Degu help

Question
Hello, I have a male degu about 3 years old. Recently he's been losing the fur on the back of his neck and one of his legs. I noticed a few days ago that he has lost a lot of weight. What could be wrong with my degu?
please help.

Answer
There could be a number of things.  His teeth could be too long hampering his nutrition.  He could be getting the wrong food.  He could have some sort of internal condition (illness, tumor, etc) that makes him not want to eat.  Not knowing where he came from, he could be a product of inbreeding thus leading to a shorter lifespan.  You don't say how many cagemates he has, but if he's alone he could be depressed.  If he has a one or more cagemates, they could be overgrooming him (thus the hair loss) or scaring him away from the food.  
There are so many possible reasons it's hard to know for sure.  I'd suggest you give him lots of TLC and get him to a vet with experience with exotics as soon as possible.  You might have to call around quite a bit depending on where you live.
Good luck!
Carol