degu pregunacy

Question
How can you tell if a degu is pregnate? How many babies can a degu have?

Answer
You will generally not know for certain that a degu is pregnant until she delivers.  If you are very close to your pet and spend a lot of time hand feeding and socializing, you might notice a size difference, but you might not.  They can have on average 3-7 babies at a time.  If you think your female might be pregnant do not pick her up--this can cause her to miscarry the babies! Transfer her in a large jar by letting her climb in and out of it...that way you don't accidentally put too much pressure on her stomach while trying to catch her.  Make sure she has plenty of water to drink during her pregnancy and afterwards while she's nursing and get her some Calf Manna at a local farm supply store (it's a calcium supplement in pellet form) so she doesn't suffer malnourishment.
Good luck,
Carol