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Post by rowanphilip on Apr 29, 2011 7:05:46 GMT
One of our degus, Stripe, has been gaining weight recently and has seem to have given up on using his wheel (although he has no problem with running for food and doesn't appear terribly inactive). The 'Pets at home' degu food that I give him suggests 15 to 25 grams of food per day, per degu. I feed him about 15 grams a day (1 and a half handfuls). Should I change the amount that I feed him? What time of day should I feed him? Is it an illness of some kind?
(The picture shows him)
Please help/give advice!
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Post by blossombrooks on Apr 29, 2011 22:18:33 GMT
Hi,
aw bless stripe! Have you weighed him? Do you only feed him nuggets or does he get treats as well? I'm honestly not sure about the weight gain with regards to illness but hopefully with a bit more info on his diet someone else might be able to help with that. Also are his *ahem poops looking normal? :-)
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 29, 2011 23:11:17 GMT
Are you sure HE is not a SHE? Because HE strongly resembles the photos I've seen of pregnant mum to be, who's time of birth is very quickly approaching.
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Post by rowanphilip on Apr 30, 2011 11:46:51 GMT
I was told it was a he and he doesn't get along with most degus. However, I do occasionally put one of our male degus in to his cage (the only other degu that he gets along with). So this isn't an impossibility. He has also started making strange noises, especially when I'm holding him. Almost like whining/ whimpering.
In response to blossombrooks, I do feed some other degu food with seeds in it to him occasionally but very rarely. His diet is pretty much just degu nuggets.
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Post by rowanphilip on Apr 30, 2011 18:39:51 GMT
Here is a picture showing Stripe's reproductive parts.
(sorry for the poor quality)
Is it a he or she?
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 30, 2011 19:12:34 GMT
Althought the picture isn't the greatest, it's good enough to tell the story! Your degu is definitely female, and I would guess that also means you are going to be seeing pups sometime in the next few weeks, if not sooner. I would recommend that you be very, very careful when holding her. She must be FULL of pups, and it is possible to cause a rupture of the uterus at this stage. It might be easier even to just let her walk onto your hand, or into a tunnel tube, and let her transport herself for the most part. If you very gently draw your fingers along her lower sides, you might be able to feel the pups. If she is getting close to her due date, you may even feel her nipples beginning to protrude. You may want to give her more tissue so that she can be building up her nest, as she will be wanting to prepare.
Congratulations! (I hope you will enjoy the pups)
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Post by rowanphilip on Apr 30, 2011 19:30:54 GMT
How much should I feed her then? How do I prepare for what will happen? Degutopia suggests that I may need to hand feed the pups once every 2 hours for 2 weeks. I don't have the time for such things. How do I cope with it all?!  |
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Post by Cherpi on Apr 30, 2011 19:50:13 GMT
That is only if the mum rejects the bab(y/ies) then you will. But I'm sure it will be fine. Good luck and congratulations!
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Post by deguconvert on Apr 30, 2011 21:58:00 GMT
If you can cut strips of cardboard and attach them to the outside of your cage, everywhere where there are levels and standing surfaces, you will be protecting the little ones, when they come, from crawling through the cage wires and escaping on you. If you have any long potential drops from any ledges, try to put some hammocks or even tea towels across those spaces so that they will not fall any distance should they jump from a ledge. Add lots of tissue to the cage now, like a roll of loo paper, so the mum can fluff things up. What you are feeding her now is probably just fine, and will continue to be, although you can bump up her treats a little so that she is getting enough fat. IE sunflower seeds and porridge oats which will give her some fat and good calories. Dried herbs like parsley, basil, and dill are also great!
Most degus are superb mum's, so I really don't expect that you will have any difficulty with the pups. You are also able to handle the pups fairly early in their lives, so when they are say 2-3 days old, don't be shy of picking them up and starting to hold them. It will be great for them, as they will be much easier to hand train, and Mum won't object at all either. If they start to cry when you are holding them, you just need to put them back in with their Mum.
Does that help you a bit? I sure hope it does!
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Post by rowanphilip on May 2, 2011 6:43:13 GMT
Thanks for the help.
The only degu that gets along with Stripe is definitely male (I have seen certain signs) and the other degu (Pedro) is probably male and hates stripe. Pedro has lived with amigo for a very long time with no youngsters produced.
How likely is it that Stripe is actually pregnant and not just putting on a bit of weight? (I have included another pic of her)
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Post by rowanphilip on May 2, 2011 13:45:30 GMT
No, Stripe has pretty much lived by herself as long as I have had her. I do put Amigo (a male degu) in her cage once or twice a fortnight though.
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Post by rowanphilip on May 2, 2011 14:28:24 GMT
No, I haven't supervised them all the time that they've been together. I have been out during the day and left them together before.
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Post by rowanphilip on May 3, 2011 6:57:22 GMT
What else could be causing the rapid obesity if it's not pregnancy?
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Post by deguconvert on May 3, 2011 14:25:12 GMT
It won't be diabetes . . . if there is anything that is connected to rapid and aggressive onset of diabetes, it is a dramatic and sudden loss of weight. I really think she must be pregnant. Poor girl, she looks full to her eyeballs! She must be getting close. Just keep an eye on her.
A question . . . do you cover your mesh flooring with anything to help prevent bumblefoot?
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Post by rowanphilip on May 3, 2011 16:44:15 GMT
The bottom of the cage is of course covered with wood shavings, hay and other soft materials but there is nothing on upper levels as I know it will be chewed up.
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Post by deguconvert on May 3, 2011 22:49:22 GMT
Could you afford to buy some cheap, clearance ceramic tile? They won't chew it, it will help keep them cool in summer, and it is easy to clean of their wee and poo. It will protect their feet very nicely.
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Post by rowanphilip on May 4, 2011 6:36:13 GMT
Ok, thanks.
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Post by sazjc123 on May 5, 2011 12:14:11 GMT
Looking at the pics, your goo is pregnant, the weight gain is rapid, one week she may feel normal and then a week later be as heavy as two degus. They only start to show in last few weeks, funnily enough I only realised my second girl was pregnant less than a week before she had her babies.
Drinking lots of water is a sign of pregnancy, you will also notice that your goo slows down, not as fast at jumping around cage. Weight gain to face and looks like a pear when your looking face on at it.
You could also let it climb on your hand and you may feel babies moving. My confirmation of Benny Boy being a girl and pregnant was when she lay on the floor her belly was dancing.
Your goo should be ready to have babies any time if it is pregnant, so as someone else mentioned, put some toilet tissue/kitchen roll in cage and watch for goo nesting.
Good luck and keep us updated
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Post by rowanphilip on May 19, 2011 6:35:07 GMT
No baby goos as of yet.
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Post by sazjc123 on May 19, 2011 7:47:59 GMT
Looks like you may just have a fat goo :-) If she was preg she would have had them by now considering you noticed the weight gain a few weeks ago.
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