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Post by bouncy on Nov 5, 2017 17:24:55 GMT
If you don't mind the trip up the M1, there are two very good rescues in Nottingham - Burrowed Hearts posts on here regularly, and Emily and I have taken rescues from Notts Nibblers (yay to Flo!)
When I went to Notts Nibblers, I took my Squidgygoo with me, he found two buds, and they're now inseparable!
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Post by moletteuk on Nov 5, 2017 17:58:44 GMT
It's fine to rehome from Pets4homes or similar, the advantage for you in going to a rescue is that they should be able to help you in chosing the right goos (if they have a selection), and I think Little Bites at least will do a swap if an introdution is not going well.
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Post by bouncy on Nov 5, 2017 18:19:07 GMT
It's fine to rehome from Pets4homes or similar, the advantage for you in going to a rescue is that they should be able to help you in chosing the right goos (if they have a selection), and I think Little Bites at least will do a swap if an introdution is not going well. Yes, and Notts Nibblers will take the fluffs back too.
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Post by davethedegu on Nov 5, 2017 20:48:16 GMT
I did actually call up Notts Nibblers and she's made me reconsider some things, I think I may be going to my vet tomorrow and getting some stats on there neutering of degus >.< She said it is rather hard to find Degu's that young unless rescues get a pregnant girl in and then she said I have to consider the teenage years they will go through. She wasn't telling me to not do it as she said it is very successful.
Now I am definitely considering neutering. Maybe finding a nice pair of established females maybe the best option, or even one, I have seen a ton of lone females about.
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Post by bouncy on Nov 5, 2017 21:01:23 GMT
Flo also has a lot of experience, and I guess she is taking into account your goo experience, available time, and so on. The adoption contract with her actually stipulates that, if you have to give up your adoptees, they have to go back to her.
Ironically, she took in a large rescue of around 40 degus last year, with all females on pregnancy watch, and there were LOTS of pups.
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Post by davethedegu on Nov 5, 2017 22:21:38 GMT
Ugh i really don't know what to do now. I feel like the right thing to do is get him neutered but there's this part of me that is terrified of something happening despite having everyone's reassurance. Tomorrow I'm gonna have to bit the bullet and talk face to face with the vet. Good news is the cage is all up now just waiting on the wheel, nesting box and a few other bits. I appreciate all the advice everyone's given, what do you think you would do if you were in the same position, get two young males, lone female or two paired females? (females of course after he's been neutered)
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Post by bouncy on Nov 5, 2017 23:01:56 GMT
Which ever option you go for, I would seriously recommend you take two. The risk of keeping a pair is that any loss will result in a lone goo. With a trio, you also get a better range of social interaction.
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Post by deguconvert on Nov 6, 2017 3:57:19 GMT
Simply because the cost of neutering is beyond reach here . . . well . . . beyond our means . . . I would be looking at two males older than Dave, who I think we can assume must be about 18 months of age. If you could find two males that are about 2 years old, then all should be out of the nasty adolescent/young adult stage and it shouldn't factor as heavily into the introductions. However, if you can afford the surgery AND you know that you have a vet with many successful DEGU (NOT just rodents in general) neuterings in their personal experience, than I would absolutely say go for the surgery and two females of similar age.
Just realize that is has some pretty high risks, even with the excellent experience of a vet with long degu history, and even in the best of circumstances things can go inexplicably wrong. It will cause him several days of pain and discomfort . . . but once he is out of the first week post-op, he will be feeling much better. You will need to pamper him and keep a good eye on him. He will need a snugglesafe or some other kind of hot pad that you can warm up; you will need medications for pain relief and a store of foods that will tempt his appetite, possibly even some critical care to ensure that he keeps his weight up and bowels working. There were other things in my head, but they flew the coop, so hopefully what I have missed others will fill in.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2017 11:17:20 GMT
I'd go with the neutering based on my experience of two successful neuterings and my failings in trying to get females with females. My vet charged £65 or £75 (I think £65) and that included everything as well as a post op checkup a week later.
My vet gave him an injection of pain killers that lasted a good 48 hours and so I didn't have to administer any meds. Just kept him well fed, made it so he only had access to one level of the cage and kept it very clean, I covered the floor with cardboard so I could swap it out daily or every other day and wrapped his snuggle safe and beds in kitchen roll to keep him lying on a dirty surface.
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Post by misscatafer on Nov 6, 2017 11:34:24 GMT
I would go for neutering too. I spent £80 on neutering, but it was 100% worth it. It was the main reason Toby was up for rehoming, as his previous owner could not afford the procedure and he was living next door to two girls who he got on well with and she originally planned to pair him with after rescuing him from a woman who literally pulled him out of her pocket.
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Post by davethedegu on Nov 6, 2017 14:49:13 GMT
He is booked in for neutering on the November 13th which is next Monday at Nine Lives, they said £55 which I thought was really good and it will be performed by an exotic vet specialist who has done degus before so I'm feeling good.
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Post by davethedegu on Nov 13, 2017 12:29:12 GMT
Okay big update.
I just got a call from the vet, the surgery went great. Before they did the surgery he went for a check up and they felt for his testicals and they said they felt both but the update is
Dave is a girl. So now I feel awful because she has had surgery for no reason and I really thought she was a he. Even the vet did...
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Post by misscatafer on Nov 13, 2017 12:59:53 GMT
Wow! What a surprise! So what is your plan now?
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Post by davethedegu on Nov 13, 2017 13:03:43 GMT
I guess just try and introduce her to some females? Even though I have seen a group of two girls and one neutered boy who I really like but not sure if having four goos is a good idea.
Also it's a bloody good job I didn't decide to get males.
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Post by misscatafer on Nov 13, 2017 13:29:50 GMT
The two girls might be possessive of their boy, that is something to be aware of. Would you consider a neutered male?
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Post by davethedegu on Nov 13, 2017 13:47:47 GMT
Yes I definitely would, might be hard to find one though, i would also consider neutering a lone male.
Would you say females and females are just as hard to bond as a male and a male?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2017 14:52:25 GMT
Yes I definitely would, might be hard to find one though, i would also consider neutering a lone male. Would you say females and females are just as hard to bond as a male and a male? They can be. They're funny things. I've never had success with it. I have two sisters I tried to get a friend and they had none of it. So then I needed a friend for the new degu, got her a lady friend and I was never successful with getting them together either. Ipso Factso that's how you end up with 6 degus in 3 cages like moi. 😂 I'd definitely go with a neutered male. Most rescues neuter their males. Notts Nibblers do I know for sure so you could try there! It's a fair drive but Flo is fab and you wouldn't have the worry of neutering. I've got two neutered males. To get them with the two girls who were alone, once the 6 week period was over (side by side for 6 weeks whilst the waiting period was occurring) after that it took me probably a week? For both. Well in fact, I was kinda lazy. I did it properly with Kev and Poppy. But with Pickle and Pumba I banged their new cage up and threw them both in together lol whilst I was putting all the accessories in, so I could keep an eye and they could get to know each other in the new neutral territory that they'd both share. Pickle ended up dominating Pumba (female dominating the male) and they're happy as Larry lol. I never see them do the deed - ever. It's pretty strange lol. Pickle is a weirdo though and always has been, she's tiny and smells like aeroplane food. With Poppy and Kev, it took about a week because Poppy didn't want to be mounted. Kev eventually wooed her lol. They fight though, nothing serious just little marital spats haha, mainly when Kev takes too long to do the deed, or if Poppy is in a bad mood Kev runs up and nips her then runs away and zooms around the cage whilst she yells at him 😂. I'd love to one day get one of the two M/F pairs with my F/F sister pair. But it seems I have very weird aggro degus lol. The sisters seem to hate any degus that aren't each other - even males. So from my experience as above, I'd personally suggest you try a neutered male.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2017 14:53:41 GMT
Also congratulations on finding out Dave is in fact Davette 😂
Could you photograph her private area for us? We would definitely be able to tell you, it would be interesting to see what we say as the vets should have been able to tell by the cone size/and hole and cone gap. So I'm really intrigued.
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Post by davethedegu on Nov 13, 2017 15:18:06 GMT
thanks for the advice!
Yeah when I get home I definitely will because I looked and the two parts were definitely not next to each other which is why I'm in a bit of disbelief. Also if she was homes with males to begin with would they have no got her pregnant? I guess they could of miss sexed them all
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2017 15:33:41 GMT
thanks for the advice! Yeah when I get home I definitely will because I looked and the two parts were definitely not next to each other which is why I'm in a bit of disbelief. Also if she was homes with males to begin with would they have no got her pregnant? I guess they could of miss sexed them all Yeah they would have got her pregnant.
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