My degu fell and has concussion symptoms. What should I do now?

Thanks for reaching out about Rosy. She should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible, as something like a concussion will respond better if addressed earlier. See your veterinarian now. Good luck.

Based on why you are describing I am concerned that Chewie may have suffered some sort of head trauma (perphaps by falling or hitting his head). I would recommend watching him closely over the next 24 hours. If he continues to eat and drink he will likely be ok. If he seems lethargic, doesn’t want to eat, and is not moving around, I would recommend taking him to your vet to be examined. He may need some pain medication to help the swelling in his head. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Oh dear, poor Ziggy! This case is a touch tricky, because my first advice is absolutely that if Ziggy seems the slightest bit off, he should go immediately and directly to the nearest veterinary clinic for emergency care. The fall from your kitchen unit could have injured either his back or his head - and such injuries require immediate attention from a veterinarian. However, extreme stress can also be dangerous for rabbits, and with the stress of the bath, the fall, and now being wet and cold, the best thing for Ziggy may be to have some quiet time in a safe, dark, quiet place to relax while he dries off and calms down. So, I recommend you watch him really closely. If he seems to be moving around ok and is acting mentally appropriate/normal, then keep him somewhere comfortable, quiet, and dark to relax and dry off. However, if he is sluggish, not moving normally, breathing abnormally, or in any other way is acting abnormal, then you should rush him directly to the vet. When in doubt, absolutely call your nearest emergency clinic and talk to someone on the phone, who can walk you through assessing Ziggy and can help you make the best decision about rushing him in versus letting him relax. I hope this helps!

If he is eating and walking normally right now, I would suggest that you monitor him closely for the new few hours. Sometimes after a fall or other trauma, they don't show any evidence of injury due to them being so afraid. But, over time, that can change and you may see him limp or his appetite or attitude become abnormal. If you see any changes, I would recommend taking him into a veterinarian immediately as he may have hurt himself when he fell. Please do not give your guinea pig any human medications, as many of these are harmful for our fuzzy friends.

She should take Sno to the vet urgently, it sounds like a severe head trauma, possibly a severe concussion or even brain damage, the vet needs to assess the severity of this injury before deciding what to do next.

I'm so sorry about Pig. Ideally he needs to see a vet as he may have a spinal cord lesion, pelvic fracture or other fracture. He may have a collapsed disc or broken vertebra. Spinal cord lesions may not always start with full paralysis. He needs to be kept fairly quiet to help allow for healing but knowing the extent of his injury will help determine if he can recover. He also may need pain medication which is only available by a prescription from the vet. After exam the vet may likely recomend radiographs to look for the lesion. The sooner a diagnosis is made and treatment started the better his chance of recovery.

Thanks for reaching out about Sophie. A veterinary visit as an emergency is recommended, as head traumas respond better with trying to prevent brain swelling as opposed to trying to fix it after swelling. Keeping in a dark and quiet place could help to decrease stimuli. Good luck.