Not a good year

This year apparently has been the year for birth problems in my chins. In about 8 years of breeding, I've never had a "deformed" kit, a mummified kit or even a chin that has had problems giving birth. This year...I got it all apparently.

Yesterday I came home from vacation to find my extra large standard girl, Panacur, in labor. I watched for a few hours while she had heavy contractions. She was still active and between contractions would come to the front of the cage for scritches. At about 9pm she pushed out a tail and one foot. I helped her get the other hind foot out and she gave a few more hard pushes then just layed out from sheer exhaustion. So, I called the local exotic vet and we were off for some help. There was only this one kit stuck in the birth canal, a standard male that was obviously dead. They gave some oxytocin and with her help they were able to get the kit out. The kit was underdeveloped so we're not sure if it died in utero and she aborted or what exactly happened. She had so much trouble getting the kit out because her pelvis is just too small. She had a kit a few years back and it was stillborn...I have a feeling that something similar to what happened yesterday happened to the first kit. Either way...she's being retired so long as she pulls through. They gave her some fluids and put her on antibiotics...she's so tired she doesn't even want to eat so I'm trying to handfeed her.

Keep your fingers crossed that Panacur pulls through this.

For anyone thinking of breeding...this WILL happen to you. This or any of the other multiple problems that come along with chinchilla breeding. I lost a kit I've been waiting the entire year for...and now I might lose the mom. Are you willing to risk the lives of the animals you plan to breed?

Tab--sorry to hear about Panacur. I hope she makes it thru okay.

Ohhh...I'm so sorry! I hate that so much...I am glad that you got the kit out and I hope so much that everything goes back to normal without a spay or anything more.

Today I am off to the vet to get Vittia sutured again. Her uterus prolapses and then goes back...prolapses and then goes back. He said this is a good sign because the muscles are working better but they need some more time to go back to normal. Oh well, she'll probably end up getting spayed, but we can try one more time.

Oh yeah, chin breeding means that there will eventually be problems. I love it when people get a breeding herd of 20 females going and tell me how great it is and they haven't had any problems at all in the THREE months they've all be breeding. Then they have that first c-section or they have that bad luck streak of three females dying during birth and they get rid of everyone.


It will happen to you if you start breeding...that's all there is to it! Eventually there are problems!

Sorry for your loss. Speedy recovery for the mom.

Sorry to hear about Panacur and the baby Tabs. I was rootin for her yesterday too. Hope Panacur makes it through all of this. And /hugs to you too!

Sorry to hear about the kit, hope mom pulls through.

For anyone thinking of breeding...this WILL happen to you.

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And why it is absolutely critical to check the pelvis size of the females before you put them in breeding. Especially those starting out who read this.

Thanks everyone...I'll keep you all updated on how she does.

Spoof said:

And why it is absolutely critical to check the pelvis size of the females before you put them in breeding. Especially those starting out who read this.

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Definitely a good idea...and don't just assume that someone else has done the check. I got this girl from an experienced rancher, she's a little older and her pedigree said she'd had a kit before and from looking at her nipples he told me she must have had a stillborn kit. She never nursed what she gave birth to before and the pedigree said the kit wasn't weaned. From me feeling around and how stuck the kit was...there is no way this girl's pelvis was big enough for passing a kit and she is a 900g+ girl. Size has absolutely nothing to do with pelvis size...check the pelvis before breeding.

Sorry this happened to you Tab, I hope Panacur makes a full recovery.

im so sorry tabs :/

i'll be praying for Panacur.

Tab, I don't know what streak of bad luck you've gotten in to, but dang is it heavy. I hope that Panacur (great name, by the way) pulls through - if not for herself, then at least for you.

Lots of hugs from here...

Sorry Tab and I hope your Panacar pulls through. Sending positive thoughts!

Your story sounds a bit like mine. In the beginnings of my breeding chins, I was naive took the breeders word that my girl was proven etc. She had 2 still born kits. I gave her a long rest, put her back into breeding, and it happened a second time.
I pulled her from breeding and she is now content as a pet. I'll keep my fingers crossed that your girl pulls threw! I just wish more people were honest, and put the animal before a sale!

Sorry this is happening to you, Tab. I hope Panacur will pull through for you.

Hope everything turns out Tab - paws in prayer for you!

Tab I hope she pulls through ok. That always suck people spend so much time worrying wbout the size/weight of a chinchilla Huge girls can have small pelvises. Gives people something to think about. Hang in their hun!

I hope she pulls through for you. Sending good thoughts her way.

That's terrible I hope she pulls through without a spay. Thank god you were there for her!

I guess i'm just waiting for something terrible to happen. I've lost very few kits and they were premature, but none the less alive.

Pelvis size is a crazy thing really. I had a rescue come to me, she weighed about 450 grams, a week later popped out 3 kits. I never noticed she was pregnant. They were all healthy and lived, not to mention she nursed them herself. (Not recommending breeding smaller chins, just saying how crazy pelvis size is)

Anyway, please keep us updated. We'll be praying for your little(BIG) girl

So sorry for your loss. I hope some good will come of your post and others like this- and convince ill-informed people not to breed.

More than a little pissed right now. I didn't ask to see the kit at the vet, just took their word that they got the whole thing out. Lo and behold...I just checked on Panacur and there appeared to be fur stuck to her vaginal opening. On closer inspection, there was fur coming OUT of her vagina. I grabbed my trusty grabby stuff (sterilized with betadine) and grabbed the fur. Then as I pulled...there was flesh attached. So I moved my grabber things up farther to grab more "flesh" and pull gently. Out pops a rotting kit head. Thank you vet...my chin has been feeling awful all day because there's a rotting kit head inside of her.

We're going to my regular vet tomorrow, even if it's a two and half hour drive. She's dosed up on antibiotics and I just gave her some more subcutaneous fluids. She's already perked up considerably from how she has been all day. Keep your fingers crossed...I'm hoping we can either get rid of any possible infections (no puss came out after or with the head) or get her well enough to spay her. The vet up here doesn't want to spay her, they think she will die in surgery and want to charge me $1200 regardless of the outcome of said surgery. Not much confidence in them after they missed an entire kit head. Those who know me...know that I am REALLY struggling by not using profanity right now. My anger level has peaked...

Wow... that's absolutely horrible Tab. Paws crossed over here for a quick recovery for Panacur. You'd think they would have checked twice, stupid vets. They sure didn't mind taking your money though now did they?