luisa
Newborn Degu
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Nov 9, 2015 3:01:36 GMT
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Post by luisa on Nov 9, 2015 3:01:36 GMT
First of all I apologize for my bad English but I'm Italian, I want you to help me with my little degu. I adopted him 10 days ago, everything seemed fine, he looked healthy and full of energy until the 3rd day in which I found him in a corner of the cage, extremely cold, unresponsive to external actions, he couldn't even walk, seemed out of balance and continued to fall. The exotic vet is 5 hours far from my country and I was desperate. I gave him water with a syringe, I keep him warm constantly for like a entire day with bottles full of hot water (of course not too hot) and blankets. After the first day his conditions seemed to get better, he started eating, drinking by himself and had more energy, but walking just on the posterior legs. On the third day of rehabilitation I was so happy about him and his strength, he was walking really better and sometimes on all 4 legs, he was eating and drinking normally and started to play with me and let me make him cuddles. While I was trying to move him because I had to clean up the cage he ran from my hand and fell from a high of a meter, i thought he was dead, because he was completely immobilized, but after a few seconds he started to move. Today is the third day after that episode, he seems quite normal but more lethargic, he eat and drinks but I don't see the same energy and I'm so worried that his conditions could possibly get wrong. Please tell me something, what should I do?
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Nov 9, 2015 7:08:01 GMT
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Post by Bexi87 on Nov 9, 2015 7:08:01 GMT
Welcome to the forum We've had a couple of falls recently and so far everyone has recovered fine. He could be in shock still, keep an eye out for any problems eating/drinking or if he is reluctant to move. Degus are highly social so he could be lonely - do you have the option of getting 1-2 more for him? Do you know how old he is?
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luisa
Newborn Degu
Posts: 5
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Nov 9, 2015 9:27:27 GMT
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Post by luisa on Nov 9, 2015 9:27:27 GMT
Hello and thank you for your reply. I know that degus are social but unfortunately I can't get one more because here they are extremely difficult to find in pet stores. I try to spend with him a lot of time, more than four hours a day so I hope that he doesn't feel so much lonely. Anyway today he seems more playful and active I don't know his age but for sure less than one year
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Nov 9, 2015 10:38:08 GMT
Post by yasmin on Nov 9, 2015 10:38:08 GMT
Hello luisa. Welcome to the forum. Some of my degus that have fallen from over a meter to the floor. They are stunned when they hit it but, so far, all of them have been okay after that. It is good that he is doing better today. You have done an amazing job nursing him, giving him water, keeping him warm and getting him back to where he is responsive and even walking. He was very weak – and probably would have died if you had not been there for him. That is wonderful. What is his name? Where did you adopt him from? You will need a veterinarian for him because there are many health issues that degus can suffer from – are you sure there is no one closer to you?
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Nov 9, 2015 11:01:06 GMT
Post by moletteuk on Nov 9, 2015 11:01:06 GMT
The first episode sounds quite unusual, if there was an injury affecting his movement it would be more likely to affect his back legs, perhaps there was a stroke or ear infection, it's difficult to know.
It's normal for them to go into shock and not move after a fall, but they usually get over this within a few hours. Is he moving normally now? They aren't usually injured after a 1m fall, but I suppose internal injuries could be possible, or a relapse of the first condition.
It is good that he is still eating and drinking. All I can think of is to keep him warm. If you can find a nearer vet, they may be able to diagnose something, infection would be treatable, but with injuries you usually have to hope and wait and see.
Longer term it is worth searching out a friend for him even if it takes a while to find another degu.
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luisa
Newborn Degu
Posts: 5
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Help
Nov 9, 2015 15:31:05 GMT
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Post by luisa on Nov 9, 2015 15:31:05 GMT
Hello everyone, thank you so much for your support.
For yasmine:his name is Palo, I adopted him from a local pet store, there were 3 other degus, at first I've decided to take just one, the next day I wanted to take another one but they went all sold in a day.
I love him so much and I really want to give all care and love he needs. After the first problems I called every single vet in my area but no one had the necessary experience and knowledge about degus, they told me to wait and maybe change his diet (so helpful for sure, he was dying in my hand).
I'm still searching for someone that could help me and is nearest as possible.
I don't know what happened to him the first time, at 7 am he was fine, at 12 am he was dying.
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Post by deguconvert on Nov 9, 2015 16:31:58 GMT
Hello, Luisa, and welcome to the forum!
You have had an eventful 11 days with your little Palo! Can you tell us what you are feeding him? Pet stores are notorious for giving bad advice for feeding, thinking degus need the same diet as do many other small pets, but that is false information.
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luisa
Newborn Degu
Posts: 5
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Help
Nov 9, 2015 16:46:47 GMT
Post by luisa on Nov 9, 2015 16:46:47 GMT
I have fed him mostly with hay and carrots, he doesn't seem to like lettuce but I'm trying to find out what vegetables he likes most. For treats I give him a small amount of pine nuts and nuts. I bought "extruded cereal rings with lucerne" recently and gived them as treats too.
The pet store guy told me to give him hamsters food and bread, but I did not.
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Post by moletteuk on Nov 9, 2015 17:23:29 GMT
Your English is great so I'm hoping you can face reading our feeding guide deguworld.proboards.com/thread/16425/degu-feeding-guideBasically he needs a variety of forage, this means, hay, grasses, meadow plants, flowers, safe garden plants, tree leaves, any safe vegetation. He also needs some degu pellets or perhaps guinea pig pellets (sugar free) and/ or a seed mix. The seed mix should be mainly oil seeds including high calcium seeds. I would think you can order food from Zooplus, and you can order forage and seeds from Hansemanns deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19090/hansemanns-german-food-shop or make your own seed mix. Vegetables are not important if they get sufficient forage. Carrots and other high sugar vegetables should be limited. Degus cannot digest sugars. Cereal grains should be limited because they are turned to glucose on digestion. Nuts and seeds and roots like dandelion root are good for treats.
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luisa
Newborn Degu
Posts: 5
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Help
Nov 9, 2015 17:36:19 GMT
Post by luisa on Nov 9, 2015 17:36:19 GMT
Thank you so much, I will order for sure
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Nov 9, 2015 22:14:50 GMT
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Post by bouncy on Nov 9, 2015 22:14:50 GMT
Hello and thank you for your reply. I know that degus are social but unfortunately I can't get one more because here they are extremely difficult to find in pet stores. I try to spend with him a lot of time, more than four hours a day so I hope that he doesn't feel so much lonely. Anyway today he seems more playful and active I don't know his age but for sure less than one year He looks quite small, from your profile picture. A matter of weeks, rather than months, and some ears to grow into lol
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