I know this isn't about being a witch but as you keep degus, I wondered if I could ask my degu has stopped eating and looks very miserable. I can't afford a vet. Any advice?

They can be quite temperamental little things. I’ve had experience of degus not eating for two separate reasons. The first is due to over grown teeth. I would suggest you pick your degu up, pull its mouth back gently and see if the front teeth have grown too long. If they have, then a pair of small cat/dog nail clippers can be used to gently clip the teeth down. I’d go with trimming them little and often rather than taking a lot off in one go. Leave a good 0.5 cm of tooth protruding above the gum line at both top and bottom. If the degu is struggling with overgrown back teeth then likely you will not be able to clip without sedation. I am afraid if this is the case your degu will die without veterinary assistance. However if cost is an issue and you currently claim benefits, the blue cross (UK based advice) will treat your animal for free.

The other problem I had was when my Minstrel degu had a respiratory illness. This is very common in degus and usually follows some kind of trauma or shock to them. I was advised by my vet to make a humidifier. We did this by getting a large Tupperware box, drilling a hole through it and placing a fish tank pump tube through the hole. We then pumped diluted pet disinfectant (see any reputable pet shop supplier) into the Tupperware and put Minstrel in for five mins a day to inhale the fumes and clear her lungs. Hold your degu close and see if you can hear it wheezing or struggling to breathe, if this is the case, humidifying may well be a positive course of action to take.

I’d also suggest you change its food and try some tempting sugar free treats. Try dandelion, broccoli or curly kale. Obviously anything sugary should be avoided but it may well be worth seeing if you can coax it back to eat with something really really tempting like a yoghurt drop and then switch back to non sugar when it starts eating again.

Good luck x

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