills from the teaching of the elders degus if they are allowed to remain up to seven or eight weeks.
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Post by yasmin on Apr 15, 2015 20:43:36 GMT
Congratulations and glad to hear that Lottie and babies are doing fine.
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Post by dizzydegus on Apr 16, 2015 13:45:44 GMT
Thanks, I plan to separate at 8wks. I had hoped to put the male pups with my male Jacques, but I have ended up putting his girlfriend back in with him as he was so miserable on his own and won't accept anyone else, I don't want the pups to get her pregnant so I am considering getting her neutered, which I know is not as simple as castrating a male, but otherwise I am not sure what to do with the young boys between them maturing and being old enough for castration themselves. I don't want to have to find homes for them, I would rather keep them ourselves. We are over planned numbers, but our current cages are big enough CARA wise and I have plans for another extension to the main cage. We don't want more but can cope with what we have.
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 16, 2015 13:52:55 GMT
Just so I am clear about what you are saying, Jacques' girlfriend is the mother of the pups? Have you considered having Jacques neutered if that is the case, rather than the female being neutered? You could have that done really soon and then he would be all set to have her back for company full time once the pups are separated. That would also mean that you could have any of the female pups in with him and he could just have a happy little harem.
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Post by saddlers on Apr 16, 2015 14:38:44 GMT
I agree having Jacques in with the girls and mom would be the simplest idea, and then the baby boys as a separate group, of course Jacques would have to be neutered.
Might be worth reminding us of your group set ups/numbers and see if we can work something out from there.
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Post by dizzydegus on Apr 16, 2015 21:06:44 GMT
No Jacques girlfriend is not the mother of the pups. All my males are already castrated, the father of the pups is dead, he was booked in for castration the week after the girls arrived as we thought they were too young to conceive so didn't think it would matter, as it turned out the girls didn't settle with the boys (I think the girls were older than I was led to believe) & so after a few tries the introductions were abandoned. Then we discovered Jensen was too sick to have the surgery as the vet discovered an inoperable tumour under his tongue, so the boys were separated, though they have since got female friends.
Jacques and Custo are a separate pair who have been together since October last year. I thought about separating them and introducing Custo into a mixed group then Jacques could have the baby boys with him when it's time to separate, but Jacques was so miserable on his own, despite lots of attention so I put Custo back with him, I just couldn't leave him on his own for 7wks until the pups could move in with him.
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Post by dizzydegus on Apr 16, 2015 21:11:45 GMT
I'll start a new thread tomorrow with a summary of my groups and history as it's quite comfusing trying to do it concisely, though it's in my signature. But then I can think about future groupings.
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 17, 2015 4:33:25 GMT
LOL! Thank you . . . wish I had read your signature, it would have helped. Or so I hope, LOL. So . . . is Lottie on her own, or is she in with Lola and Gusgus?
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