Something's wrong - degus finger

[andrwa]

I noticed something different with one of my 2 degu squirrels.

Long story short: I received a squirrel as a gift in July. I notice that it slowly got fatter and gave birth to 6 babies in August. I kept one baby for company for mother.
All good so far. For the last few days I have noticed that the mother is behaving slightly differently than usual. She cries at night and I wake up to keep her company+she started to eat 1 of her toes until she turned a little red and seems to not have so much hair on her. I thought it would be from feeding but it's diversified and regular, but no.

Can you help me with any tips or situations encountered?

[moletteuk]

Hi Andrwa, do you mean the toe has gone red and lost fur? I would think there is a problem with the toe if she is just chewing the toe and nowhere else. Is she only chewing the toe? Could you check it very carefully to see if there is a tiny thread wrapped around it, or maybe a splinter in it? Is the toe in the correct position, not dislocated?

Could you say again what you mean about feeding? Is she eating normally?

Did you check the baby is the same sex as the mother? Could she be pregnant again?

Do you have a vet available?

[andrwa]

I checked again. Only one finger is red with no fur on it. Sometimes it gnaws at that finger with its teeth. I noticed that when she holds that hand it looks like it hurts, twitches and squeaks.

I was careful to keep a female child so she wouldn't get pregnant again. Therefore she is not pregnant.
I don't have a vet for degu squirrels in Romania unfortunately .
Apparently these animals in our country are labeled as rare and exotic animals.

About the food: They have 2 different bowls in which I put 2 types of food (special for their species) + seeds from time to time, dry bread and even fresh vegetables.
Once every 2 days I add 2 bowls with fine clean sand for bathing.


This is their cage: maxi-pet.ro/products/fop-cusca-pentru-rozatoare-mary-charme-66x45x121cm

[moletteuk]

I would look carefully at the toe with some kind of magnification like a hand lens or magnifying glass to see if you can see what is wrong. I searched our forum for a Romanian vet for you as we have had other members in your country, but unfortunatley I didn't find anything.

Are you able to buy or find forage (dried safe plants) and hay for them to eat, it's very important for a healthy diet. I would not recommend bread.
Your cage would work much better for them if you were able to modify it so it would lie on it's side so they have a lot more running area.

I'll link our beginner's guide for you:
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19754/beginners-guide-degu-keeping

[bouncy]

I agree the toe is likely injured, and she is trying to rid herself of it. Alternatively, she may be stressed about something. Just keep an eye on the toe. If the paw starts to look swollen and feel hot, it would be a sign of infection. They can manage just fine missing a few toes

It is important that you try to find a vet. I know it's difficult. Degus are also exotic in the UK, and I have to travel 30km to reach mine. It means I have access to pain relief and antibiotics for minor ailments, and can email with questions.

As Molette says, floor space is important. Degus are ground animals (they nest underground), and have large ground territory. Although they may climb a bit, they're quite bad at it.

[andrwa]

Thanks guys!
The toe seems to be fine now. The redness is gone, she doesn't scratch anymore and she's more peaceful.

What have I done differently?
I gave her more attention, offered her snacks and left her free outside the cage. She still gets along with the other squirrel, and she no longer squeaks at night like she's scared of something.
In the cage, downstairs, she has a place with ''paper bedding'', another corner with dry grass (safe dry plants) and another with pellets.

I'll check with the vet again in case of something more serious.

[bouncy]

It may be that you have done nothing! Degus suffer moods like humans, or she may have caught it on something. What matters is that all is well now

[andrwa]

Yeah
I'VE GOOD NEWS. I've found a vet in Bucharest, Romania. I scheduled a consult for my degus this week.

For anyone in the country who is looking, it's called ,,The vets,, and is located at maps.app.goo.gl/ds2zHRbM7tgJsSNT8.
The doctor treats everything from hamsters to degu squirrels. Please share further if needed.