degus

* Degu does not appear to be their usual self. Unresponsive, hunched up, fur ruffled, generally looks unwell. Often accompanies other symptoms of illness.
Lethargy: Lethargy nearly always accompanies another illness. Often it is the first indicator to you that your degu is unwell, but is normally shown in advanced or severe illness. Lethargy is the body's way of attempting to cope, by shutting down non-essential systems when the illness has overloaded the degus body.
Depends on the illness. Regularly check your degu for signs of disease and avoid letting conditions cause lethargy where possible. Don't handle a lethargic degu more than necessary and avoid stressing.

* Extreme lethargy, degu appears dead. Feels very hot to the touch,ruffled fur.
Heatstroke: Degu's cage placed in a hot room/in direct sunlight. Water supply restricted, inadequate ventilation.
Never place cage in direct sunlight or a hot room. On hot days, move to a cooler part of the house and ensure adequate ventilation. Ensure constant supply of fresh water. A degu with heatstroke should be submerged in cool water (apart from head) for a few minutes to reduce temperature. Seek veterinary attention immediately.

* Excessive drinking. Large water bottle needs to be refilled approximately daily for one degu.
Diabetes, Diet alteration, Dehydration, Kidney disease (Nephritis): Diabetes- mostly congenital and often triggered by regular feeding of sugar-containing foods. Diet alteration- increases in the amount of protein a degu consumes can increase their drinking behaviour.Dehydration- degu is too hot and does not have access to enough drinking water.
Nephritis- often occurs with age, cancer. Leads to kidney failure.
Do not breed from degus with a history of diabetes. Do not feed degu’s sugar containing foods on a regular basis. Cut out all sugar from diabetic degu's diets. Avoid sudden diet changes and avoid feeding high-protein foods on a regular basis. Always provide good access to clean, fresh drinking water and do not place your degu's cage

* Excessive urination
Diabetes, Kidney disease (Nephritis), Incontinence: Diabetes- mostly congenital and
often triggered by regular feeding of sugar-containing foods. Nephritis- often occurs with age, cancer. Leads to kidney failure. Incontinence- may be congenital and caused by a weak bladder. Do not mistake any of these conditions for scent marking, which degus frequently perform by passing small amounts of urine in particular areas.
Do not breed from degus with a history of diabetes. Do not feed degu’s sugar containing foods on a regular basis. Cut out all sugar from diabetic degu’s diets. Do not breed from degus with a history of incontinence.

* Lethargy, hunched up, ruffled fur. May appear straining to pass feces. Defecates less often.
Constipation: Caused by insufficient water intake, dehydration, general illness, intestinal parasites.
Do not allow degus to overheat, provide a constant supply of fresh drinking water. Maintain good cage hygiene.

* Lethargy, soft/wet feces, dehydration, weight loss, hunched up, ruffled fur
Diarrhea: General illness, intestinal parasites, contaminated water supply.
Maintain good cage hygiene, change water on a regular basis, isolate sick degu from others. Seek veterinary attention immediately.

* Degu appears grossly overweight/fat, weighs a lot more than is normal, difficulty moving, lack of activity.
Obesity, Hepatitis, Diabetes: Obesity- overfeeding/unrestricted food supply. Feeding wrong diet. Also caused by other conditions such as hepatitis and diabetes. Hepatitis- decreased liver function, diet too high in protein and/or fat. Diabetes- mostly congenital and often triggered by regular feeding of sugar-containing foods.
Moderate the amount of food your degus are given, do not supply food ad-lib. Do not feed diets high in protein/fat (avoid diets containing nuts and seeds). Do not feed fatty or protein rich foods on a regular basis/in large amounts. Do not feed sugar containing foods on a regular basis. Do not breed from degus with a history of diabetes. Remember that if your degu is female and has gained weight quickly, she could be pregnant.

* Degu appears very thin/skeletal, bones prominent, may be lethargic, weighs much less than is normal.
Anorexia: Various illnesses including internal parasites, hormonal imbalance and appetite loss. Also caused by inadequate diet and/or vitamin C deficiency.
Check your degus regularly for signs of disease. An anorexic degu should be fed more than usual in order to encourage weight gain, and the diet should be checked for vitamin C content and changed if necessary.

* Degu has difficulty moving, appears very stiff, may be in pain, avoids moving or moves very slowly
Arthritis: Old age and general joint degeneration. Also brought on by scurvy. Can be a congenital problem if developed at a young age.
Do not breed from degus with a history of early onset arthritis. Check diet for vitamin C supplementation

* Lack of coordination, degu frequently bumps into objects, falls over, is unable to right itself, doesn't walk in a straight line
Stroke, Inner ear infection: Cataracts- brought on by diabetes, is also congenital or a combination of both. Caused by sorbitol build up and/or structural deformity. Stroke- caused by cerebral haematoma (vessel rupture) or embolisation (particles blocking cerebral blood supply). Usually factor of old age or obesity. Infection- poor cage hygiene, foreign body inside ear.
Do not allow degus to develop diabetes. Do not breed from degus with a history of cataracts. Avoid feeding foods containing sugar, fat or protein in large amounts or on a regular basis. Do not prolong unnecessary suffering of a degu that has suffered a severe stroke. Maintain good cage hygiene

* Sudden death of female degu during late pregnancy
Pregnancy toxaemia: Exact cause not currently known, but often occurs in female degus with cataracts.
Never breed from a female degu with cataract

* Smelly area, red, sore, may be swollen. Painful to touch. May be oozing, or have a pussy discharge.
Infection: Bacterial growth on a wound/sore. Caused by poor hygiene and lack of attention to wound.
Maintain good cage hygiene, examine degus regularly for cuts and scrapes. Treat an infected wound with saline solution daily until healed.

* Open wound, sore, bleeding area, blood stained fur, cut/scratch, degu grooming/licking area, painful to touch.
Laceration: Various trauma including accidents, fighting, excess scratching or long nails.
Check nail growth regularly. Examine itchy degu for external parasites or dermatitis. Remove all sharp objects/surfaces from environment. Separate agonistic / fighting degus. Avoid touching affected area, bathe wound daily in saline solution until healed.

* Blood loss from any part, degu avoiding area, in pain.
Bleeding: Various trauma
As for laceration, avoid touching area directly. In severe cases, apply gentle but firm pressure to help stop bleeding. Bathe wound daily in saline solution until healed.

* Lethargy, swelling, pain, loss of appetite, degu is immobile
Internal bleeding: Severe trauma that may involve internal organs. Internal rupture of vital tissues.
Remove all potential sources of trauma from environment. Do not handle a degu with suspected internal injuries and monitor regularly. Do not prolong any unnecessary suffering.

* Swellings or hard growths appear, lumps or bumps can be felt. Swellings grow rapidly. Lethargy, weight loss and loss of appetite may accompany these symptoms
Cancer: Tumors can be caused by a variety of things. Can be congenital, but risk of cancer increases rapidly with old age. Tumors may also be triggered by inhalation or ingestion of a carcinogenic substance.
Prevent all exposure to known and suspected carcinogens such as tobacco and talc. Do not breed from degus with a history of cancer or unexplained growths. In advanced cases, do not prolong unnecessary suffering.

* Unable to move, may appear to be dead. Limb(s) immobile, dragging/lifeless limb or tail, cold limb(s).
Paralysis: Caused by stroke or nerve damage, or trauma to limb/tail.
Remove potential sources of trauma from environment. In severe cases, do not prolong unnecessary suffering.

* Degu may be limping, adverse reaction to handling, pain, may have cold limb(s) or difficulty breathing.
Fractures: Various trauma and accidents.
Remove all hazards from environment. Do not handle degu and restrict activity by cage rest. Isolate from other degus where possible. If fracture is internal or severe, do not prolong unnecessary suffering.

* Object sticking into skin or eye. Wounds do not heal and take much longer than usual to close. Infection not clearing.
Foreign body: Caused by an object becoming lodged in the degu, preventing normal healing from occurring.
Remove all potential sources of danger from environment. Ask your veterinarian to remove the foreign body, then treat the wound as normal.

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