Diseases in pet degus: a retrospective study in 300 animals

Jekl, Vladimír; Hauptman, Karel; Knotek, Z.

doi:10.1111/j.1748-5827.2010.01028.x

Cited by 55 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(48 reference statements)

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“…Degus also require a specialized diet low in sugar to prevent diabetes. A study of 300 degus presented to a veterinary clinic found that most disease in the species was caused by poor husbandry and handling, including acquired dental disease, alopecia caused by fur chewing (self-mutilation), cataracts, trauma, diabetes mellitus, and hyperthermia [86]. It was concluded that owners’ knowledge levels were not sufficient to properly care for their animals in most cases.…”

Section: Rabbits and Rodentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

ExNOTic: Should We Be Keeping Exotic Pets?

Grant

Montrose

Wills

2017

Animals

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There has been a recent trend towards keeping non-traditional companion animals, also known as exotic pets. These pets include parrots, reptiles, amphibians and rabbits, as well as small species of rodent such as degus and guinea pigs. Many of these exotic pet species are not domesticated, and often have special requirements in captivity, which many owners do not have the facilities or knowledge to provide. Keeping animals in settings to which they are poorly adapted is a threat to their welfare. Additionally, owner satisfaction with the animal may be poor due to a misalignment of expectations, which further impacts on welfare, as it may lead to repeated rehoming or neglect. We investigate a range of commonly kept exotic species in terms of their suitability as companion animals from the point of view of animal welfare and owner satisfaction, and make recommendations on the suitability of various species as pets.

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Section: Rabbits and Rodentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

ExNOTic: Should We Be Keeping Exotic Pets?

Grant

Montrose

Wills

2017

Animals

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“…The degu (Octodon degus) is a caviomorph rodent, a member of the family Octodontidae and is commonly kept as a pet or laboratory animal (Jekl et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light and scanning electron microscopy of the tongue of a degu (Octodon degus)

Čížek

Jekl

Kvapil³

et al. 2016

Anat Sci Int

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The tongue of an adult degu was examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. It consists of an apex, corpus, and radix and contains a lingual prominence. The aim of this study was to describe the course of muscle fascicles of the proper lingual muscle, the presence and nature of the lingual salivary glands, and particularly the appearance and distribution of the lingual papillae. Three major types of papillae have been observed: filiform, conical, and vallate. The dorsal surface of the lingual apex extends in caudally bent filiform papillae with two spines. The lingual corpus bears long filiform papillae with a single tip. The lingual radix contains crown-like papillae in the region of the prominence and conical papillae in the remaining areas. Two oval vallate papillae were discovered caudally on the lingual radix. This first description of the lingual structures in a degu could be used for comparative studies or as basic data for differentiation of lingual morphology in this species.

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“…The most common diseases reported in a survey of 300 privately owned degus were dental conditions (Jekl et al, 2011d). Most common dental conditions are malocclusion of either the molars or incisors (Jekl et al, 2011a,b,d).…”

Section: Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other commonly occurring non-infectious diseases include cataracts (Worgul and Rothstein, 1975;Jekl et al, 2011d). Cataract formation may be congenital or acquired as a side-effect of diabetes development.…”

Section: Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%