Our new Degus - Ronnie & Reggie

[jakies13]

They are so cute!

Be careful tho because im sure they are prone to diabetes, but they look healthy enough

[Jacs]

Originally Posted by corny girl

I saw a Blue in my local Pets at Home a few months back. Thing is they only sell them in pairs which is all well & good for somebody just starting out but i wanted just the one. If it had been a Male & i had the money i would of bought just the one to & told them it's to go with our older Male who has lost all his Siblings & is on his own. Mind he's doing ok on his own, they say they often don't but he seems more than happy to be a loner.


Mel xxx

i personally wouldnt get a goo from a pets at home, altho it could just be mine, they just dont seem to have a clue, not so long ago they had put a honey chew in the cage with them , and untill i complained they had them running around in a totally wire cage i feel sorry for the poor goos... but i would just be asking for problems

[Jomel]

Originally Posted by corny girl

I had 4 of them but down to one now (bred them myself). I see that they have cataracts already, just watch their diet & don't give anything that has sugar or fat in. They also like a sand bath in Chinchilla sand. They are very cute & make loads more noises than Guinea Pigs do.


Mel xxx

Thought they did but wasn't sure. Don't think they were too well looked after before we got them.
Got the sand bath, they love it and they're on degu pellets and hay only now.
And they are very cute and friendly!

cheers

Paul

[Jacs]

pets at home do some lovley treats totally safe for degus from their "naturals" range just read the ingredients before make sure there no sugar or molasses. and ill drop u a bit of advice from my bad expirence so u dnt have 2 learn the hard way like i did... keep a good eye on their weight, when they get problems with their back teeth you dont always realise till they are extreamly ill, from now on in im checkin to make sure they are actually eating as lil chester was breaking his food up with his front teeth but not actually eating it. insurance is wise too... i didnt get it and im now payin out £170+ (altho as long as my lil boy comes home healthy it will be worth it)

p.s. not a rant just wanted to let you know so you dont have to learn the hard way, i would never wish what chester or me have been thru this week on anyone

ooh and more piccys soon? hehehe

[Jomel]

Cheers for the advice Jacs

Sorry to here that about Chester, hope all will be ok with him

Will start to watch what they do when we put the food bowl in!

Paul

[Jacs]

thats ok as i said i wouldnt wish it on anyone.

and thanks he is coming home tomorrow, i will be almost £200 lighter but he is healthy again!

[Jomel]

Excellent

[feorag]

What gorgeous boys!

My daughter-in-law was just telling me that her friends have bought 2 degus, but she didnt' know what they were, so I searched on here to find some photographs to show her

Originally Posted by jakies13

Be careful tho because im sure they are prone to diabetes, but they look healthy enough

They are indeed very prone to diabetes, because they can't metabolise sugar and so sugary stuff is to be avoided at all costs.

They were brought into this country originally for labs to study diabetes, because it is so easy to bring on the condition in them!!

I remember reading up on them a while ago and remember reading that they don't tolerate tap water very well.

I also remember reading that they are great at recognising their owners and interacting with them

[Jacs]

Originally Posted by feorag

What gorgeous boys!

My daughter-in-law was just telling me that her friends have bought 2 degus, but she didnt' know what they were, so I searched on here to find some photographs to show herThey are indeed very prone to diabetes, because they can't metabolise sugar and so sugary stuff is to be avoided at all costs.

They were brought into this country originally for labs to study diabetes, because it is so easy to bring on the condition in them!!

I remember reading up on them a while ago and remember reading that they don't tolerate tap water very well.

I also remember reading that they are great at recognising their owners and interacting with them

hmm i never seen anything about tap water =/ mine do fine on it, altho i guess in some areas where alot of stuff is added to the tap water it could cause them problems!

and they do indeed recognise their owners =) i come in the room they are up at bars for treats and fusses because i spend alot of time with them, anyone else comes in room they hide or are very cautious! where chester was ill and i had to keep grabbing him and syringe feeding him which he didnt like he has stopped coming to me so clearly remembers i was grabbing him alot. nothing lots of love and attention cant fix tho! they are amazing animals!

[feorag]

I think the water thing depends on the level of chlorine they add to the water. When I first came across degus many years ago there was very little definitive information available, but I think water in this country is fine. In some areas of America its disgusting - even I can't drink it cos it tastes foul - South Texas for example was nearly like drinking swimming bath water