Thinner than usual, bald spot, runt of group

[feathers]

I'm not really sure what's going on with my smallest degu, Pigwigeon. She lives with two other larger degus, one of which is the dominant one.

Recently I've noticed that she's become a lot thinner than usual. I can feel every bump in her spine when I run my hand down her back, unlike the other girls or my male. She's also got a big case of overgrooming, which I've been told is relatively normal. All of them used to have small patched of fur missing, but after moving into the new cage, the bigger girls grew it back while Pig didn't.



this is the best picture I have, you can see the huge amount of fur missing. I've been watching the skin and the patch doesn't seem to bother her, but I can't help but think it's because she's the smallest.

The girls always have a lot of food available and the dominant one doesn't do more than get first pick. There are fights sometimes of course but nothing more than loud grunting etc.

Why do you think she's so thin? Is she voluntarily not eating? What's the best course of action?

[deguconvert]

A sudden loss of weight can mean that she has become diabetic. If you can purchase some urine testing strips that test for sugar in the urine, then put her in your tub and lay the strip in any urine that she leaves behind while she is exploring, you should be able to get an idea. You can also take her to your vet and have them check her over. I would do this quickly though, because dramatic weight loss can be a serious indicator of something bad.

[feathers]

I have just been through my list of vets and finally found one that knows about degus. They want me to bring her in on Friday morning. Unfortunately just the visit will cost something like $60, and any tests he recommends will be extra. ):

but I suppose if it's for the sake of my goo then it needs to be addressed.

[niki003]

HEY HOW DID IT GO AT THE VETS?