# Deep open cuts on degu??



## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

My female Degus and rats are getting along great but my little double Rex does not like the boy apparently! She keeps attacking him out of no where and he now has two really bad deep cuts on him so I took him out of the cage. She loves the females and they are all fine but she has a problem with the boy...I think I'm going to have to find him a new home. 
But I don't know what to do about these cuts they look pretty bad!  can anyone help me? And should I avoid letting him dust bathe with open cuts like this?


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Not sure about the dust baths, I don't think they would harm him in any way but it might irriate the wound. Treat it how you would a cut on a rat.

Sorry about your boy, hope he gets better


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

Why not just keep the rats and degus separate rather than splitting up a degus trio?


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

My mom won't buy me another cage or even anything to make another one with or anything. And the other thing I would be able to fit in my room would be a second level to my critter nation (I have a single CN) but I can't afford that either. And I think it might be a good idea to get rid of the boy before we end up with little Degus everywhere anyway...I really love this little guy though.  and the only cuts I've ever dealt with on a rat's back was on my double Rex and I just cleaned it and put a bandaid on it but I can't do that with him cause of all his fur


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

Well really you wouldn't have degus everywhere since they have like a 90 day gestation period. Lol

So they're living with your rats in the same cage? That doesn't sound safe.


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

Yeah but my friend who I got them from got 3 and ended up with other thirty cause they they kept breeding. And yes I was told they get along with rats and after I took them people on here told me it wasn't a good idea but I had already gotten them and no one else would take them. The girls all seem to love each other, they cuddle together and groom each other and have no problems but my one rat likes to pick fights with the boy. I made him a little temporary home on my shelf under a plastic basket with a towel, some bedding for a nest, food, water, and a chew toy but he can't stay there long


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

I hate to say it, but I really don't think the housing arrangement even for the girls is going to be good long term. This now two of your resident rats showing signs of major stress. I'm going to blunt, I really think you either need to find a way to get another cage for all of the degu or start looking for a permanent home for them. I dont think just getting rid of the male is going to solve this problem and you've now seen firsthand the date a rat can do to a degu. Heede the warning...your rats are telling you they're not ok with this. Sorry, I was really hoping it would work out for you all.


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## Drowsy (Oct 23, 2012)

I think it was a fairly bad idea to take the Degus to begin with.
You can't let your want of an animal outweigh the safety of the animals you already have/the ones you are getting. It's like people who get reptiles and try to house them together.
You need to make the responsible decision and choose the safety of your animals over your own desires and find homes for either the rats, or the Degus.
It's a hard decision, but not many responsible decisions are easy. And you really shouldn't have had a male in with all the females, anyways. That is a disaster full of unwanted babies just waiting to happen. Which you had already seen happen to your friend.

People already told you they couldn't be housed together, and they did that after experience and research. And now something bad has come of it. Listen to the advice people are giving you, for the sake of your babies. :c


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

I researched beforehand and what I got was that it was okay to house rats and Degus together, and my friend said it was safe to house them together. I didn't get anything saying it wasn't safe until AFTER I had already gotten them and agreed to keep them. I believe I said that before. I may be a teenager but I'm certainly not an idiot. I would never get an animal if I knew it meant putting my other animals in danger, especially my rats. EVER. Okay? I'm not stupid. My rats lived with a hamster and they lived with 2 mice before and have never hurt another animal before. People give me crap all the time about how I never should have housed different species together but it was carefully done and under great supervision to be sure these animals would be safe together and my rats were fine with long term cage mates of other species until these degus. I found so many things online saying they could be housed together and pictures of Degus and rats living together and my friend said they were almost just like rats and that they were supposed to get along with the rat family. She had to find a home for them or her parents were making her release them outside.


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## W0LFPR1NC3SS (Oct 22, 2012)

You should have made sure you had a cage for the Degus from the beginning. Your mom would have said no and then you wouldn't have the Degus or stressed out rats. Or your mom would have said yes and then they would all be happy in separate cages.


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## Rat-1- (Jul 22, 2012)

Okay I'm sorry you feel that people are making out that you didn't know what you were doing but we're just trying to do what's best for your babies. I can't find any websites that say you can keep them together but I did find this: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100221004450AAB2QC1 might be worth a look at. Where did you read that it was safe to house degus and rats? Sorry I probably sound like a jerk but I'm trying to help.


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## Drowsy (Oct 23, 2012)

I still agree with the other posters.
Housing hamsters or mice with rats wasn't okay. It's astounding it worked but you shouldn't brag about it working or use it as an excuse to continue housing things with your beloved rats that shouldn't be.

You are a teenager, yes. But I am only a couple years out from being a teenager myself. It's not like I'm some strict adult lecturing you.
You need to accept that you made a mistake, take responsibility for it, and take care of your critters. 
I hope that you can find them good homes. It's unfortunate your friend faced that situation and then you ended up in this one.

You really aren't going to get any users on here that agree with what happened, though.


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## W0LFPR1NC3SS (Oct 22, 2012)

I'm not trying to be mean or rude to you either. I would hate for your lovely pets to either be given to someone who will neglect them, or stay together and one might get killed. I, myself, have a very hard to persuade mother, and I have a feeling your mom is like that too. But let her know you need another cage UNTIL you can rehome them. And if you never find them a home, then you tried.  The best thing for both the Degus and ratties is to seperate them.


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## Rat-1- (Jul 22, 2012)

Yes not being mean


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

I can see that you're feeling attacked, and that certainly doesn't help the situation. You tried it, it isnt working out....bottom line. What's important is what you do now...not whether or not it was a bad call from the begining. I know you are devestated that the little boy was injured.....how's he doing and how are you? This must be extremly stressful and heart breaking. Worried about you guys and thinking about you all.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

I'm agreeing with everyone else. it probably wasn't the best idea. Sure your rats got along with hamsters and mice (Shocking since rats typically won't think second to attacking a mouse) but even then Maybe they don't like Degus. It's like saying a dog that likes other dogs, rats and cats will be fine with a bird. You don't know that.

As everyone else is saying, it sounds like your rats are stressed out. She may have only attacked the male but what is going to stop her from attack the other Degus? We're not trying to sound mean. We're just as worried. Your other rats could attack your other Degus, I know Degus are normally peaceful but what if they attack your rats? (I know, that's a long shot but not impossible).

But that's not important now, you done it, you can't change it. As Gal said, it's not working, now we need to figure out what your going to do. I think adopting out all the Degus would be a good idea since you can't afford a cage for them.

Is it possible you can get the male neutered? or adopt him out on a neutering agreement? That way he can still live with the females. Not sure how well Degus bond to each other but He has changed homes, housed with a species he has no idea about and can't communicate with, Attack by a rat, and know has to be rehomed again without any of his familiar cage mates. Poor guy must be frightened, stressed out, at the very lease confused.


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## Rat-1- (Jul 22, 2012)

do you have a 10 gallon tank? Members do you think this would be bad?


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

10 gal tank for who? I don't think that would be suitable for either. Minimum aquarium size for a pair of degu is 20 gal...and we know it's a no go for the rats.


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## Rat-1- (Jul 22, 2012)

I meant for the degus


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