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Post by emagask on Jan 6, 2012 19:40:05 GMT
Hey guys and gals, I'm freaking out about my Degu's. We have mummy, daddy and 3 girls - His babies - male has been neutered but all of a sudden.. out of nowhere he's never done this before.. He's started to bother one of the babies.. and he's attempting ... well you know! He's running around after her.. then giving her a good "ruffling" before rolling up to lick his own tidgey I'm really freaking out! He has never done this before.. He's neutered.. The previous owner told me he was neutered and I do know her and have for years so she would have no reason to lie about it, I've just E-mailed her for reassurance on this but I am growing concerned... I feel like it's my fault I don't know whether to remove him tonight?! I can get a hamsters cage to house just him for the time being.. can even fit the cage - in the cage itself so he still smells like "the pack" and they can chatter to one another and see each other Thanks in advance
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Post by degualot on Jan 6, 2012 19:53:14 GMT
If he is indeed neautered don't worry about it, sounds like normal behaviour, it might look rough to you but i'm sure it's all natural. Just leave them be. He's most likely just aserting his male dominance , he's letting them know who the daddy is. Degus do this all the time and if he's neutered there is no risk of pregnancy so just let him get on with it.
Don't remove him, he's not really doing anything wrong. ;D I'm sure they'll all get along fine.
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Post by emagask on Jan 6, 2012 20:03:25 GMT
I suppose I'm just having a panic because I've never seen him do it.. ever! Just makes you question everything.. and feel very guilty! Thanks for the reassurance - I'm not mega experienced with Degu's dominance behaviour so the reassurance is well.. reassuring Why do you think he will have just started up all of a sudden?! Bizzare little bundles of brown fluff
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Post by degus123 on Jan 6, 2012 20:09:26 GMT
As Degualot says it is totally natural, brothers do it to each other, as do fathers and sons. This time of year (during the breeding season) will see an increase in such behaviour. Be advised it can also sometimes result in lets say "a happy ending" which could explain why he then licks his bits This can then also be followed at times by the alarm/barking sound. So not only bizzare little bundles, but randy little ones who sometimes like to broadcast vocally what they have done
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Post by degualot on Jan 6, 2012 20:25:29 GMT
so true Degus123, it's hilarious. emagask, sometimes Degus just all of a sudden do things that they never have done before. It happens all the time. Degus can also change in behaviour as they grow older. It's just like people I suppose. When I first got my Degus I didn't notice them mounting each other until 4 months in from first getting them. Then they pretty much did it everyday afterwards. To them it's all just part of the normal way of life. Like Degus123 said, sometimes it's even fathers and sons. So you got to change your thinking from what's acceptable to humans and what is acceptable to Degus. ;D ;D ... Just laugh at it, it can be quite funny once you know it's harmless. Also don't be alarmed if you See your male Degu give himself , how do I word this, a good cleaning of his pole. Oneday I was sitting down, and I said to my wife chloe, Honey what is that stick Taco has in his hand, seriously I could see it from the other end of the room. Put it this way, it was no tree branch he had there. you could spear someone with it.
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Post by emagask on Jan 6, 2012 20:37:27 GMT
degualot - thats hilarious! I suppose I just needed reassurance on the matter. I took the Degu's in because they were about to be sold off to someone who I knew ( who quite frankly got rid of any animal she ever had after two weeks ) I had read up about degu's previously as I was interested in one day owning a pair.. and then I saw the poor guys and couldn't resist, I've had them for easily a year now and they are great pets.. just very bizzare! It's clear to see Degu's even though they squabble, they are all made to be in their little group Will definitely laugh next time ;D Thanks for putting my mind at ease everyone.
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abirose
Burrowing Degu
Forum Helper
Posts: 276
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Post by abirose on Jan 6, 2012 21:29:01 GMT
I have just realised how childish I am, I lolled at the word tidgey!!
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Post by emagask on Jan 6, 2012 21:43:20 GMT
Oh god.... now I am freaking out.. This is the &%£$*^% reply I got from the girl who I got them from "I dont kno if he was nuutered hun, i kno mum was but wasnt sure bout him...and ewww naaaasty!!! I should of asked really. Sorry xx Oh and yeah they are his babies xx"
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Post by degus123 on Jan 6, 2012 21:58:04 GMT
How old are the babies?
If over 6 weeks old, then dad should be separated until you know if he is neutered or not. If left in with his daughters he could make them pregnant once they are about 6-8 weeks old.
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Post by degualot on Jan 6, 2012 23:07:07 GMT
yes in that case, I would remove him until you are certain. You need to find out.
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Post by emagask on Jan 7, 2012 10:24:56 GMT
The bubs are all easily over a year old, he's just started up.. My mum made the point of "if he wasn't neutred you would of had a pregnancy by now" as well as "the vets would have neutred the male if he was put in with 4 females why would they just spay one girl?" I messaged the girl back like.. WHAT!? you told me it was him.. never got a reply SO Angry! I don't know what I'd do if she was actually pregnant, the babies could have all sorts wrong with them
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Post by fred on Jan 7, 2012 10:58:10 GMT
You can really rest assured! If he weren't neutered, there would have been litters several times over. And it has to be dad as female degus are not being spayed. I think he deserves a recommendation for having been soo discreet all the time ;D
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Post by degus123 on Jan 7, 2012 12:09:48 GMT
I think given their age of over 12 months and the fact that dad would of been with them most, if not all that time, that he must be neutered. As Fred says, you would have had many liters by now if he was not.
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Post by emagask on Jan 7, 2012 13:12:41 GMT
I know I thought that myself as most rodents like rats and mice etc will reproduce often so I thought that myself, I'm just going to take them to the vets and ask if they can check both parents just to be certain. I was so angry because so many people don't care about the welfare of the animals they buy then when they get rid of them they don't make any effort to inform you correctly! It does make sense though - that he would be neutred as there have been no litters over the space of the year I've had them. Just having a panic!
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Post by malteser60 on Jan 7, 2012 21:51:58 GMT
I'm sure you would have had a litter by now. Also as fred said it's only the males that get neutered - far less complications, higher success rate, etc.
However, that is not what you would have wanted to hear from your friend.
Hmmm, there are others here on the forum that can explain this in more detail but there's two ways of neutering - removing the parts or tying the tubes. The later means that the degu is still sexually active with no resulting pregnancies. This has been reported to make a group more stable.
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Post by degualot on Jan 7, 2012 22:47:17 GMT
actually that's a good point, hmmmm, I should of paid more attention to the facts.
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Post by emagask on Jan 10, 2012 22:44:48 GMT
All 5 are off to the vets tomorrow now. Just to be sure and I can get them all checked over health wise too! Will let you know if everything goes well Thanks for the help guys its been much appreciated:)
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Post by emagask on Jan 11, 2012 22:35:28 GMT
Ok guys looks like we have daddy, mummy two boys and one girl! Although I didn't value the vets opinion too much as he didn't really seem to know himself, anyone got any reputable images of boy and girl parts so I can check myself before they go in their new cage which I dragged my dad into making for me Would rather look myself. Begs the question though, if the vets were right.. why havent they reproduced?! Any answers people feel they can share will be much appriciated! x
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Post by degus123 on Jan 12, 2012 0:03:47 GMT
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Post by emagask on Jan 12, 2012 10:29:50 GMT
Yeah I've just looked now, the babies are easily adults now as they are a year old, they just get called "the babies" as I can't tell them apart Even though they are adults it's hard to see because you can see plain as day that big daddy is a boy as he has a massive gap and that mummy is a girl, but the babies all seem to kind of look .. in the middle ?! I personally think they are all girls.. I may take them to be sexed elsewhere for a second opinion, that or fork out £132 for two degu's to get the snip which should have been sorted long before I had them > I may even post pictures of each baby to see if a forum member could definitely say which is which. Although I'm not sure how to post pictures at the mo as I'm quite new.. I'll find my way around eventually x
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