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Post by danishdegus on Feb 28, 2018 21:20:19 GMT
Hey everybody
At first I have to tell you all that Im from Denmark and my English/grammar is soooo rusty.
I have two goos, they are 3 months right now. Have been living with us for 2 months.Their cage is in a smoking free room, and it is only when I take them out they are near cigarettes and nicotine. I might be a newbee. But I think, I mostly do it right with diet, cage and activity(have read a lot in here both directions and your councelling of others).
So please don't run me down for this mistake.
I want to make it clear, that I take good care of my Goos and do a lot for them to have a nice and healthy life.
I take them out every day on the floor under supervision. In the start they really didn't show any interest in our ashtrays nor cigarettes, therefore I haven't really been afraid of them eating/chewing them. But the other day one of them chewed in some cigarettes from a package. I removed it right away! Today I thought the ashtray looked less filled than a minute before, and a second later I discovered why(the ashtray was on a table and takes them a climb to get to it).
The other one steals the smoken cigarettes(dont remember the word).
I am always in the room with them and try to supervise them the best I can, but they run in different directions.
Im diffently not going to have any ashtrays nor cigarettes near them when I take them out in the future but still, there is some things Im wondering about.
Why are they so interestet in those disgusting sticks of death?
Do they get a high of the amount of nicotine in the cigarettes?
And at last and most importantly, they seem fine and their crap seems fine for now, but are there anything I should be worried of or have an eye on?
Please. This hasn't happened on purpose
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Post by ntg on Feb 28, 2018 21:50:47 GMT
Hi, as you might know, nicotine poisoning in animals is extremely dangerous. A small animal like a degu wouldn't require much for it to be toxic and they can't get rid of the offending item like dogs etc can since they can't vomit.
You need to get them checked by a vet ASAP. For size reference; 1 cigarette butt can make a small-medium sized dog ill, 11 can kill it.
Have you thought about making a playpen for your degus? Preferably in the smoke-free room they're kept in? That way you can make sure that they don't have access to anything dangerous as they really do like to keep you on your toes and nibble at things they should really have no interest in.
By the sounds of things, they may have gotten a hit of nicotine from the fresh pack they nibbled, liked the euphoria from the nicotine and went for more with the cigarette butts the next time. You'll have to be extra careful to make sure they aren't able to reach any at all in the future.
Hope your little ones are okay but I'll repeat it again for importance - they need to see a vet now to rule out toxicity.
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Post by claire on Mar 1, 2018 4:16:38 GMT
One of mine nearly got one once I had it in my hand.. unlit obviously and stopped to stroke the boys as I'm weak every time I walk past. He tried really hard to get it out my hand lol they do like the smell I wonder if it's because it's a plant.
He never got it or touched it. Didn't want him getting hooked lol.
As yours actually got hold of the butts I would defo get them checked
I don't doubt you take good care of them these things happen and now you've learnt to move the ashtray away:)
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 1, 2018 11:25:28 GMT
I'm really surprised this has never come up on the forum before, I can't recall that it has anyway. We understand it was an accident and accidents do happen. Degus are drawn to anything and everything, as cigarettes have some smell to them, both the plant leaves and chemicals, I can imagine a degu would take an interest in both of those aspects, plus they are easily chewable. Perhaps they were interested in the butts for bedding material, or just like the feel of chewing them. Playpens are much safer than free range in a room, it's virtually impossible to eliminate all wires, stop them escaping into a less safe room, or they can even get stuck inside furniture, plus they can cause quite a bit of damage with chewing furniture and skirting boards. We have two or three different play pens designs linked here deguworld.proboards.com/thread/18716/accessories-make-buy |
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 2, 2018 6:28:05 GMT
Hello Danishdegus! Welcome to the forum!!
Not one of us is without accidents with our degus. They are quick, cunning, and sneaky as can be. Like toddlers . . . well children in general . . . they want to check out whatever they feel they are being denied, despite the fact that it is likely in their best interest that they not have it. Forbidden fruit, right? So, please, know that we understand how it feels to have our degus pull a fast one on us, and we are not shaking our heads at you.
The advice to have them vet checked is well warranted, and will set you at peace once you know they are safe.
The playpens are excellent, not only for the safety of your degus, but for the safety of the rest of your house.
Looking forward to knowing you!
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Post by bouncy on Mar 2, 2018 17:30:47 GMT
Hi danishdegus ! Degus are crafty little gits, and have a gift for thieving anything they're not allowed to have. Mine have developed a taste for crusty bread, and Spidey just takes everything that's not nailed down. I would also get them checked out at the vet, then move everything that has the potential to be snatched by them. Don't underestimate their strength. Some of the things Spidey has run off with defy belief!    |
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Post by savvy on Mar 2, 2018 17:43:08 GMT
Think of them as overactive little children who explore the world with their mouths - everything goes in there!
One of mine even pulled a slate placemat with its teeth once, and anything within reach gets pulled into the cage or nibbles through the bars.
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Post by ntg on Mar 2, 2018 17:52:53 GMT
If it makes you feel any better one of ours ended up in my partners PC tower.  Now THAT was terrifying trying to tempt him out without him touching/eating anything. We've all been outwitted by these horrors at some point  |
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Post by zenaida on Mar 2, 2018 17:59:58 GMT
NTG, how in the world did they get in there? The tower must have had a big opening in the case some place.
I'm going to have to tell Nico about this. He'll have nightmares. I'm not sure which would be worse for him, the fear of one of his babies electrocuting themselves, or the fear that dust and hair are going to get on his baby!
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Post by ntg on Mar 2, 2018 18:24:40 GMT
He had the side off his case for his old tower. No idea why, didn't care enough to really ask either! It certainly gathered some dust though. Surprisingly - Liam was not exactly keen on them at this point for a variety of reasons - both of us were far more concerned about Pip getting out safely than his computer. I think that was the starting point of the situation that led to them needing to be moved over to my parents house (and mine at the time) |
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Post by bouncy on Mar 2, 2018 22:32:52 GMT
But how can it be Pip's fault? Goomans must follow the rules for things like PCs - keep out of reach of children and goos!
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Post by claire on Mar 3, 2018 5:00:56 GMT
Ratty steals my brush when cage cleaning all the time or the dustpan. Not helping boy lol
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Post by Bexi87 on Mar 4, 2018 13:46:33 GMT
My Pip managed to climb into a gas fire when I first got them home. Had to ring my dad to come and help me pull it apart to get her out - thankfully the gas was unconnected! Still hate that fire when I see it but can’t afford to get it ripped out yet...
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