Deformed or failed resorbed fetus

[qtpie61282]

So a little history first...
Nugget, my violet ebony carrier has been with my standard male for a few years now, lost a kit in april of 2012 and just a few months ago I noticed her acting funny so I figured she was pregnant again.
Months and months, she is acting lethargic, laying on her side, typical pregnancy signs.

Since its been like that for months, I thought maybe she selectively aborted her litter because she was stressed for some reason, because those pregnancy signs slowed a bit.

I went in to check on her yesterday and found a small round blob, like a placenta, in the center of her cage so Im thinking, sweet she did give birth and was nursing her kit. I go to move her a bit to see what was going on and off to the side of her was what I thought was just more placenta but it was in fact a deformed fetus.

Super small, looked to be half a chin, both back legs were there, no arms, and skull was mooshy but it's jaw was intact and I could move it up and down like a normal mouth.

I pushed on its skull a little and noticed a bunch of pink/white puss oozing out.
So instead of thinking she gave birth to a deformed kit, I then started to think she had aborted her kit, body tried to resorb it and failed, the dead kit has been in her decaying for not sure how long.

Anyone else experience anything like this? I have had still borns and kits who just don't make it, but never this.
And it was just after I read that article in the MCBA newsletter about selective abortion too!

Pics are graphic....warning!










So all in all, she is being retired. she has had only one successful litter of twin boys back in 2008. Lost a kit in 2010, 2012 and now 2013.

Just wanted to get the opinion of some of the more experienced breeders on here

 

[saphire]

I have not experienced this, but am looking forward on the feed back you will get.

 

[Dreamlite]

I had this happen to me about a yr ago. The female never gained any weight and just seemed slightly off. She was a rescue I took in and had to separate from a male. I kept her longer than the 4 months since even my vet couldn't find anything wrong. About 7 months after being separated from the male she gave birth to a kit similar to yours and got a pyo requiring a spay. I'm not sure if the dead kit caused the pyo or if it was all just bad timing. She is happy, healthy and in a pet home now.

 

[chinsNdobermans]

I recommended to Jen that she may want to have Nugget seen to be certain she does not need a round of antibiotics. I have never seen anything like this myself but my first concern would be pyo for sure.

Poor Nugget!

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

I agree with the above. Pyo is likely.

 

[RDZCRanch]

Did the kit smell bad? If there was little to no smell, pyo is not likely. More likely is that something went wrong with the kit late term and her body has been resorping it to the point that it will pass with ease. It's very large for a mummified kit, but what you describe as far as feel is very typical of resorption. Also the "pus" coming out of the head really looks like fleshy goo for lack of a better description. Basically, when they are reabsorbing the kit the fleshy parts are the first to go, getting disintegrated into goo before being reabsored through the uterine wall.

Also, an abortion would be an abrupt termination of pregnancy. Generally, an abortion occurs when something goes wrong with the pregnancy itself. Resorption occurs when something goes wrong with the fetus (detachment of placenta from the uterine wall, physical stresses to the mother, genetic deformities) and the fetus goes through a slow process of being disintegrated and the subsequent nutrients are absorbed through the uterine wall. Whatever cannot be broken down will be discharged through the cervix.