|
|
Post by degugoodolls on Oct 19, 2017 21:03:42 GMT
Hi Ginny here and I’m a first time degu owner. I decided to get degus after my favorite rat died because I wanted something that lived a little longer but was still very smart and engaging. Unfortunately this hasn’t gone very well for me.
I’ve had my degu Basil for about 2 weeks. His brother Honey died about 5 days ago from mycoplasma. I know Basil is very sad right now and I want to give him attention but he has become very distrusting of me since his brother went away. The vet gave him a clean bill of health and some preemptive meds just incase. I do not want to stress him out by forcing him to interact so I only force handle him when medicating. The rest of the time I sit by his cage with my hand resting in it and playing soothing music and talking to him. I try and hand feed him his fresh veggies so he will associate me with something positive. Hopefully we will become friends again as I miss him greeting me at the cage door and snuggling on my shoulder while I read.
I'm set to pick up another degu from a rescue tomorrow and will keep him in quarantine until I'm sure both he and Basil are healthy. Then I plan to start on intros. Hopefully they will become good friends since basil seems so unhappy.
I look forward to learning a lot from this forum!
|
|
|
|
Post by ntg on Oct 19, 2017 21:24:45 GMT
Hi Ginny! So sorry to hear about the loss of Honey  I'm sure she was much loved and cared for in the short time you had with her! Rather than having to restrain her - as this might be causing her to distrust you a bit more - have you tried feeding her her medication on a piece of shredded wheat or on some oats or something similar? Shredded wheat has a 90% success rate for me anyway!  Hope we see you around the forum more! Feel free to join in with any threads - pictures of goos or any other pets are always more than welcome - we're a friendly bunch but also a bit weird at the same time (they do say pets take after their owners after all   ). |
|
|
|
Post by savvy on Oct 19, 2017 21:25:49 GMT
Welcome to the forum, I'm so sorry to hear about Honey. I'm sure you are both feeling his loss.
You are doing the right thing getting him a degu friend, but be aware that intros can take a while.
Basil will be grieving and needs time to adjust to the loss, so don't be surprised if they don't interact straight away.
If there is anything you need to know, please ask.
|
|
|
|
Post by degugoodolls on Oct 19, 2017 21:41:02 GMT
have you tried feeding her her medication on a piece of shredded wheat or on some oats or something similar? That is such a smart idea! I hadn't considered it at all and its such a tiny bit of medication too. I'll have to go by the store and pick some up. That sounds so much nicer for both me and him. |
|
|
|
Post by ntg on Oct 19, 2017 21:53:04 GMT
Sorry I seem to have girls on the mind at the moment  d'oh! The mini shredded wheat work really well, I usually quarter them |
|
|
|
Post by degugoodolls on Oct 19, 2017 21:59:40 GMT
No worries! I actually wanted girls because that's what I'm used to with all my other rodents but the people selling them had all the boys and girls in the cage together. I'm new to degus so I didn't want any surprises down the road that I wasn't prepared to handle and decided boys would be safer.
|
|
|
|
Post by zenaida on Oct 19, 2017 23:20:25 GMT
I love the picture you put in your signature. They look so relaxed.
|
|
|
|
Post by degugoodolls on Oct 20, 2017 0:13:51 GMT
Update: Basil has zero interest it shredded wheat. With or without medication on it. Any other treat type options that might make giving medication easier?
|
|
|
|
Post by claire on Oct 20, 2017 9:13:00 GMT
My ratty. He os a degu just looks like a rat lol. Loves chewing I simply stuck the syringe in the edge of the cage and he couldn't resist chewing it lol. Tiny 0.5ml squirt and he hardly noticed lol. However my little man is on antibiotics and I too struggle to get him to take it or generally eat at the moment. He's lost so much weight bless him. Going back to the vet on Monday he has a repository infection. He was never a friendly degu always sat at the back and never came for cuddles unlike the other 2 demons who jump on my head given the chance lol. Just now I gave him his meds and he was all stressed not eating still. He ate some vegetable baby food the other day. I let him on top of the cage and I simply put my arms on the cage and quietly watched him. He actually came up to me and sat on my shoulders for the first time ever. It's like a bond just clicked and suddenly he trusts me. It just takes time he's 2.5 yrs old and only just done this. Some degu are just friendlier than others I did the same with the others just sat leaning my arms on their cage door. One actually snuggles into my face like I'm part of the degu pile as I call it:) It's either normal or a have weird degu lol |
|
|
|
Post by ntg on Oct 20, 2017 9:27:38 GMT
Did you try leaving it in his bowl for a while? He might come back to it as degus can sometimes be suspicious of new foods! If you've got oats in then try them on some oats on a plate, again leave them in for a bit - the benefit of having one is that you can leave medicated food around, the amount of time I've had to go searching for pieces of discarded shredded wheat from my picky boy before the hoover goo found it is unreal!
If you can get them you could try the versele laga herb crocks for medication as well? It has a soft inner bit that you can hide the meds in.
|
|
|
|
Post by degugoodolls on Oct 20, 2017 17:13:14 GMT
Yep, I left it in his food bowl overnight and he didn't touch it. The other degu I got this morning doesn't seem interested in them at all either but he might have just been stressed from the drive and new environment.
I'll give the oats a go and try and order the herb crocks. The only place I can seem to find them for sale in the US is a website called Miscota and it doesn't have the best reviews.
|
|
|
|
Post by degugoodolls on Oct 20, 2017 17:17:34 GMT
Hahaha, that's how my actual rats are when they get Baytril. More than once they have stolen the syringe because they like it so much. But Basil fights me every step.
|
|
|
|
Post by moletteuk on Oct 23, 2017 9:51:34 GMT
You can try nuts or dried veg or any favourite treats for giving medication, something absorbant works best, but non absorbant things can work if you can get them to take it in their mouth whole.
|
|
|
|
Post by moletteuk on Oct 25, 2017 10:55:43 GMT
How are you getting on?
|
|
|
|
Post by degugoodolls on Oct 25, 2017 22:37:19 GMT
No luck with the shredded wheat or oats so I just put it on one of his veggies and make sure to hand feed him that one. It's not great but less stressful.
|
|
|
|
Post by moletteuk on Oct 27, 2017 12:46:35 GMT
that sounds good, any treat will do.
|
|
I'm sure she was much loved and cared for in the short time you had with her!
). 
d'oh!
