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Post by bouncy on Jul 13, 2022 20:51:42 GMT
Or whether you think some normal routine (and PJ trousers) may settle them more?
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Post by hpdegus on Jul 14, 2022 0:38:47 GMT
I had play time with both the pups and rescues (separately!) and they seem to have settled more.
Tom has gained a little from yesterday, so thats good! And he did start stuffing his face during playtime last night, haha. He's doing so currently as well!
I did think about holding off Molette, but I think I may rely on the routine more than them, haha. But they've had playtime pretty much every day since Ollie started to get really sick back in October. So getting back with their schedule might be helpful.
The new flooring/layout didn't seem to throw them off to much, especially since all their toys and my pants were the same.
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Post by bouncy on Jul 14, 2022 1:03:36 GMT
Ooooh! Maybe there's something about the new place that agrees with Tom!
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 14, 2022 13:59:29 GMT
Very glad to hear that getting back into the routine ASAP helped and that Tom is eating better already.
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Post by bouncy on Jul 14, 2022 16:24:56 GMT
Perhaps Tom was being bullied or intimidated by the mice?
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Post by deguconvert on Jul 14, 2022 19:27:41 GMT
This is such good news! I'm glad they are more settled after having play time and PJ time! You can NEVER get rid of those PJ!!
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Post by hpdegus on Jul 19, 2022 23:19:22 GMT
Hah, those mean mice would do something of the sort! But unfortunately I don't think Tom is going to put on a ton of weight in the new place. He's eating happily, but nothing more than he did previously. Oh well, as long as he's happy and active Oh yeah, I've already made sure I know the exact PJ brand and where to order them! Speaking of which, I should probably do so soon, what of they get discontinued??
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Post by hpdegus on Jul 19, 2022 23:20:02 GMT
Just got an email from the vet saying happy birthday to the pups! Happy fourth birthday Pickett and Newt
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Post by deguconvert on Jul 20, 2022 0:07:51 GMT
Happy fourth birthday, Picket and Newt! It is a lovely day to celebrate together!
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 20, 2022 17:33:48 GMT
Gotta get some backup PJs! Happy Birthday Newt & Pickett!
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Post by hpdegus on Jul 24, 2022 23:19:11 GMT
Has anyone's degus gained weight during the heatwave? Its 97F (36C) here and Pickett has gained ~15g since it started getting hot.
I've got the AC on so the room they're in stays around 70F (21F) at least per the thermostat.
I've definitely noticed all the goos being slightly less active, so I don't think (hope not) it's just Pickett and his heart. Fingers crossed. Temp is supposed to drop significantly (10F) by tomorrow and stay there or lower for the rest of the week.
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Post by deguconvert on Jul 25, 2022 1:42:49 GMT
No . . . I've not had that happen . . . but I wasn't good at keeping a close eye on the weight of my degus when I had them. I didn't seem to have any degus that had trouble with much.
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 25, 2022 16:28:38 GMT
It's not usual to gain weight in hot weather, but if his appetite has stayed the same but he has been less active then it could be possible. Normally in hot weather they eat less and are less active with a net zero effect on weight, or some weight loss over the season and then gain over the winter. Mine always had this seasonal variation, but it never gets hot downstairs in our house.
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Post by bouncy on Jul 26, 2022 1:23:42 GMT
Ditto. Hot weather suppresses appetite, although it often doesn't result in weight loss because of lower activity and higher fluid intake.
That said, you're running the a/c. As well as cooling the air temperature, it also extracts the moisture from the air. The overall effect is that it can feel cooler than the same regular room temperature because there's no humidity. Will be interesting to see if Pickett has been taking extra water on board because he feels drier?
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Post by hpdegus on Jul 26, 2022 1:30:05 GMT
That might be it, Bouncy. The water bottle has been emptying much quicker (at least I think so). I guess we'll see what happens when it cools down some more!
Just hoping this isn't the heart disease rearing its head. He was a bit sluggish at the end of playtime, but my friend/landlord stopped by (heard scratching from the ceiling, most likely the wind/ductwork) and startled him.
He has had a bit of a stressful time recently, what with moving and the heat/AC. Poor Pickett is also on eyedrops (Dexamethasone), which he hates.
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Post by hpdegus on Aug 1, 2022 23:44:08 GMT
The last few days I've noticed that Pickett is maybe running around differently during playtime? Its sort of hard to describe, but instead of running normally, with his abdomen fully off the ground and legs more extended, he's been lower to the ground.
It doesn't seem to slow him down, but I have no idea what this is. He hasn't been running on the wheel as much from what I can tell.
Other than that, he looks pretty healthy. He's at the top of his weight range (~260g, same as his brother) and his fur is shiny and smooth.
His course of steroid eye drops finished last night, so if they're causing any of this, it should hopefully become apparent soon.
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Post by bouncy on Aug 2, 2022 0:30:50 GMT
Spud went through a phase of doing that, and Snoozy was doing it tonight. I call it their sneaky stealth mode lol
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Post by hpdegus on Aug 2, 2022 23:21:07 GMT
Awww, that sounds adorable Bouncy!!
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Post by hpdegus on Aug 2, 2022 23:21:13 GMT
I'm a little concerned about Picketts seemingly rapid weight gain. I don't know if this is fluid retention or not. It's been pretty humid too.
Pickett weights:
8/2 269 8/1 262 7/30 259 7/27 254 7/21 246
He was in the 230s from 7/1 through about 7/18.
His brother Newt has been around 250g, but his weight has tracked with Picketts from there into the low 260s. I wasn't as worried since Newt was in a similarish range, but now I'm concerned that this is water retention.
His undercarriage (basically close to/under his tail) was a bit messy just now. No fecal matter, more like the fur had gotten wet and he didn't/couldn't clean it properly? Sorry for writing this, but I just realized maybe his brother humped him? Not sure.
Any thoughts? Should I call the vet?
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Post by moletteuk on Aug 3, 2022 10:46:29 GMT
I think it probably is worth thinking about getting him checked over if the weird walking can't be totally explained by stealth mode and since the weight gain is uncharacteristic and over a short period. Maybe check his undercarraige again later. Can you feel any fluid in his legs (presuming it might pool a little at the ankles like in humans)?
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