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Post by adalae on Apr 20, 2021 19:16:04 GMT
I rescued three degus who were posted for free near me about a month ago. Two are females and one is a male. They are about a year and a half old. Since it’s a male/female mixed group, it’s definitely possible the females are pregnant. I have one female who’s very large around the belly, and she’s been like this since I got her about a month or so ago. Today I noticed some blood in their hammock. I also saw her trying to mount the male today. She’s still as big as she’s been this whole time though. Did she have a miscarriage and the baby/s are still inside? Or does this mean maybe she’s close to giving birth? Does she look pregnant based on the pictures in the link bellow? docs.google.com/document/d/1-QO3fu6oUYv_9vhYAZZSJNxETrtrMCSQXbpRXzIoI6w/edit |
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Post by bouncy on Apr 20, 2021 20:20:17 GMT
I'm afraid I can't see the pic, but please remove the male asap! As soon as a female has given birth, she's immediately fertile again!
The boy has a couple of options - neuter him, or see if you have any male pups that can live with him when weaned. Can anyone else see the photo?
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Post by teemu on Apr 20, 2021 20:21:00 GMT
Hello and welcome.
I can't actually see any pictures in that link, it's just an empty text file, but male and female degus should never be kept in a mixed unneutered group because they WILL make more degus. I'd say it's pretty much certain at least one of the females is pregnant, and possibly both - especially if one of them is all swollen up. Degus have long pregnancies, so it's entirely possible she has been the same for a month while pregnant.
The blood sounds a bit worrying, and I don't really know what that would cause, but if you suspect that there's something wrong with her, you should seriously consider taking her to a vet. Hopefully someone else here can say more about degu pregnancies and whether or not that sounds normal...
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Post by adalae on Apr 20, 2021 21:15:29 GMT
Hello and welcome. I can't actually see any pictures in that link, it's just an empty text file, but male and female degus should never be kept in a mixed unneutered group because they WILL make more degus. I'd say it's pretty much certain at least one of the females is pregnant, and possibly both - especially if one of them is all swollen up. Degus have long pregnancies, so it's entirely possible she has been the same for a month while pregnant. The blood sounds a bit worrying, and I don't really know what that would cause, but if you suspect that there's something wrong with her, you should seriously consider taking her to a vet. Hopefully someone else here can say more about degu pregnancies and whether or not that sounds normal... Does the link for pictures work now? Here’s the new one docs.google.com/document/d/1-QO3fu6oUYv_9vhYAZZSJNxETrtrMCSQXbpRXzIoI6w/edit |
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Post by adalae on Apr 20, 2021 21:16:19 GMT
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Post by teemu on Apr 20, 2021 21:24:30 GMT
The pictures work now, yes. And yes, from my limited experience, she does look quite pregnant. That's not just being fat or such, there is obviously something inside her, and in all likelihood that something is a whole group of little degus. Hard to say how pregnant exactly she is (someone else can likely say more about this), but pregnant is my guess, with something like a 95% probability.
As for the blood, are you sure it came from her? Does she have blood on herself? I found an earlier topic about a miscarriage, and it seems like blood might be related to that. So be prepared for the possibility that she's having issues. Although if it's very new, it might be that she's actually entering labor. Monitor her closely, and if it looks like she's having any issues, be ready to take her to a vet. And in any case you should start making quick plans for needing to provide her with a calm nesting environment, in case she gives birth. As well as plans for how do you want to handle the male (either neutering or separating from the females)
(As a sidenote, I would recommend putting some bedding over their floor, since bare bars do not feel nice under their feet. Even just putting hay around the floor will make it much nicer for them to walk around the cage. That type of wheel is also not good for degus or any animals really, but I know that it's hard to find alternatives that would work with degus...)
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 21, 2021 6:06:16 GMT
Yes, I would say she is pregnant, and that you might see pups at any time in the next three weeks, depending on how many pups she is carrying. Your bottom level needs to have the bars covered or replaced with a solid surface, preferably not plastic. She will be wanting materials to be nesting with, so substrate that is soft is a good thing . . . do you mind telling us where you live so that we can give you some suggestions for substrates? I just really need to ask you what the size of your cage is? If your female, and very possibly females, are pregnant, than you are desperately going to be needing a bigger cage with more room. Even just for the three of them, that cage looks really small. We have a cage size recommendation that we follow on the forum here . . . and we try to do our best to help our members house their degus in a manner they can fit and afford . . . but we do stress the importance of the surface area requirements. Here is an link deguworld.proboards.com/thread/9396/forums-cage-size-recommendationsBe very careful about lifting or holding the one you can tell is pregnant. They get very large, and it is very easy for the uterus to split if they fall or are handled too much. If you need to get her . . . do you have a tube . . . like what carpets are wrapped around, or large posters are stored inside of . . . that you could entice her into, and then can cover both ends so she can't run out. |
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 21, 2021 10:05:20 GMT
The nipples usually becoming larger and more noticeable in a pregnant degu, so you could check that.
Degus can get into difficulties giving birth with babies getting stuck and so on, so if she seems at all distressed then take her to a vet.
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Post by bouncy on Apr 21, 2021 10:13:30 GMT
Ditto DC.
The link works now, and that's one pregnant degu!
As well as pup-proofing the cage, also make sure you remove the wheel (imagine pups flying off in random directions when an adult is running), dust bath, and any other objects where they could be trapped/get into trouble. If you use a water bowl instead of bottle, also take that out so they don't drown. Pups are born with eyes open, fully furred up and ready to run (and boy, do they!). Unfortunately, they have no fear, and no sense. Any that stray too far from mum in the first couple of weeks may also need to be returned to mum before they get too cold!
As DC mentioned, if you want to keep the pups, you're going to need one biiiiiiiiiig cage for two mums, two litters (assuming all female), and a neutered male, or two cages to keep your man 'intact' with his future male pups, and one for females.
You'll find that all the adults will help with child rearing, and even the males are very active parents! Just make sure you take the boys away from mums and the girls by seven weeks, or you'll be starting the cycle all over again! As soon as they're fully weaned, dad can take over parenting.
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