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Post by ntg on May 18, 2017 11:23:17 GMT
Congrsts on the new addition Did you put the water bottle in exactly the same place and did the spout differ at all between bottles? Degus can be pretty stubborn at times and only like to drink out of a certain spot, so if it isn't in the same place then try moving it back to where it was originally I asked if the spouts were different as some are longer or more angled than others. It might be that the angle it's currently at isn't comfortable to drink from and needs to be put a little higher up or lower down for her. If nothing is different other than the water - maybe she just isn't used to the taste of clean water!
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Post by misscatafer on May 18, 2017 11:38:10 GMT
It was a different brand of water bottle but the spout was quite similar, I did put it in a few notches higher as it would have been more comfortable for her... I have moved it back now. I have booked a vets appointment for this afternoon just to get her checked over, she still hasn't drank anything and wasn't impressed with a dish of water.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2017 12:16:05 GMT
When Kev was poorly I tried him with a dish of water and LOL was it funny when he accidentally trod in it. He wouldn't use his leg like it had broken and he was hobbling around squeaking really quietly, like he was ranting to himself that he got WATER!!!!! on him 😂
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Post by zenaida on May 18, 2017 12:33:34 GMT
We use a small bowl for our water. A few times we have spilled on one of the girls when putting in the cage (trying to put it on a higher level and prevent the escapees on the lower level simultaneously). They usually look quite annoyed if it happens.
As far as I know, our girls only had a bottle before, but putting in a bowl seemed to be no challenge for them.
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Post by misscatafer on May 18, 2017 12:50:56 GMT
Boo just sniffed the water, got wet and ran away. She doesn't even seem to notice the water bottle, last night I even brought the water bottle to her and she still didn't drink. Our other two don't like bowls of water either. During play time if they are out more than an hour I just hold a bottle in there are they come up and have a drink, like feeding lambs! let's hope the vet says everything is OK and she is just settling in.
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Post by deguconvert on May 18, 2017 15:18:09 GMT
Do you know if the place you picked her up from would use any additives in their water, like vitamins or such things? If they did, she may be thinking the plain water seems strange.
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Post by misscatafer on May 18, 2017 16:07:58 GMT
Hmm I highly doubt it looking at the environment she came from. Just coming home from the vets now, feeling really reassured. vet said from what she could see, she was a happy and healthy degu. She has given us a syringe to try to get a sample and has advised us to try her with fresh veg to get fluid into her. She highly doubts she has not drank for 2 days based on her presentation though which is great news. She thinks maybe the discoloured urine could be that we have tried her with something she has never eaten before and it was just an initial reaction. Tbh when we first got our others they had red urine too but I thought it was because I put a red sock in the cage lol.
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Post by moletteuk on May 18, 2017 19:33:19 GMT
Maybe you could try some sloppy Critical Care if you have some. She most likely has drunk some small amounts. Could the bottle be in a 'scary' place? Can you do anything to 'protect' it, like lean some cardboard against the cage at that point?
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Post by Emziedee on May 18, 2017 21:24:20 GMT
She's gorgeous maybe try her with some fresh veg? Could get water from that. Tibbs loves a bit of watery cucumber 🥒
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Post by misscatafer on May 18, 2017 22:19:19 GMT
That is a good suggestion Molette! I just kept it there as that is where it was before. I have sprinkled some cucumber, parsley and celery leaves around so hopefully she will try some.
She is honestly so gorgeous. The last owner described her as being like a cat, and I can see why! She absolutely loves fuss, I can stroke her all over and she loves it, tilting her head to one side and smiling away. On the way to the vets and back I could keep my hand in the carrier and she just snuggled up to me the whole time - so cute!
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Post by misscatafer on May 19, 2017 16:15:37 GMT
Today Boo has been drinking out of her water bottle, and has eaten all of the cucumber given yesterday, we gave her some more today which she also seems to enjoy! The celery and parsley has been left abandoned, but so pleased she is drinking!! The girls are still arguing over who gets to look at her through the bars... They are arguing exactly the same as how they do over their toys. Boo continues to warble through the bars and then sits with her back to them... Could this be antagonistic? They are still showing aggression through the bars too if a nose to nose greet is attempted by Boo. But within the half hour progress has happened! The girls are having their nap on the bottom level right up against Boos cage! Boo is not sitting with them though... Wish she would! Update: Just had nearly two hours of all three napping together by the bars, some nice warbling going on too not sure what changed the situation... We gave them some rocket for tea... Maybe this had some sort of calming effect lol. Otherwise Rob moved their haystack and gave it to Boo to give her some more cover, to which she proceeded to make a mega nest out of all the other things in her cage with it, maybe this impressed them and they felt ready to accept her? Degus are so complicated!
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Post by moletteuk on May 20, 2017 10:13:43 GMT
Oooh, sounds good I think the warbling and then sitting with her back to them might be antagonistic, unless she was offereing her backside to be mounted, but given how the meet went that seems unlikely. Anyway, them all napping together sounds really good.
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Post by misscatafer on May 20, 2017 17:55:57 GMT
Today Bella has mostly ignored Boo and vice versa. Hermione has been obsessed with Boo all day, chasing her around the cage and sitting as close to her as possible. Boo is still warbling away when she chooses to acknowledge either of them, but is mostly ignoring them. Hermione isn't warbling but doesn't seem to be being aggressive... More annoying, she is squealing at her in an almost frustrated way as if wanting to be nearer to her. Bella has also been sending out loud long whistles to call Hermione when she wants cuddles. I might try another face to face tomorrow to see if things have progressed? Or do you think I need to leave it longer based on the interactions? Edit: and they are still all napping together, doing it right now
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Post by misscatafer on May 21, 2017 22:39:05 GMT
Today has been a bit disheartening, Hermione has switched the aggression up a gear and has been obsessed with Boo all day, it's been a whole day of chasing, squealing and grunting. The sleeping together has all stopped too and Bella is also being aggressive. I know it's really early days so I am just going to continue swapping scents and monitoring for now.
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Post by goolover on May 21, 2017 23:36:00 GMT
It sounds like you are doing everything right. Your girls sound like they were in a right mood today rofl. I know my goo's never have a day the same as far as moods go. They sometimes wake up in a foul mood and carry this on through the day so you will have days where nothing goes right and you are glad when they go to bed and can wake up in a better mood lol. I've had many a day when all mine are being naughty, stubborn and just arguing amongst each other. They go to bed and I think thank god for that, i've got a headache with you all. Plus girls have their ovulation at different times so will act out because of this, sometimes sad and sometimes more aggressive with their cage mates. They are very complicated!
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Post by misscatafer on May 21, 2017 23:44:05 GMT
Thank you for making me feel better! I was thinking if it was someone's time of the month actually.. I can always tell when it's Bellas as her grooming becomes a tad bit sharper lol. I was tempted to move the cages apart too but I have left them how they are..I was worried I had messed up by rushing into face to faces and having the cages too close too soon, or in the wrong position. I have bought new bath containers for them today too so I can literally just swap them over each day instead of pouring half out, half in.
One idea I had was to allow Boo to have a run in the girls cage while they are in the playpen to help spread scent... Or would this be detrimental?
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Post by goolover on May 22, 2017 0:05:55 GMT
Introductions can be so hard and all we can do as owners is try to ease them all into it. I've had 3 successful introductions in the past after 1 day that goes against protocol so to speak but I just thought I need to try this and it worked great. I've had many failed ones to but you just keep trying until it works. There are cases to when it wont work at all but you are in the very very early stages so don't worry about that. You can follow advice and do everything by the book and yeah sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't! They may need more time or the colony is too established to have another one enter or it may just take 1 of your girls to reject Boo, where the others are happy with her but you need all goo's to accept and this is hard when we take into account personalities etc. This is why it can take some time. I personally wouldn't put Boo directly in the girls cage as they are clever and will know this. They can actually see that she would have been in the cage. Hard to explain but its like 'UV footprints' that we cant see but they can. This may make your girls angry and cause fights between them as an 'intruder' has entered their home. When you swap substrate you are spreading boo's scent so they get used to her smell without them seeing her as an intruder. I don't know how the other guys think though.
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Post by misscatafer on May 22, 2017 8:58:17 GMT
OK, will continue to just swap substrate etc for now then. From experience, does the aggression from within the cage between bars calm down if you just persevere with it?
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Post by misscatafer on May 22, 2017 11:46:43 GMT
Also, the stage I am at now is both goos are quite obsessed with her, following her around the cage, watching, squealing, grunting and attacking bars if she comes near. She is still warbling at them when they start and is more or less just going about her own business ignoring them or moving away. Obviously this is becoming quite upsetting to watch, is it distressing to her or them? They are still having minor play fights over who gets to be closest to her, but it is exactly the same as how they have been with each other over toys in the cage so I'm not concerned about their relationship at this point.
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Post by moletteuk on May 22, 2017 15:10:00 GMT
It varies a lot. If you are seeing over-excitement that type of thing will often settle into acceptance given time. if you are seeing a personal hatred then that might never change. Figuring out where yours are on the spectrum takes time, but from what you have described, it sounds more like excitableness so far than any type of dislike or grudge.
If they were warbling a few days ago, but are chasing now and you think they might be in season, then it's not a bad idea to move the cages further apart or stick a barrier between for a couple of days. Wait and see if they all calm down again, and bear in mind over the next weeks that you have problems at times of the month. (Their periods in heat ought to become less pronounced or stop shortly, my Alice had a much lesser period this month). If your pair are well bonded but have a tendency to bossiness and excitement, then it might be worth experimenting with you trying to be top goo, tell them off for squabbling over who gets to harrass or warble at Boo.
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