rugoo
Warbling Degu
Posts: 31
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Post by rugoo on Jan 15, 2023 3:22:23 GMT
I currently have two rescue degus. one is very young and the other is probably about 5? he has arthritis and since i’ve had him he’s been doing really good. however, a couple days ago he stopped finishing all of his food. usually i feed them at 2:30 and it’s all gone by the morning. but lately, he hasn’t been finishing all of it. he’s been eating oats for treats just fine and is chewing on his chews and drinking. i’ve also tried adding some variety but it hasn’t helped. i’m not concerned at all about the younger one eating his food/not letting him eat it because they both have their own bowl and honestly don’t want anything to do with each other. he also hasn’t been making his nest in his hut like he usually does. though he’s in between moving to a new hut i got him so idk if that’s something i’m even worried about. the younger one is eating is eating normally and is acting normal. is this something i should be worried about or am i just a worried goo mom?!
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rugoo
Warbling Degu
Posts: 31
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Post by rugoo on Jan 15, 2023 3:24:51 GMT
i also want to clarify that the senior degu is a retired animal educator/school pet. he was very well cared for before hand, although he came to me with a goopy eye and a super dry tail/ears. his eye has since cleared up and his personality has very much shown since i got him 4 months ago
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Post by savvy on Jan 15, 2023 11:49:45 GMT
Welcome to the forum, apologies for not responding sooner - battery needed charging. Its wonderful that you've taken them on.
The easiest way to keep track of their health, is to weigh them regularly. That way any sudden changes can be picked up as weight loss is a good first indicator that something isn't right.
You say he has arthritis, is he on any pain killing medication? Metacam (also known as loxicom or meloxidyl) can be given long term and may make a huge difference to his quality of life. 5 years isn't that old for a degu; 7.5 is average but they can live much longer, sometimes even to 14.
Try making sure that food is always available to them, don't wait until its all gone before giving them more. Knowing food is freely available is a great benefit, especially if there's a youngster involved. They will move their beds around from time to time so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please ask and we will help as much as we can. There are no silly questions when it comes to degus.
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rugoo
Warbling Degu
Posts: 31
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Post by rugoo on Jan 15, 2023 15:14:58 GMT
sounds good! at the school he came from he never had any medications. i’m still in close contact with the teacher and he said that he’s not 100% sure he has arthritis or if he’s just slowing down. he originally owned him and his father but his father passed away. he does have records of his weight from before he came to us so i can access those and see if he’s changed much. thank you!!
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 15, 2023 19:57:28 GMT
I think you are right to take notice of any changes you see. I agree that checking his weight against previous figures will give you some more useful info about how concerned to be. The first thought for any degu with any changes in eating is to get a vet to check the molar teeth, so be prepared for that, dental issues are very common.
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Post by deguconvert on Jan 16, 2023 3:51:41 GMT
Hello, Rugoo, welcome to the forum!!
Moletteuk has said what I was thinking. Molars can over grow, and they can develop spurs, both of which can make eating very difficult. That is worth looking into.
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rugoo
Warbling Degu
Posts: 31
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Post by rugoo on Jan 17, 2023 21:21:57 GMT
i’m back to the forum again! i’ve ordered a scale and i’ve talked to my animal science teacher who owns degus. i told him my situation and he said he’s not concerned considering he eats most of his food and he lets me touch his face and such. i’m still worried about molar over growth though! can someone please give me some symptoms to look for? thank you!
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Post by deguconvert on Jan 18, 2023 5:52:49 GMT
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rugoo
Warbling Degu
Posts: 31
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Post by rugoo on Jan 20, 2023 19:34:17 GMT
i’m back (again, sorry i’m just always so worried about them) Scout (the older goo) has been eating all his food again! i weighed him and he’s the same weight as his younger brother kirby. however, both of them could put on a few more grams. we’re gonna be giving them greens once a week as well as sunflower seeds. we’ve been giving them sunflower seeds since my animal science teacher said it would be good for scouts skin. i’ll continue to weigh them once a week! i wanted to thank everyone for the support in this thread and we're ready at any point to bring scout to the vet if he loses 5%+ more weight the next weigh in. sending love to all of you and ur goos
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Post by moletteuk on Jan 21, 2023 14:04:37 GMT
Did you manage to find out Scout's previous weight? It would be very useful to be able to compare his weight now with 6 months ago. It's great to feed greens, but start slowly if they are fresh, and they should be in a variety, so not just human type veg like cabbage and spinach. Oil seeds (like sunflower seeds) can be a nutritious addition to the diet but again need to be in a variety and should contain some that have high calcium levels. Sunflower seeds are high in phosphorus and low in calcium and so can throw out the mineral levels in the diet. Linseeds (flax seeds) are also not the healthiest in mineral content, but are particularly good for skin and fur. Please take a look at our feeding guide for more info on forage and seeds deguworld.proboards.com/thread/16425/degu-feeding-guide
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rugoo
Warbling Degu
Posts: 31
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Post by rugoo on Jan 21, 2023 22:54:48 GMT
Scouts previous weight was about 190-200g when he came to me i was about 180g. My scale is definitely bugged however, i tested it with some stuff i knew the weight of and it was off. so i used Kirby as a reference for scout. scout was about 5g lighter than kirby so im gonna give him more feed. today however he was clicking his teeth more than usual followed up with a yawn. so i think it was just some passive grinding. other than that he’s been nesting, drinking and chewing. their both getting some greens on wednesday and weighed again next week. thank you so much for dealing with my frequent questions!! i’m just so worried all the time 😅
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Post by savvy on Jan 21, 2023 23:03:42 GMT
Do they have any wood to chew on? Its a natural way to keep their teeth down
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