# Help! Degu Lethargy Epidemic.



## Spookymuffin (Jan 4, 2013)

Hi guys, hopefully someone can help me.

At the start of this month I had five degus, three males and two females that were living (separated) in a critter nation, but there's a mystery illness that's killed two of them in the last two weeks and put another one at deaths door.

Two weeks ago one of the males died, with no warning and no prior signs of illness. He was pushing seven years old though, so while it was sad it wasn't exactly surprising.
Then one of the other males became very lethargic, no appetite or thirst drive as well as being cold to the touch. I called a few vets for advice but they were quite pessimistic and didn't feel that anything could be done. I tried my best to get him to eat and drink but nothing worked.

Two days later he died. He was only three years old :-( 

Now one of the females is exactly the same, and I know it's unlikely that she'll still be with us in 24 hours. The other girl is also looking a bit off.
I have one healthy boy, but who knows how long that will last at this stage.

I don't know how this is happening. They are given fresh food and water daily, their cage is spot cleaned weekly and completely cleaned out twice a month. They're fed a species appropriate diet and are never given anything sugary.

I'm at a loss here, could anyone please advise me on what's happening? And is there any way to save the degus that I have left?


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## polishrose (Oct 26, 2011)

I don't know much about degus-I can only suggest taking them to a vet-not much good just calling them, the vet has to examine them to know what's wrong-they might need antibiotics. Have you changed their food recently at all?


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

you need to seak out and visit a degu savy vet, if your vet didnt think there was any thing that could be done they obviously are not degu savy, degus are a very specialised species and not all vets know much about them, you need to act quick too


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