Do Degu's Travel Well? - Paw Talk

andreaS15 · #1 02-07-2006, 01:17 PM

A friend of mine adopted a Degu that needed a home.
The Degu was fine when she got it home, and played/ate and what not a few days after. She never noticed the Degu drinking, so she put in 2 different water bottles for it (one it was used to, and th eone she had bought it). But 3 days after bringing her home the degu went lethargic and ill. She kept her warm, hydrated her but the poor thing died that evening

She was maybe only 2 or 3 years old.
My friend is devistated.
From where she adopted it to where she lives was about an hour or so drive, could this maybe to much stress on the poor thing?
I'm just hopeing to get some answers, in hopes this won't happen to anyone else.

Thank you.

Amethystbelle · #2 02-08-2006, 09:52 AM

Basil my oldest degu has been all over the UK with me so i don't think it would be from the stress of travelling as he loves it. Also 5 of the degu's i have had have come from a fair few miles away and have been on long journeys of around 2 hours or so and all of those were fine too. It unsettles them at first as you would imagine as does going to a new home but i don't think the stress of either of those things would kill a degu. Its more than likely an underlying cause that caused the death as they can handle pain better than most small creatures so she might have acted perfectly normal at first. Degu's also can go without water as they can get moisture from food but most degu's will readily drink so the fact she didn't drink is odd. From my experience i don't think it would be the car journey not if she was normal and playful to start off with. I think its going to be one of those things that you will never know for sure about. I'm so sorry for your friends loss

andreaS15 · #3 02-08-2006, 10:08 PM

Thank you for your reply.
It would be nice to be able to talk to these little guys and know what's going on, specialy with a case like this.

Do you know if there is any reason a Degu would stop drinking?

This is probably just another one of life misteries i supose, I just hate not having answers.

Thanks again for you comments & Information.

Amethystbelle · #4 02-09-2006, 09:07 AM

I’m not sure why she stopped drinking it is odd as Degu’s normally readily take water so it is odd but it could have been anything and my personal feeling is its probably something to do with whatever was wrong with her. Lethargy tends to happen in the last stages of a Degu’s life and normally at that point its too late to help them and mostly the first symptoms of illness we humans notice as outwardly they normally appear ok. I’m so sorry your friend lost her Degu it must have been awful as she had only just gotten her and she has my every sympathy

LdyDragon · #5 02-09-2006, 09:30 AM

I've never owned a Degu but you might consider asking a vet about the symptoms of your friend's degu. Maybe they could have some answers/ideas for you.

I'm sorry to hear about the little degu dying

that is so sad! I hope she is doing okay.

Keppeh · #6 03-05-2006, 06:59 PM

I personally wouldn't know, but my gerbil Danny loves to travel on my shoulders or knees when we're going on trips. Sometimes he'll sit on my shoulder and look out the window, almost like a dog.