Degu premature birth?

[twiggy]

Hi, I'm new here, nice to meet you all!
I have a somewhat urgent (and long...sorry) question, any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

Over the past few years, I have been keeping a pair of degus (male: Twiggy, female: Iggy) in hopes of a litter someday, but to no avail.

I was heartbroken earlier this month when my beloved Twiggy passed away at 6 1/2 years old.

Within a week or so of Twiggy's passing, I went to the petshop and brought home a newly weaned female to keep widowed Iggy company as she seemed very depressed to have lost her mate.

I have been slowly introducing the two over the past week and the pair have bonded splendidly and are doing fine in the same cage.
However, since the young one is still very small, I can't keep her in the big cage since she is still able to get through the bars.

So unfortunately, when I put the two together for "sleep overs", it has to be in the smaller cage, which is quite small for Iggy, who happens to be on the pudgy side, or so I thought.

Now, this is my problem:
When I was feeding the two today, I noticed a clump of what looked like dried blood in the corner of the cage.

Getting worried, I removed a piece of tissue and there lay a single, fur-less pup with closed eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought it was dead at first, but it was still moving!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously, this is a premature birth so I am worried that the pup may not make it.

Iggy still seems to have a bulging belly, and I thought I saw her belly move so although I can't say for sure, she might still be expecting.

My questions are:
The young female was in the same cage as Iggy as all of this happened and doesn't seem to be causing any trouble. In fact, the two are cuddled up together around the area the pup is at the moment, and they look quite content together.

Do you think it would be OK to leave her in with the mom and the single pup?

Iggy seems aware of the pup and sits on or around it to keep it warm, but even so, I can't tell if it's nursing or not but I have a feeling it's too weak to even do that......
Is there anything I should do? Or should I just leave it to nature?

Has anyone had this sort of experience? Did the pup/s survive?

Is it possible that Iggy just had the one prematurely and there are more to come? I don't think it's common for a degu to have just one pup, right?

I hope so bad that this pup (and the others too, if she is still pregnant) survives

To me this is a miracle because we had presumed that either Twiggy or Iggy was infertile since we had kept them together so long without them having a litter. I wish so badly that it/they survive because it/they is/are Twiggy's offspring that I never thought I would be able to see!!!!!

Sorry for getting so long.
Thanks for reading and thanks for any insight in advance!

[RenishaS]

I honestly don't know anything about Degus but I wish you luck and I hope your little one makes it.

[bokuza]

UHM! Im not sure if this is an option, but it seems the time you let them spend together was too short to be pregnant already. It might be the petstores mistake. :C Unless of course it is a premy.

Good Luck.

[kokuhaku14]

Bokuza, I think you misread what was typed, Twiggy (the user) had said that Twiggy and Iggy had NOT had babies. That is not saying that there wasn't the possibility, just that they hadn't. Seeing as a Degu's gestation period is about three months, unless Twiggy (the user) has had the new degu for just over three months, which they haven't, Twiggy is the father. Congratulations on the pup, hope for the best for it and the other pups if there are any.


With luck,
Nate

[GAMZu]

The new degu is a female. Iggy could only have gotten pregnant from Twiggy. But are you sure the new degu couldn't have been pregnant? Maybe the pup is hers.

Good luck- keep us posted!

[bokuza]

Quote: Originally Posted by kokuhaku14 Bokuza, I think you misread what was typed, Twiggy (the user) had said that Twiggy and Iggy had NOT had babies. That is not saying that there wasn't the possibility, just that they hadn't. Seeing as a Degu's gestation period is about three months, unless Twiggy (the user) has had the new degu for just over three months, which they haven't, Twiggy is the father. Congratulations on the pup, hope for the best for it and the other pups if there are any. With luck, Nate

Thats what i ment Gamzu!
That the pup is the younger girls maybe.

[emmzie87]

get her to the vet asap,i hav a story very like this about one of my girls.ill post about il now.