My friend, you were the brightest star in my own universe. While I burn on, my flame dimmed by grief and despair at your passing, the stars are watching me. They are too far away for me to touch, just as you have gone somewhere I cannot follow until my own star-time comes. They cannot be held close for comfort, just as I can no longer hold you close, though I held you close to comfort you in your final hours. We were together for such a short time, but the stars will burn forever.

One day I will grow tired of this earthbound body, my own star-time will come and my spirit will soar into the sky to burn with all those friends who have gone before me. On the inky cloth of space we will be reunited in constellations of joy. Until then, my flame burns low and dim and cold without you. Through my tears I look upwards to see if you are watching me and what do I see?

There is a new star shining in the sky tonight.

(There Is A new Star …was written by Sarah Hartwell. She has released this into the public domain so that it may be freely distributed.)

The Summerlands exist in the long, lazy late afternoons of an eternal golden summer of remembered childhood; the time when everything seems most alive and sweetest smelling. Our animals are young again and turned to perfect health. There is always space and time to play and love, places to be with others and places to be alone together.

When our time comes, the curtain is lifted from our eyes and we can see the Summerlands ourselves. Waiting there for us are the animals and people we loved in life and we can see them clearly at last. The has come for us to move away from the curtain and renew these interrupted friendships. Sometimes we can’t help but take a peek through the curtain just to see how our own loved ones are doing before they come to join us.

(Summerlands was written by Sarah Hartwell. She has released this into the public domain so that it may be freely distributed.)

In the Animal’s Eden all the pets that have passed over and are waiting for their special human are free to do what they want, and because it is a heavenly place, none of them want to do anything that harms their animal friends. The horses and ponies graze and gallop in the meadows. The dogs romp on the lawns and sniff in the shrubberies. The cats lounge on the patios, basking in the sunshine, or take their ease in the dappled shade of trees. Birds are no longer caged, but fly free in the trees, eating the plentiful fruit and seeds. None of them actually feel hungry, but are provided with heavenly food if they wish so that they can eat without harming the others waiting alongside them. The garden is full of every kind of animal that has ever been a pet and which has someone special it wishes to wait for.

There is a special arch in the garden wall, the sort of brick arch which might have held a wrought iron gate in earthly gardens. Sometimes one or more of the animals gets a funny feeling, a bit like butterflies in the tummy. Those animals stop their playing or basking and make their way to the arched gate. Something special is about to happen. When they reach the gate they can see that their special human is walking towards the gate. Then, because the Animals’ Eden is a place for animals only, those animals can walk through the arch to join their human friend(s) and walk together in the sunshine on the next stage of their souls’ journey. For although the garden is a beautiful and happy place, there is nothing more joyful than a reunion between dear friends who have been apart too long.

(The Animals Eden was written by Sarah Hartwell. She has released this into the public domain so that it may be freely distributed.)

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….

~ Author unknown ~

You should find a least one clinic that deals with pocket pets or exotics, as not all clinics do, preferably before you bring your pet home. It is best; however, to know of several clinics in case you cannot get to your regular veterinarian, always have a backup plan. It is also a good idea to have the emergency vet clinic number and address on hand, and make sure they see exotics. Many times problems will be noticed outside of regular clinic hours, keep in mind that emergency clinics are usually a lot more expensive than regular clinics so make sure that you factor this in to your pet care budget.

Degus, as prey animals, tend to hide illnesses very well, so in many cases symptoms will not be visible until the illness is quite serious and needs quick treatment.

Symptoms Requiring Immediate Emergency Care

• Diarrhea
• Lying around the cage limply; may feel cold; fur will likely be ruffled
• Respiratory Problems – any trouble breathing
• Bleeding – bleeding from anywhere is a bad sign, including vaginally – females do not show when they are in heat
• Not eating or drinking
• Rectal, or vaginal prolapse; a male can also have a prolapse of the penis where he is unable to get it back into the prepuce or ‘sheath’
• Anything that may be causing pain

Symptoms Requiring Vet Care in General

• Eye discharge
• Lumps or swellings
• Over-grown teeth
• Weight Loss
• Excessive drinking

If in doubt always call and talk to your veterinarian, make an appointment, or go to the emergency clinic.

Safe Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs

Other Treats That Are Safe

Never feed a degu anything containing onion, garlic, chocolate, or excess salt or sugar. If you are unsure if something is safe, do not feed it.

The simplest pairings are with siblings of the same litter. This way there is no introduction necessary as they have grown up together. The next simplest is an older degu with a youngster or a pair of youngsters.

Degus can and do grieve if they lose a cage mate, and in some cases can become severely depressed, sometimes to the point of not eating. This is the only time that it is acceptable and necessary to forgo quarantine.

Should you find yourself in the situation in which one of a bonded pair passes and your degu seems depressed, the simplest solution is to introduce two young degus. The reason for a pair is so that you aren’t faced with the same issue when the older gerbils passes on.

Degus are best introduced in a split cage. The cage that they will be sharing should be cleaned out completely in order to remove as much scenting as possible. The cage/tank should then be split down the middle using some sort of strong mesh, a search for split degu cage will show examples of some setups. Each side should have a wheel, food, water, etc. The degus will interact through the barrier, picking up each others scent without being able to harm each other. You may also wish to have them switch sides a few times. Once they appear to be interacting positively the barrier can be removed during a time when they will be well supervised. There may be a dominance battle, consisting of chasing, squeaking, and mounting, if at any time blood is drawn they need to be separated. Degus do not “fight out” dominance.

In rare situations you will get a degu who is just not social. You should not try to force them to live with another as it will lead to bloodshed. For those who are not social a split tank may be the way to go permanently, or even a second tank/cage near by so that he can see another degu and knows he isn’t alone.

Providing at least 2 water bottles, food dishes, wheels and sleeping areas will also help keep the peace between pairs and groups also.

Sometimes a degu’s nails will get too long causing them to snag or get caught on things.

Nails can be trimmed using human nail clippers or guillotine style clippers commonly found in pet stores. Some people find one easier than the other, it is mostly down to preference. Be sure not to cut the nail too short or it may bleed. Because hamsters are so small it can be difficult to cut their nails yourself. If you don’t feel that you will be able to do it without hurting your degu then a veterinarian can do it for you.

Baths

Degus are very clean animals and you will see them grooming themselves and each other quite often.

Unless directed by a veterinarian, degus should NEVER be gotten wet. They can catch a chill very easily which can turn into pneumonia, becoming fatal very quickly. Bathing in water also removes oils from their fur that keeps it in good condition. If your degu has gotten into something he shouldn’t have you can use a damp face cloth to wipe the fur, making sure to dry him off after.

Degus do enjoy digging and rolling in a sand bath. Placing a dish of chinchilla sand (NOT dust) or sterilized, silica free, children’s play sand in their cage will allow them to do this safely. It also helps keep the fur grease free. Degus should have access to sand at least twice a week.

Wheels

Degus should always be provided with an exercise wheel. Some websites and books state that degus don’t need these as some may not use them, however if they have one they can use it if they want to, which generally they do seem to.

When choosing a wheel do not choose one of the metal ones with rungs. The spacing between allows their paws and tails to fall through and can cause them to break a leg or injure their tail (degus’ tails do come off if they are pulled hard enough leaving a stump that can get infected).

The best type of wheel to use is a solid surface wheel with one open side. Wodent Wheels are actually enclosed except for the holes that allow them to get into the wheel and have a solid running surface, these appear to be one of the safest, but one of the most expensive also. Other wheels such as the silent spinner or the comfort wheel have a solid running surface and are open on just one side. Each of these come with a stand or can be attached to the bars of a cage. If you must use a metal wheel for chewing reasons the ones with the mesh type running surface are the safest as they generally don’t allow the paws to fall through and get caught.

Cardboard

Degus love to chew, and in fact, need to chew as their teeth constantly grow.

Cardboard tubes from paper towels or toilet rolls give them something to play with and also chew and use in their nests. If you use toilet roll tubes make sure that nobody in the house has been sick or you risk making your gerbils sick.

Empty cardboard boxes from food items are also fun toys for degus. They can hide in them, run through them and chew them.

Wooden Toys

Again great for keeping their teeth trimmed, wooden chew toys are something degus enjoy. You can either purchase these from a pet store or make them yourself. If you make them yourself be sure that the wood is untreated and made from a degu safe wood so that it’s safe for them to chew. Hanging bird toys are also something they enjoy playing with and chewing.

Plastic Toys

Plastic houses and toys are best left out of degu cages as they tend to chew them. Not only can this be expensive, it can also cause blockages if they eat any plastic.

Flower Pots

Terra cotta flower pots make a cool place to lay in the summer and can also provide hiding places. They are washable if soiled also. Degus don’t usually chew them, but keep an eye on them for this and remove the pot if it’s being chewed.

Sand Boxes

Degus enjoy digging. Rolling in sand also keeps their coats from looking greasy. Place some chinchilla sand, NOT dust, in a container and let your degu have fun digging.  Sandbox play sand can be used also but it should be silica free.

Play Pens

Small animal play pens are available in pet stores or you could make one of your own. These are designed to allow your degus free roaming time in a safer environment. Plastic toys are safe here as they are less likely to be chewed in a shorter period. Keep in mind degus can and do jump and climb and they can get out of an open topped play pen. The safest way to keep from losing your degus is to place the playpen in a room with the door closed. If he does get out you need only search a single room rather than an entire house. Always supervise your degus in a play pen.

Setting up a play pen on a disposable table cloth from the dollar store makes clean up after easy and will protect the carpet.

Run About Balls

These clear plastic balls available from the pet store can be an excellent tool in allowing your pet to get some exercise and spend time outside of his cage in a safe environment. Some points to remember in order to keep your pet safe while in his ball:

• Always choose a ball in the correct size, degus can use the same size balls as rats, generally the ‘large’ sized one available in pet stores.

• One animal per ball.

• Tape the lid onto the ball using masking tape or duct tape. The lids of run about balls have been known to come off, or in the case of balls that screw together in the middle, come apart.

• Make sure that your pet can’t get into any trouble while in his ball, for example don’t let him run around at the top of a staircase! If you have other pets, make sure that they can’t get to your pet while he’s in his ball, some dogs will pick up the ball and run off with it, which can’t be a pleasant experience for the animal inside the ball.

• Never leave your pet in his ball for more than half an hour at a time without putting him back into his cage for some food or a drink, 30 minutes is the maximum, but 15-20 minutes is best. You can allow your pet to run in his ball for as long as he wants as long as he gets that 5 minute break every 15-20 minutes.