Abandoned Degus

[skippyfreckles]

Hi everyone,
My name is Lauren and I run my own pet sitting and dog walking company.
Last week I took on 4 degus whilst the owners went on holiday.
I have just had notification that their payment card has been cancelled as it was reported lost/stolen, they havent been to pick up the degus as arranged and their house appears to be empty/abandoned.
It looks as if they will be staying with me and was wondering if anyone had any tips for me. I have never had degus before, but do have chinchillas (and guinea pigs and rabbits...) I have basic knowledge of degu care but would like to learn a bit more from the experts
Also they are currently in a thickets cage too small!
Thanks everyone

[moletteuk]

A warm welcome to you

Some people are just beyond belief, what a strange situation! Do you think they have dumped them on you deliberately, or is there still a chance something has happened and they might turn up for them in a couple of weeks?

Lucky for the degus that they have ended up with somebody experienced with small furries and prepared to take care of them. We have a beginner's guide which should help you on your way deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19754/beginners-guide-degu-keeping Just ask if you have any questions, there are no silly questions where degus are concerned.

They are certainly going to need a much bigger cage, 4 degus in a thickets is frightening! We normally recommend the Liberta Explorer (2nd edition) or Aventura (similar but single doors), but for 4 you would need to extend the half shelves into full shelves and possibly consider the basement extension. Perhaps you could give them some free range time out of the cage until you can figure out a better cage?

[skippyfreckles]

It has now got to the point that I believe they have been deliberately abandoned. The mobile numbers they gave me have even been disconnected. If this really is the case I am just thankful that they have 'dumped' them on me rather than on the side of the road or given them to any Tom, "inappropriate word" or Harry. When I first met the little goos I did mention that the cage was rather small for them but she said they were still babies and was planning to get a bigger cage later on, not sure exactly how old they are but they definitely aren't adults yet. I hope this is all just a misunderstanding and they will be in contact soon but I think I need to prepare for 'worst case scenario' (not that I have a problem taking them on, its just obviously not an ideal situation!) Thankfully I have my chinchilla run in the garden (custom built aviary style out-building) so I have been able to get them out there for a little run around. The chinchillas haven't been too impressed about having shorter play time to accommodate the goos though! haha.

[bouncy]

Well done for taking them on! Unfortunately, P@H sell the thickets cage as being suitable for four goos.

I guess the immediate thing to bear in mind is the sugars. Please don't be tempted to try them on your chin or piggy mixes, as these likely contain molasses, sugary vegetables, or fruit

[skippyfreckles]

I was given p@h degu nuggets to feed them and still have plenty left. I have given them some oats as a treat which they seemed to enjoy but they are very nervous I don't think they've ever really been handled to be honest. The poor things don't even have names! She said oh well they all look the same so whats the point in naming them!
The small one who is more of a grey colour (the other three are agoutis) has a wonky tail. She said that he came like that but after everything thats happened I'm beginning to think I may have to take them to the vets for a health check. The little ones tail is quite short and the hairy bit at the end (sorry if theres a proper name for this bit haha) is small and almost a 90 degree angle to the tail. hope that makes sense!

[deguconvert]

I think a vet visit is wise. I'm glad you have the chinchilla run to allow them a bit if free space . . . young degus are escape artists, so you might want to have a close look to be sure they can't get out anywhere.

I also think that she had no intention of keeping them, and no interest in them, by the very fact that she didn't name them. I am wondering if they were unexpected babies, and now they were looking to get rid of the pups. In which case, knowing their gender is very important because I assume she had no idea and didn't care to find out. This . . . deguworld.proboards.com/thread/13070/degus . . . will help you with that, if you can get a good look at their bits.

We are here to help you as much as we are able! I'm glad you are looking at this with an eye to the potential future.

[saggy]

i can't believe people would do this! They could at least take them to rspca or something rather than dump on someone personally. They wouldn't even have to admit it, just say found them on the side of the road! Some people really are very selfish and irresponsible! Yes sex them and try to figure out how old they are before you have more babies It's really good of you to take them in

[bouncy]

You sound like your instincts have a pretty good grasp on what's needed. I'm sure they'll have a much better life with you.

The others have raised the question of sex. As they're not used to being handled, it may be worth putting some oats on a glass dish or casserole lid. You can then have a look-see from below!

It may be worthwhile contacting your (or their) local P@H. This isn't necessarily so you can penalise them, even though they deserve it, but because they take a record of all new pet owners. It should be fairly simple for them to identify a sale of four goos, and they can prevent the sale of any more animals to them.

[skardsen]

A fault of mine is trying to see the good in everyone. Is it at all possible they knew they couldn't look after them properly and wanted them to go to someone who could? Reaching a bit, I know, but still.

[shystar]

o thats such a horrid story... Humans can be so disgusting >.> Saying that, it could have gone much worse for them You seem a very responsible person who knows what to do! They are lucky little fluffs indeed

[skippyfreckles]

bouncy thats a brilliant idea thank you! I was just contemplating how would be the best way to sex them without stressing them out too much. Thankfully I'm rather skilled at sexing chinchillas after having a couple of litters of my own and their bits are just as confusingly similar as degus skardsen I'm thinking that was the logic behind bringing them to me rather than somewhere like the RSPCA, I suppose so they knew where they were going? Maybe she didn't want someone making the same mistake they did, taking them on and then not being able to handle them?
Any tips on how to tell them apart? I'm trying to find some identifiable features on the three agoutis to tell them apart, are there any common things to look out for that i might be able to use?
Thanks everyone

[moletteuk]

A sheet of mesh is an option for getting a look at their bum too, and sometimes a photo can help. I think sexing them should probably be a priority.

The bent tail isn't of immediate concern if it isn't bothering her and there are no signs of infection.

Telling them apart can be really difficult in the early days, they usually grow into their features as they get a bit older. Tail length & bushiness, face shape, eye spacing, ear size/shape/nicks, white marks on tummy or feet can all be clues. Often you will get to know them by behaviour first.

[mangoo]

Sorry if i'm replying to a dead post but I've had a 'home born' degu with a wonkey tail too. My little guy was born from a decent genetic pairing, I'm positive its nothing to worry about if you were at all still concerned. Even with his bizarre kinky tail, he is happy as Larry