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Post by degucat on Sept 1, 2018 11:49:50 GMT
Hi! I Recently ( 6 days ago to be precise) got two female degus, One of them is really shy and the other is really friendly. The really friendly one is also really fat and I’m not sure what it is. Could she be pregnant or just a food hogger? Is it anything to worry about? Thanks 😀
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Post by savvy on Sept 1, 2018 12:11:34 GMT
Welcome to the forum!
Firstly are you sure they are both girls? Please check as pet shops don't always sex them properly.
If you can post a photo, from above would be great, we can then give you a better idea.
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Post by degucat on Sept 1, 2018 12:39:38 GMT
Thanks I will check then get back to you! And could you give me any info on how to post photos on here as I am new to the forum 😀
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Post by savvy on Sept 1, 2018 12:44:48 GMT
I'm not great with technology, but you can either use a hosting site, please do not use photobucket as they now charge an exorbitant fee, and post a link or if you hit the reply button, as opposed to the post quick reply, you should be able to put a photo straight into the post.
Please bear in mind, however, that we have limited space on the server so a hosting site if preferable.
Can you please tell us how old they are?
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Post by degucat on Sept 1, 2018 15:23:25 GMT
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Post by savvy on Sept 1, 2018 15:37:31 GMT
I've tried to open the file, but it says I need permission. Can you give the forum access please?
The best way to check the sex of a nervous degu is to place them in a glass bowl, giving treats will help them stay there, and photograph from beneath. This will show the, ahem, 'area' we need to look at to determine their sex.
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Post by degucat on Sept 1, 2018 15:43:16 GMT
I think I have just accepted for you to see them, have a try now! Thankyou for the information, I am out atm but I will check when I get back!
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Post by savvy on Sept 1, 2018 15:44:54 GMT
Thanks! Please don't panic, but I've had a quick look at the pics and yes, she does look very pregnant to me. She also looks older than 10 months. Please have a read through our section on pregnancy and baby care so you know what to expect. deguworld.proboards.com/thread/1363/basics-babiesYou will need to separate the other degu if he is a boy as mum can get pregnant again within 24 hours of giving birth. Can you please tell us where you got your degus from as you may be able to get the pet shop to contribute either a new cage to use for dad, food, bedding etc, or to help with the cost associated with the pups.
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Post by degucat on Sept 1, 2018 16:35:37 GMT
Hi! We weren’t expecting that at all 😂 Thankyou so much for your help so far! I have read the info and all is very helpful The pet shop we got them from is pets at home, I just read a lot of pregnancy stories from people who have bought animals from there! I have a couple of questions.... 1. Do they only build the nest when they are about to give birth or do they do that long prior to the birth? And 2. Is it not possible for her to be that fat without being pregnant or is she definitely pregnant? Thanks again for your help 😀
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Post by ntg on Sept 1, 2018 16:46:04 GMT
It would be easier to tell with a photo taken from above and when she's a little more stretched out to accurately see where the weight seems distributed but she could well be pregnant from those photos!
As for nest building I think they tend to do it shortly before giving birth but, generally, if a degu starts showing then they'll probably give birth in the next couple of weeks.
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Post by ntg on Sept 1, 2018 16:48:43 GMT
Oh and a degu could get that fat I guess, but it's highly unlikely unless their diet is badly imbalanced towards overeating pellets and fatty foods like nuts rather than hay, particularly at such a young age.
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Post by degucat on Sept 1, 2018 16:53:09 GMT
Hi! I haven’t been feeding them any abnormal amounts and I recently got them. The first time I viewed them (around 2 months ago) The keepers said that they could barely tell them apart they looked that similar and I couldn’t tell the difference then either. Now she looks significantly bigger and you can definitely tell the difference.
Also thanks for the info about the nest, I will keep an eye on her!
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 1, 2018 17:07:58 GMT
Hello, Degucat, and welcome to the forum! I have nothing to add at them moment as far as how to get pictures, but I will ask if you are aware of how to distinguish male from females? deguworld.proboards.com/thread/13070/degus This will help if you don't know. May I ask what your cage is, and what you feed, as well as amounts of feed each day? If she is pregnant at such a young age, she is going to need even more support nutritionally so that she can supply the needs of her growing body and the needs of growing pups.
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Post by degucat on Sept 1, 2018 17:48:28 GMT
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 1, 2018 18:14:40 GMT
Hi Degucat, nice to meet you I'm going to link you to our beginner's guide because that covers all the basics including diet and housing: deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19754/beginners-guide-degu-keepingThey would really benefit from a more varied diet, we now know that pellets and hay aren't enough to keep degus healthy. They need lots of forage, things like herbs, different grasses, tree leaves, safe flowers and garden plants, hedgerow and meadow plants etc. They would also do well with an oil seed mix, you can buy ready made ones from Ratrations or make your own using our nutrition charts. You can also find info on pellet choices in the diet section. If you do have babies on the way, bear in mind they eat more than adults up to 25g each a day, whereas adults eat around 15g total a day. I'm afraid your cage isn't quite suited to degus, degus need running space rather than climbing space. It is possible to lie that cage on it's side and then add some shelf space in and that improves it a lot, but it's still probably a bit small. We will do our best to help you get everything sorted
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Post by degucat on Sept 1, 2018 20:19:47 GMT
Hello, nice to meet you too 😀 Thanks for your info, We put in tree leaves and we have a huge sycamore log in there along with some more forage (all safe) so I think we are covered for that! In terms of the cage, the base is bigger than it looks (they have lots of room to run around) and is about as tall as me (I’m about average for a woman) and they are seeming to enjoy it. Do you mean for the baby’s though as I agree that they won’t be able to jump and will probably need more room to run around on the flat, We got our degus from pets at home and they claimed that they were both girls but that doesn’t quite seem to be the case 😬 Do you think pets at home will be able to compensate us for a new one as we didn’t pick to have mixed genders? Thankyou so much for your info and help😊
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Post by savvy on Sept 1, 2018 21:50:22 GMT
As they are a pair (in more ways than one!) you would have to go through a lengthy introduction process if you swapped one degu for another, plus there would be the emotional trauma of separating a bonded pair and degus do grieve quite heavily for a lost cage mate. It may be possible to have two groups, one of dad and any male pups, and one of mum and any female pups depending on the numbers, space etc. It could be that the other degu IS female and dad is another degu entirely. Do you know anything about the 1st ten months of their lives? Have they always been at p@h or have they come through their adoption programme? It is entirely possible she arrived at p@h already pregnant as the gestation period is 90 days. If you can find a degu experienced vet, deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15521/vet-guide you may be able to get dad neutered so they can stay as a bonded pair, but this is not an easy operation due to the position of the genitals in male degus. It's not recommended to have females neutered. P@h may agree to pay for the surgery. They should certainly stump up for a second cage, albeit a small thickets cage, to house either mum and the pups, or dad, when you need to separate to avoid a second pregnancy. BUT, you need to make sure if there is a pregnancy and if the other degu IS male before discussing things with p@h. In terms of your cage, degus are not great climbers, and falls can and do occur. It would be best if you turned your cage on its side to give them the maximum length of running space and added more levels to make the most of the available cage space. We have several customised cages on here to look at for inspiration and it doesn't need to be done straight away.
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 1, 2018 21:56:53 GMT
Degucat, if the available surface space in your cage is limited to the base and the small ledges as are pictured in the link you gave us, then there are difficulties that you may not understand. Imagine trying to make your home in the stairwell of a tall building. You wouldn't be able to set up full rooms on those small platforms between each floor, and your whole day would be consumed by going to all the different levels for various needs or wants. Now imagine that you have a body that doesn't climb stairs well, but does great in large flat areas, with minimal climbing. Degus are a ground animal,and most of their days in the wild are spent covering several km to gather food and to keep their territory secure. They do not spent time climbing, like a tree squirrel will do. I am certain that all that extra space to explore is a true delight to the two degus you have, especially after being in such small quarters at the store. However, if they have given you accurate ages for the degus you brought home, you may yet see squabbling that results from their age, and can be a heightened potential for serious fighting until they are around 18 months of age. A habitat with at least three large levels (minimum of 100cm X 50cm) in which they can run together or be apart from each other is highly desirable and something we consider a necessity.
Before you feel like I am picking on you, please understand that the vast majority of us on this forum, and all who are moderators and helpers, have faced this very difficulty ourselves. We were given all kinds of inappropriate information at the store, or from the people we got our degus from. We had cages that were not right for the requirements of our degus, and were much vexed over the money we had put out. We have homes we had to fit our cages into, and have had to make many adjustments as we have learned more and more about our much loved degus. We understand intimately the difficulties of finding the right things. We are just trying to pass on our knowledge while having much compassion and empathy for the needs of the owner as well.
Your cage, if you were to orient it on it's side, place solid flooring over the wiring for a base floor and then add in a wide ledges to create large secondary levels, would vastly change the dynamic of that space for your degus. The question would be, do you have the floor space for such a change?
It is still a good idea to be sure of the sex of both your degus, because you may indeed have two females. Which would mean there is no need to swap for another, but could mean that you could be in possession of TWO pregnant degus, but will not know for sure until you are many more days or even many weeks into your ownership. Gestation for degus is 86-90 days, so they have a long pregnancy for a small rodent. If your one girl is pregnant and showing as much as she is, she has been pregnant long before you brought her home. If I may ask, did you choose her in particular, or did the store choose her for you?
Were these a pair of long standing in the store, or were they with other degus?
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Post by degucat on Sept 1, 2018 22:32:27 GMT
Thankyou! I completely understand and I will pend the cage until it’s perfect for their needs Not in anyway do I think you are picking on me as I am not experienced yet and I need to learn! They said that they haven’t always been in store and a couple of months ago they sold two or more other degus and I’m not sure what sex they were, If she is pregnant do I need to stay home and get ready for the birth or do I need to just act like nothing is happening?
Also they were the only ones left as p&h aren’t selling degus anymore (they weren’t alone for long though)
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Post by savvy on Sept 1, 2018 22:45:20 GMT
We were all beginners once and degus are a steep learning curve. There aren't any stupid questions regarding these fluffy weirdos so ask anything you're not sure of and we'll help.
P@h are notoriously bad when it comes to degus which is why they have stopped selling them; mis-sexing, unexpected pregnancies and really bad advice were common problems.
She should be able to handle the birth on her own and the other one will help. What are their names by the way, or haven't you decided on names yet? You will need to baby proof the cage as soon as you know for sure as they are born fully active but with very little common sense, lol! They will just walk off the edge of things and fall.
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