Dying Degu. Advice needed please! BexVN or similar

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

We have 3 elderly degus, and it seems that one of them is dying. Sarah is in London, and I'm not sure how to best help her (the degu)

She is lying on her side, looking very weak and fragile, breathing, but not getting up. Previously she's always been sprightly, and if you attempt to handle them they become wriggly, or run, she's doing neither.

Has anyone any words of wisdom? I've only thought to A) move her bed to away from the other 2, so they don't accidentally crush her, and B) give her a few drops of painkiller.

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

I'm checking her regularly. Would there be anything they could do though? The cost doesn't matter, but I doubt she'll see the night out, so does it make sense to pay out to have her PTS?
I'm not being cold-hearted, I genuinely don't know what's best I'm hoping the pain killer may make her drousy.

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

OK. Her breathing has slowed down, yet is heavier, almost like we'd be if we'd ran and were trying to gulp down air. I'm going to see about an emergency vet, options, as I can't stand to think of her suffering.

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

She's just been PTS. Night night Jasmine

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

bexVN said:

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:

She's just been PTS. Night night Jasmine

Aww I'm sorry to read this but it sounds like you made absolutely the right decision (so sorry I didn't see your post earlier)

Bex, no apologies needed darling. You're just the only VN I'm aware of on here, so the title was intended to 'jump out' at you if you happened to be online.
The (very sweet) vet said that she was essentially dying, and struggling to breath, but as she was asleep she wouldn't have been in distress. I still couldn't allow risk that she may suffer, so wanted to end her ordeal for her.

Man, I hate seeing any animal die, it's so st !

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

bexVN said:

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:

bexVN said:

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:

She's just been PTS. Night night Jasmine

Aww I'm sorry to read this but it sounds like you made absolutely the right decision (so sorry I didn't see your post earlier)

Bex, no apologies needed darling. You're just the only VN I'm aware of on here, so the title was intended to 'jump out' at you if you happened to be online.
The (very sweet) vet said that she was essentially dying, and struggling to breath, but as she was asleep she wouldn't have been in distress. I still couldn't allow risk that she may suffer, so wanted to end her ordeal for her.

Man, I hate seeing any animal die, it's so st !

It is I know I would have made the same decision even knowing that the vet felt she wasn't suffering.

Good to know. I'm convinced she only had hours left, but no way of knowing if she was feeling any struggle. You have two responsibilities as a pet owner as far as I'm concerned, to give them a pleasant life, and a pleasant death.

She came back to me after (PTS) in exactly the same position she was sleeping in, hence 100% sure no 'struggle' at the last minute.

Kudos too to my neighbour for driving me there. I'd had two large glasses of wine, so I couldn't (wouldn't) get behind the wheel.

Edit, final note (to you Bex, shall mean little to most) she was over 9, which is an incredible age for a Gu, and more significantly a credit to my lovely lady for how she's cared for them. Every time we lose one (just 2 left now) I remind her that it is HER who has given them such lovely lives. Even if the little buggers used to keep me awake playing on their wheels when we were first being dirty stop outs!

Edited by Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah on Friday 24th March 22:48

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

bexVN said:

That really is an impressive age! And definitely a testament to the care they have/had.

I used to have hamsters in my bedroom great memories of the squeaky wheel in the early hours!!

I bet your past/present boyfriend(s) really loved you with that as a background! These have a spinning disc, imagine a wok minus its handle on an axis. Spin spin spin. Run run run. STFU please!

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

bexVN said:

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:

bexVN said:

That really is an impressive age! And definitely a testament to the care they have/had.

I used to have hamsters in my bedroom great memories of the squeaky wheel in the early hours!!

I bet your past/present boyfriend(s) really loved you with that as a background! These have a spinning disc, imagine a wok minus its handle on an axis. Spin spin spin. Run run run. STFU please!

My hamsters had passed on before boyfriends were really on the scene. However if that had been an issue the boyfriend would have been swiftly got rid of.

My now hubby accepted without quibble that I shared my bedroom with a rescued budgie, rescued finch and two rescued cats when I met him though

He must love you. We share the bedroom with Bru, a 14 yr old Staff x god knows what, and he snores louder than I do!

such standards women have, coming below a Hamster, harsh

Hubby must be well pleased, sharing the bedroom with his Mrs and a couple of other birds!

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

bexVN said:

That was years ago, now we have two whippets share the bedroom with us!! (and sometimes our kids!)

All this to look forward to (kids)
You must be mental, and him a saint, two whippets in the bedroom, that must be, urrr, interesting! Pictures? They are gorgeous things.

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

Anyways. It looks like I'm having another all nighter (bd insomnia!) but thank you for your kind words and reassurance Bex. It may 'just' be a 'little rodent', but Jas was my fave Gu, and I was really sad to see her pass tonight. These bloody animals have a way of getting under your skin..... as you well know, I'm sure!

Sweet dreams Jasmine.

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

garythesign said:

Fermit

I had to use google last night

Eight years is a testament to the love and attention lavished on this little one

Thoughts are with you

Thank you. A little sad, as you kind of become friends with them, but Sarah is worse (she doesn't deal well with pet loss)
She was over 9 BTW.

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

ali_kat said:

I'm sorry for your loss, but pleased you got to the Vet in time.

Thank you.

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

Shouting out to anyone who knows Degu's, or a VN like Bex or similar.

We're here again. Had another, Bluebell, put to sleep tonight. V sad but completely for the best.

Sarah's been keeping an eye on the last one left - out of 19 to begin with, Pets At Home sold her 2 'boys', within months there were 19 of the buggers! She is worried as they are pack animals. The last ones demeanor suggests she's not happy tonight, restless, chattering teeth (apparently that is a sign they're unhappy) wandering around in a way that almost looks like she's looking for her. She also hasn't been on her wheel (a wok looking thing on an arm, which they run on at about 3000rpm) all of this evening, something which they frequent on loads.

Taking the vets advice we placed Bluebells corpse back in her bed, to let Buttercup (the last Gu) realise she's gone, rather than her just think shes missing.

What can we do to help her? I've suggested getting a small, Degu sized, soft toy to put in her bed, to help with the fact that they snuggled together at bed. Extra toys maybe, keep her mind busy? Do we need to spend more time with her, playing, strokes and fuss, so she feels like she's getting more attention? We would love to bring her cage downstairs so she can be centre action, but we have three dogs which would stress her right out, and the Dobe x loves going after waggly Gu tails, and did do on one occasion which gave us a fright!

We're going to get Buttercup to the vets in the coming days, just to give her an MOT so to speak.

Any advice thanked in advance, and apologies that it's not a cheery post!

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

bexVN said:

I am so sorry to read this. It is hard to know what to do for the best in these situations but a cuddly toy of her size is definitely worth a try I have known own that to help with rabbits before.

I don't know with Degu's if they can be matched up with other Degu's (like you can with Guinea pigs and sometimes rabbits) or even if that would be a route you would want to go down but that would be a consideration.

Thanks Bex. We're not going to get further Gu's, so no mileage in that one. We'll definitely provide her with a small cuddly toy, see if it helps.

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

Rude-boy said:

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:

Thanks Bex. We're not going to get further Gu's, so no mileage in that one. We'll definitely provide her with a small cuddly toy, see if it helps.

Out of interest how have you managed with 'containing' them?

We've had a number of hamsters, a couple of which have been right escapologists (always found when they get hungry/tired of their adventures) but are getting a little tired of falling for something, enjoying life with them and then the little furry critter going paws up after 2 years.

Been put off Dagus as ownership of something that can chew through metal and concrete is a touch off putting when i think of the damage one could do in our house if it got lose!

A large parrot cages on wheels. Basically split in to levels with ramps for them to access, a spin wheel on one level with other toys too, and bed boxes up top. When cleaning out their cage we put them in the bath, with just a millimeter/ puddles of water, which gives their feet a good clean!
Happy to PM or email you a photo if you need ideas.

[Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah]

Rude-boy said:

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:

A large parrot cages on wheels. Basically split in to levels with ramps for them to access, a spin wheel on one level with other toys too, and bed boxes up top. When cleaning out their cage we put them in the bath, with just a millimeter/ puddles of water, which gives their feet a good clean!
Happy to PM or email you a photo if you need ideas.

Thanks.

Will hold at the back of my head that i now know how to find someone with 'experience' of them! Mikey (current furry idiot) is now getting to 21 months and starting to look a bit older. I know that we are likely to lose him before the year is out and so am starting to weigh up options. We'd really love to have a dog but we just can't with our lifestyle, it would not be fair on the dog. Hence little furry things in cages until one of us can give up work and we can get a dog.

No bother at all. If at some point you decide to consider/get them free free to ping me (contact details in my profile) and Sarah can give you all the pointers you need. She has 9 years of experience of them compared to my 3, so she's the greater expert on them!