Degu not eating and berrying food

[carl040494]

Hi guys we did have 2 Degus but unforcunatly we had to have one put to sleep a week befor Christmas Rupert managed really well for the first to week but now he is off his nuggets won’t even attempted to even go near them we have tried everything he will eat his oats and few other things but really not much he is dropping weight fast we have so far tried
All new Itams in the cage
Different nuggets and pellets
Tried getting him to eat out of our hand
Put a mirror in there to make him get defensive over food
Even put on of our gin in pigis at the other end of the room in there cage to see if he would do anything
Brought some caking spray
And some critical care still no joy with that
Moving the cage around
Put him in the room with us
My partner has also tried stuff but still no joy was hopeing some one might be able to advise what to do , we taken him to the vets and they are happy he looks and sounds healthy and also his teeth are good just really at a lose end now of what to try will it be cause he is missing his friend but he is his nornwall self just off his food just a very busy boy as nornwall
He will also get some food and just Berry it and won’t even touch it any help or advise would be great 👍

[bouncy]

If you can rule out any other health concerns, I'd say Rupert is missing his brother!

Degus are very much like humans. They will mourn, pine, and become very much depressed. Did he see his brother after he was PTS? It can help the grieving process to say goodbye. If he doesn't realise his brother is gone, he could be looking for him, or see you hoomans as the big greedy hand that took his bud away. Also, you mentioned that everything in the cage is new? Totally removing his and/or his brother's scent can also freak him out. Have you got anything that you can put back in?

Keep trying with the food. At this stage, anything goes, even nuts! I often mix ground nuts into critical care, but ground nuts, vegetable baby food, and any other favourites are worth a try.

Also perhaps put a goo-sized toy in there that he can snuggle with. There are some dog toys which might fit the bill. Keep giving him lots of attention.

You'll also have to start thinking long-term. Degus are social animals, and can't really live alone happily. Have you considered your options?

[deguconvert]

Hi Carl! Welcome to the forum!

How comfortable is he coming to you, getting into your hand, or having contact with humans? I'm wondering if he would nestle inside your shirt happily? He sounds very lonely and like he is grieving. Grief in degus that shared a very deep bond with the one that has passed can be deadly. Some will just give up all will to live. I had two that did that when the dominant one died, and even knowing that he had died did not stop their grief. I had to bring in two new ones to introduce to them, and that helped a lot. Of course they turned out to be females, which made for a whole different set of circumstances, but the new friends made a big difference to them.

The other thing to consider is health issues. When he is eating, do you see food falling out of the sides of his mouth at all. Or does he eat very slowly? Is there any wetness on his cheeks, chin, or neck? I'm just wondering if there are signs of dental trouble.

[kikgoos]

Hi,

Sorry if I missed it but did you say why one of your degus sadly had to be put to sleep? If your remaining goo has been cleared of any health concerns and you feel it is grief related, I was in a similar situation not long ago.

A snuggle safe and soft fleece rolled i to a couple of socks that I tied in a knot at the end helped mine relax a bit. Also pet remedy spray I used on it just to calm any anxiety from being alone.

Xx

[moletteuk]

Did the vet do a full dental check, using a scope (magnifier-light tool) to look at the back teeth?