Conjoined twins...6 legs...don't look unless you have a strong stomach.

[Olallie]

OH wow, that is a big deformity. I'm so glad the Kiwi is getting back to normal, and that there were no more complications for her.

 

[3CsMommy]

Is Kiwi still doing all right? What a shock to find that instead of the little furballs you were expecting.

 

[kathiva]

It's amazing how genetics work and how they can turn kits like that, and how they can make those features different like that in a kit
I am glad that your chin is doing alright, I found that the pictures were very educational and showed us that these things can happen in breeding because genetics happen to work like that.

 

[Dustbunnies]

It must have lived for quite a while to become that big. You almost had a living conjoined baby. Now THAT would have been strange!

Glad Kiwi is okay. Best wishes to you both.

 

[AZChins]

One thing...this isn't really a deformity or a genetic issue. Conjoined twins occur when the egg splits in a certain way. Normally the egg would split completely and two zygotes would form and there would be identical twins. What happened with Kiwi is fairly rare - the egg didn't split completely and the result was two tails and two back ends.

When there is that much symmetry to the "deformity" it is an issue of an incomplete split to the egg. (Sorry for my simple explanation for it, I don't know the lingo very well.) If there were three legs or one leg was strangely shaped, it could be the result of a genetic issue - being that it was something that the genetics of the mother or the father created and that could very well be passed down to another generation. This poor kit was one of those one in one hundred thousand things that just happen.

Kiwi has had kits before and they have been fine...she just got to be the lucky mama to win the lottery with this! I'm just so glad they were not born feet first.

 

[starleomach]

I am so glad Kiwi is ok I saw the thread and my heart dropped. This is the 3rd conjoined baby I have heard of in about a month...crazyness. I would be neat to have one alive but I am odd like that. Thank God she got it out ok

 

[chinsmom]

I'm so sorry about the babies, but thankful that Kiwi's allright. Hugs to both you and Kiwi, and mucho healing vibes to help with her continued recovery. Get yourself some rest, I'm sure you both could use it!!

 

[Remyma0408]

Yikes! That is absolutely crazy...

 

[Riven]

Ditto what Susan said. It's not a genetic issue or even truly a deformity. Things went haywire somewhere otherwise in the first probably week for a chin, of development they would have split and Kiwi would have had to identical twins, opposed to what people normally think of as chins having twins, which is two separately fertilized eggs.

Too bad you didn't live close, I'm with Jessica on would have loved to have seen it in person and examined it!

 

[Sierra]

That was very interesting to see but I'm glad that Kiwi is well. It's so scary that it could have went downhill in such a short time. I feel bad for you and Kiwi though, she probably knew something was wrong with her babies. Hopefully the next babies are well and she can be a good mom to them. *hugs*

 

[AZChins]

I don't think you would have wanted to see it, Nicole! LOL It wasn't very pleasant at all...ick.

Kiwi is doing very well today...she's really back to her old self. That's a HUGE relief.

 

[Chrolte]

This happened to me too! Just today I came home from my out of town weekend and I found two dead babies in the cage. One of them had their scalp torn right off and the other one looked like it was perfectly healthy; it was fluffy and looked like the mother started caring for it but the little one was dead

This evening I went out to get something for supper and found that the mother had given birth to conjoined twins!!! I was so horrified; she ate the heads off of both of them. I can't understand why she would kill her entire litter?! I"ve had chins in the past and *never* have I witnessed anything so gruesome. Could it be that maybe she knew something was "off" with her litter, and maybe that's why she killed the first two that were born? The first two were not conjoined though, so I am really confused. Does anyone know anything about this sort of thing? I always thought chins were excellent parents?

 

[AmandaDi]

While I feel horrid that you had to deal with it I do find it quite amazing. I too am curious what organs it might have shared. Regardless, I am happy that Kiwi is well!!

 

[VolunteerChin22]

This happened to me too! Just today I came home from my out of town weekend and I found two dead babies in the cage. One of them had their scalp torn right off and the other one looked like it was perfectly healthy; it was fluffy and looked like the mother started caring for it but the little one was dead

This evening I went out to get something for supper and found that the mother had given birth to conjoined twins!!! I was so horrified; she ate the heads off of both of them. I can't understand why she would kill her entire litter?! I"ve had chins in the past and *never* have I witnessed anything so gruesome. Could it be that maybe she knew something was "off" with her litter, and maybe that's why she killed the first two that were born? The first two were not conjoined though, so I am really confused. Does anyone know anything about this sort of thing? I always thought chins were excellent parents?

Wait - She had 4 - one dead seperate, one alive, and a set of conjoined twins? - then killed the live one? were the conjoined twins alive? I am confused...

Sometimes mothers do kill the babies. It doesnt happen very often from what i know of...I would be very cautious to put her back into a breeding situation.

 

[Chillin_Chins]

Im sorry for you and kiwi