Post by jolie on Jul 11, 2007 18:36:09 GMT
My boys had a huge, smack-down, drag-out, gloves-off fight about a week and a half ago. Normally, they've scrapped a bit just to determine dominance or over food, but this was like nothing I've ever seen.
They were fine when I first checked on them in the morning, but when I came back to feed them about 10 minutes later, Charlie (dominant) was all freaked out, his fur was puffed out and he was making a wierd whistling noise. Chewy was also puffed up and was doing tooth chattering, but he was backed into a corner on the top level of their three-tier cage. Both were very agitated. I separated them, putting Charlie into their holding tank. I fed both. I gave them each a dust bath with old dust so they would smell the same. I didn't want them to be kept separate for any length of time, so I re-introduced Charlie into the main cage a bit later and World War Three broke out.
They became this writhing ball of fur, growling and squealing! Fur was flying. I shouted and clapped my hands to distract them. When they separated, Charlie was bleeding from a few bite wounds. (Which surprised me, because he is the bigger and dominant one.) Chewy was physically unscathed.
I put Charlie back into the holding tank and removed it from the room. I made sure he had food and water and I half-covered the tank up and left him to recuperate.
A few days later, I moved him back into the living room in a separate (but identical) cage and placed him about six feet from Chewy's cage.
A few more days and I moved them directly next to each other.
That's when I noticed that Charlie has chewed the fur off of one of his paws. I find this very worrysome. I don't know if this is because he was isolated (He is much less social with me than Chewy, and he won't climb into my hands for petting or affection.)
Also my schedule at home has been thrown off because I am housesitting for a friend, so that might be a factor, too. He was also in pain from his bite wounds. I've not noticed anymore fur-chewing since.
Anyway, with their cages 'next-door', they've been eager to get to each other, making 'happy' peep sounds and following each other along the cage bars. They've sniffed noses and tried licking each other through bars.
I'm terrified to put them back together because I can just imagine one of them losing an eye or something. I'm leaving them with my parents for a week soon, because I'm going out of town for a course. So I don't want to deal with another fight... that may mean more stress, more bites and a run on antibiotics.
I've talked to the vet about neutering, and he said that he could perform that surgery, but he thought (and I agree) that we shouldn't rush into surgery. Perhaps in the fall. And, of course, neutering is not always a 100% cure for fighting...
So, does anyone have advice for me? I've read that some folks just allow their degus a short time together well supervised for a quick grooming/social session... How is that working?
They were fine when I first checked on them in the morning, but when I came back to feed them about 10 minutes later, Charlie (dominant) was all freaked out, his fur was puffed out and he was making a wierd whistling noise. Chewy was also puffed up and was doing tooth chattering, but he was backed into a corner on the top level of their three-tier cage. Both were very agitated. I separated them, putting Charlie into their holding tank. I fed both. I gave them each a dust bath with old dust so they would smell the same. I didn't want them to be kept separate for any length of time, so I re-introduced Charlie into the main cage a bit later and World War Three broke out.
They became this writhing ball of fur, growling and squealing! Fur was flying. I shouted and clapped my hands to distract them. When they separated, Charlie was bleeding from a few bite wounds. (Which surprised me, because he is the bigger and dominant one.) Chewy was physically unscathed.
I put Charlie back into the holding tank and removed it from the room. I made sure he had food and water and I half-covered the tank up and left him to recuperate.
A few days later, I moved him back into the living room in a separate (but identical) cage and placed him about six feet from Chewy's cage.
A few more days and I moved them directly next to each other.
That's when I noticed that Charlie has chewed the fur off of one of his paws. I find this very worrysome. I don't know if this is because he was isolated (He is much less social with me than Chewy, and he won't climb into my hands for petting or affection.)
Also my schedule at home has been thrown off because I am housesitting for a friend, so that might be a factor, too. He was also in pain from his bite wounds. I've not noticed anymore fur-chewing since.
Anyway, with their cages 'next-door', they've been eager to get to each other, making 'happy' peep sounds and following each other along the cage bars. They've sniffed noses and tried licking each other through bars.
I'm terrified to put them back together because I can just imagine one of them losing an eye or something. I'm leaving them with my parents for a week soon, because I'm going out of town for a course. So I don't want to deal with another fight... that may mean more stress, more bites and a run on antibiotics.
I've talked to the vet about neutering, and he said that he could perform that surgery, but he thought (and I agree) that we shouldn't rush into surgery. Perhaps in the fall. And, of course, neutering is not always a 100% cure for fighting...
So, does anyone have advice for me? I've read that some folks just allow their degus a short time together well supervised for a quick grooming/social session... How is that working?
and they were such angry till I took away the cages. so your degu are seperated for two months now?
(and it cost me $360 Cdn... ouch)