HELP! Premature pups

[vulcanhot]

I just recently got more Degus from a family. They had two adult females and two pups (male & female) left over that had come from one of the females. I'm waiting for a response from them on how long it had been since the mother's last litter to determine for sure which female may have just had them. They both are pretty big but I didn't believe either were currently pregnant. I may weigh them soon to check.

I came home to find two dead premature pups in the cage! It has been three hours and nothing seems unusual. The one I believe had them still appears pregnant but is active and acting like nothing is wrong(as is the other female). No more pups have been birthed. I felt both females and can't really tell if there are more but the one is massive still and I could feel her nipples. I'm worried that there are more still in her since a typical litter is around 6.

I'm not very experienced on this aside from researching what I can find online. I am wondering if it's possible, if there are indeed more, that she'll carry those to term. I don't want to stress her out with a trip to the vet if it's unnecessary but I want to get her checked out and make sure everything is okay.

[savvy]

Welcome to the forum, I'm sorry it's in such distressing circumstances.

Degus rarely show any signs of pregnancy until a few days before the pups are born and gestation is 90 days.
Do you know how old the youngest pups are? If the male wasn't removed prior to the birth, then the female can get pregnant again the same day.

It is possible that she has miscarried some, but not all of the babies, especially as this could be a back to back pregnancy. What did the dead pups look like? We're they fully formed? Where were they when you found them? Bear in mind that degus are masters at hiding pain and illness so you will need to monitor them carefully and make sure you have a degu experienced vet near by. We have a list on here deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15521/vet-guide which may help.

Have you checked the cage to see if there are any live birth anywhere? She could have scattered the litter due you the stress of moving etc., and you will need to check very carefully to make sure this isn't the case, but at the same time try not to stress the degus.

If the pups are more than 8 weeks, you will need to separate the boys from the girls immediately! Degus can breed from about 10 weeks old and a single male can impregnate every female in his cage.

Please ask as many questions as you need to, we will help as best we can.

[bouncy]

Hi,

In addition to what Savvy has said, I'd recommend reviewing their diet. Mum, particularly with back to back pregnancies, will need some extra calcium, minerals, and energy. Seeds will help a lot.

If there's any chance your male pup six weeks or older, he MUST be separated from the group. From that age, he can impregnate the females, and can impregnate the mums as soon as they've given birth!

[yasmin]

How are your degus doing?