|
Post by Bexi87 on Sept 21, 2015 18:10:19 GMT
Hmm...they must be able to find out their history, unless they were rescues.
Personally I'd go back to them and ask for more information because you potentially could have 3 more litters (worse case scenario) and they didn't warn you of that possibility when you got them.
The colleagues in store might not know the info but Head Office definitely will.
|
|
|
Post by bouncy on Sept 21, 2015 19:28:41 GMT
I have a funny feeling they don't know much of anything in there. The charity generally knows the background of where the animals come from (if not the age), but I was in a branch waiting for traffic to clear and talking to their goos. I asked how old they were, and they didn't have a clue.
|
|
|
Post by ryanj on Sept 21, 2015 21:42:05 GMT
Thank you both for the advice - I think we may contact them again at some point and get some more info.
On a separate note...
We tried sexing the pups again earlier and we're pretty sure that we have 2 girls and a boy. Which I guess for me is a little sad as I know we'll have to re-home the pair of girls and figure out something to do with the boy.
Any advice? I think we have someone interested in a pair...but the boy is trickier. Maybe I'll try the adoption zone on here once we know 100%.
EDIT:
Questions...
Thinking about our potential future lone male - could we get him neutered or is he too young? Could he live with our 4 girls if he was? Are the chances of them getting along good? How much does it cost and are the risks big?
In the case of re-homing him...what are the chances of finding him somewhere where he could settle with another boy/boys? The last thing I want to do is take him to P@H for adoption. I also will feel bad if he is kept in his own cage alone with us.
I know I still have about 5-6 weeks to sort something out but thinking ahead! What would you guys do in my position?
|
|
|
Post by uglibug on Sept 21, 2015 23:24:36 GMT
Males can be neutered but I think they need to be at least 6 months old, so he would have to be kept on his own until then and for a couple of weeks after. As long as he still has contact with the girls (by this I meen smell, sight, sound etc, not physical contact) I would think reintroducing him should be relatively simple. I know this means he will be technically alone for a while, at least he has a good home once he's been fixed and got the all clear.
|
|
|
Post by ryanj on Sept 22, 2015 7:14:29 GMT
I finally managed to get a picture of the one we've been struggling to sex - while they were napping in my hand! Male or female? The reason we've been struggling is because the other 2 pups were obvious. The boys bits are really far apart and the girls really close together where as this one seems sorta in the middle! Ha
|
|
|
Post by moletteuk on Sept 22, 2015 10:10:49 GMT
Neutering younger than 6 months is fairly new territory, I think it is done sometimes in Germany, but I'd be a bit concerned as they aren't even full grown at 6 months. If he was neutered he should live very happily with the girls, one male and one or more females is a natural grouping for degus. It usually costs about £50 to £100. There are some risks as they have to open up the abdomen to get to the testes of degus, so it is quite invasive, and there can be complications to the recovery like infection and prolapsed penis. Basically, you need a very good vet, you need to research the vet quite carefully.
There should be reasonable demand for a lone male pup to be introduced to a lone male adult, as it's the simplest way forward for people with a lone adult male.
|
|
|
Post by Maravilla on Sept 22, 2015 10:24:02 GMT
Neutering younger than 6 months is fairly new territory, I think it is done sometimes in Germany, but I'd be a bit concerned as they aren't even full grown at 6 months. This is right. There are some vets who neuter boys at 10-12 weeks (before they become sexually mature). Advantage: no need to separate them from the girls for a couple of weeks. But, and here moletteuk is right, you really need an experienced vet as a lot of them don't even want to neuter adult degus. In those, it is not an easy procedure, and a 10 weeks old degu is still pretty small. If you choose this option, make sure that the lone boy is not too old as it can be too stressful for a senior to bear with the temperament of a youngster. BTW, I cannot open your photo.
|
|
|
Post by ryanj on Sept 22, 2015 11:17:29 GMT
Thank you both for your advice - always appreciated!
I have reposted the image in my last message...see what you think! :-)
|
|
|
Post by deguconvert on Sept 22, 2015 15:16:59 GMT
I think it is male.
|
|
|
Post by Bexi87 on Sept 22, 2015 16:42:34 GMT
I'd also say male. Plus how cute is he napping!
|
|
|
Post by ryanj on Sept 22, 2015 16:55:26 GMT
If male...then that means we have 2 boys and a girl. Which is the outcome we wanted! ...though is does mean we're going to need to DIY our own cage at some point soon!
|
|
|
Post by moletteuk on Sept 23, 2015 10:24:55 GMT
Is the line quite clear between the hole and the cone? this can help confirm it's a boy, sometimes it's not easy to tell.
|
|
|
Post by ryanj on Sept 23, 2015 13:21:35 GMT
Yeah I can see quite a clear line actually. I guess that confirms it!
|
|