2 days after having babies, bleeding from vagina

[greychins]

Got the babies home today. They all lost weight, about 5 grams a piece. I put their dad in with them, he's really good with kits. Hopefully that'll work out. If not, I have other mellow chins who can go in with them. I just got home and haven't had a chance to feed them yet, and the poor things don't understand why they can't nurse from him.... the poor little things.

I know dad needs a dust bath. I put the dust in the cage right after the pictures were taken.

 

[greychins]

Ahhhhhh..... heaven.

 

[starleomach]

I don't suppose you have someone to foster??a just weaned momma or a new momma?

 

[greychins]

No, unfortunately I don't. The last set of babies we had here (which just turned like 10 weeks now and all went to their new homes), the mom never got in milk... and before that, we had a 2 year span with no babies.

I actually switched dad out for a more mellow female. Dad is super-protective of anyone in his cage, girls, boys, whatever, and he kacks and lunges and it occurred to me that I don't want to deal with him going after me 12+ times a day for the next 8 weeks every time I try to get kits out when he's in the front of the cage and the babies are in the back.

 

[Olallie]

Aw it breaks my heart to hear that your lovely cinder has passed, you did everything you could to save her.
I am also sad about the comment the babies dont know why they can't suckle the dad. As witness to a baby feeding its so cute watching them move their heads around to find the nipple. Im sad to hear these three wont be finding one.

 

[kiltbunny]

Oh no... I had hoped it would be something so simple as a little tear from the birth and all that was needed was a little antibiotic. I am so so sorry to hear that your gorgeous Cinder has passed on. You did all you could for her. I hope the babies grow strong and have the same sweet attitude that Cinder did.

 

[Melbear]

So sorry for your loss. I hope your kits make it.

Melanie

 

[VolunteerChin22]

Sorry to hear about Cinder I was hoping she'd pull through.

I do really love that picture of the baby with the shavings on it's head...

 

[greychins]

Haha it's a cute picture. Deuce (the eb) is the only baby I can get good pictures of, the others always turn away at the last minute.

I got a call today from the crematory that Cinder's ashes and the urn are ready to be picked up, so I'll go get that tomorrow....

 

[kathiva]

In the last picture, the baby looks like he was already trying to nurse on dad! very cute, but I am very sorry for your loss she was a gorgeous chinnie

 

[Annieo]

Again, I am so sorry for your loss.

But this is just the cutest thing ever! Hopefully all will stay healthy and happy and live long lives.

 

[greychins]

^^ That's the first kit that we named out of the three (Deuce) and he's doing great! I'm sure this is all psychological, but I feel that when we name the kits, or even assign them a letter or number (rather than just "the ebony male, the standard male") they do better...

Not that the others are doing bad, but the one gave me a scare last night-- he must have wandered too far from his substitute-mom/warming-chin and gotten cold... his movements were slowed and he was lethargic... warmed him up with a heating pad and he seems to be ok. Had to warm him up again today... I'm starting to think there may be something neurologically wrong with this one... the mom/babies are housed in a holding cage set on top of three runs... and he took a flying leap out the other day when a friend opened the cage and hit the lip of a lower run with a noticeable *thump* on the way down to the carpet. His movements are just a little off and a little slow. He's eating though and gets around fine, he's coordinated, just has kind of odd movements, like when feeding and stuff. We'll have to see how he does with time.

But the other two are doing great!

Went to pick up Cinder's ashes today....this is the urn I ordered... and seeing the dimensions on the computer versus in person... it's huge!

So, from tv, I kinda thought the ashes would be, well, ash.... it's more or less some ash with lots of bone fragments... in case anyone is curious... [the first picture shows actual color, the second picture is without the flash, but it's more focused]

Nice little certificate I got with the stuff...

 

[caiti]

I've never seen actually cremation ashes either, they look like...not what I expected either. Interesting. That's a very nice urn, though, I like it.

I hope that kit who fell is alright, I can't imagine how hard it would be for you to suffer another blow, but we're all rooting for him!! Hopefully some warmth will do him good.

 

[greychins]

Thanks... I just went to feed them now and this time he's just hopping around the cage just fine... and I know I'm not imagining him doing his little cold spells and his weird movements, one of my friends was here for one of them and she saw it too.... I hope he turns out to be ok.

 

[Claire D]

Have you put a little heat pad in/under the corner of the cage for him?
If I have a kit which is prone to wandering off & getting cold or just looks a bit "suspect" I tend to make sure they are well hydrated (give them a top up of milk once or twice a day) & make sure they have somewhere warm to go - you often find the adult chin will sprawl on the heat mat & the kits will snuggle up there too.
A cold kit will look a bit shuffly & sluggish & they won't feed properly so providing them with a bit of warmth usually works wonders. If they've got something physical going on & they are declining (which I hope is not the case here) then adding a heat pad gives them comfort.

 

[greychins]

Well I would if he were in a regular cage or carrier, but I have him & his siblings in a holding cage that's like having him in a run. I know the usual advice is to put them in a carrier... but my plastic cat carrier is lent out to a friend right now and other than my metal ryerson carriers, all I have is something very similar to this:

Which is fine for transport and quick things, but with that carrier being plastic-lined inside, putting a heating pad under it or part of it would turn it into a sauna..... even when the chins are in it for a short period of time (without a heating pad), it feels warmer inside the carrier than the air around the carrier... not to mention I wouldn't want to chance leaving a heating pad under something like that for the entire time I'm at work...

And obviously I can't just stick the heating pad in the run because the cord would be exposed...

I suppose I might be able to wedge the heating pad under a corner of the pan for the holding cage. Would that maybe work? And not start a fire because the other side would be touching the wood that makes up the bottom of the run (I mean I don't think it gets that hot, but I also am not home 24/7, I have to work sometime)?

Thoughts?

 

[Claire D]

The heating mats we have here are generally based on the reptile mats which only provide a gentle warmth. They are certainly not hot enough to be a problem or cause a fire.
You're only looking to provide a small area which is slightly warm - leaving plenty of space for the kits to get away from the gentle heat if they want to.

What kind of heat mat do you have?

 

[greychins]

I have a heating pad that's like meant for a human, and then I have one of those reptile mats that I have attached to the underside of a 10g tank (not that it does me good, but I have it).

The reason I asked about the fire is because I was thinking that if I put it beneath the pan it'd have to heat up the pan and potentially the shavings before the area above would be warm, I would think....

 

[Claire D]

This is the kind of thing we have in the UK - http://www.petnap.co.uk/acatalog/Petnap_Whelping_Boxes.html

Some people have reptile heat mats encased in aluminium which can be put under/in a fleece cover & those are very safe too (as long as the electrical cord is protected from chinny teeth!).

A reptile heat mat put under a pan will provide just enough gentle heat to make a difference - just as it does when stuck to the outside of aquarium glass or under substrate. If you have a cage with a pan of shavings then I'd move some shavings & put a single layer of fleece there instead - if the reptile heat mat is taped to the underneath of the pan then it will probably just be enough.

 

[greychins]

I can't say I've seen something like that with the chew-proof cord here, but then, I suppose I've never really looked.

I can do that regarding the fleece and sticking it to the underneath of the pan... that's a good idea.... I have to leave for work now but I'll pick up another reptile mat on the way home and I have to stop at Joann's anyway for fleece, so I will be doing that. Thanks!!