Is something wrong with her?

[SmileX3]

I was switching cages tonight and I've only had this girl for a few weeks and there was something coming out of her privates. It was like snot. Could it had been a discharge? Do you think something is wrong or is this a normal thing? I don't know anything about that area besides babies come out! LOL She's been sluggish but I thought it may've been bc she's new and was scared but now I'm wondering if she's got an issue going on thats making her uncomfortable? Any ideas on whats going on?

 

[greychins]

She could be in heat, or... it could be pyometra. I have no experience myself with it, but if it is that, I know it requires vet attention.

See this thread for more info and other comments on pyometra - http://chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13747&highlight=pyometra

 

[ticklechin]

If it was just the discharge it could just be she is in heat, but the lethargy bothers me, I would take her to the vet.

 

[SmileX3]

If she was in heat, would there be any other signs or symptoms? The only adult female I've had, I only had her for a month and she popped out a baby so I know nothing about heat. However I am concerned bc I have a lil 6 mos beigie girlie and I had "Trixie" a Mosaic VC 4 mos old who got over giardia a month ago and I finalllly got to put them together in a FN! They were only in there for a few hours but I noticed Trixie kept humping. I thought it was a territorial thing at first but then I noticed it was persistent with noises so I furthur investigated Trixie and while somethng was wet down there and there was a nifty space therefore Trixie is a boy! I'm irritated bc the breeder not only sold me two chins for $125 each (both with giardia and I lost one right away) but also kept insisting I breed bc the babies would be interesting bc of the Violet mix (but I told her no they were pets) it wasn't even a GIRL! I should've checked but I took the "experienced breeder's" word for it. Could my Willow have gotten pregnant from that? She's 6 mos. old. I don't want her growth to be stunted or have complications. To me, she's just a baby. I am so mad right now and I'm about to expose her name and tell all. I should've made another thread! Sorry! I was simply wanting to ask about "heat" and ended up venting! I don't know what heat is like for chinnies and if thats the only time they can get pregnant.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

A while back we also had the same situation. We never checked because she told us they were both boys...Well me and my boyfriend always let them visit eachother and put them in the same cage and everything. One day we went to another breeders house to purchase some chins, and let her check ours out and she picked up my "boy" and said she bla bla....i was like " thats a boy. " Come to find out my little boosie was a girlllly so ever since then we have checked because i was terrified that they had inbred !!! Luckily they were still to young and it didnt happen but it was a big scare. Just from now on make sure you check any future chins. I have heard of many people just making a mistake it happens ... Just keep a close eye on her and moniter her weight ... Also make sure you never let them have contact if you in fact dont want to breed them. I hope things work out for you and ill be wishing you the best of luck that she isnt pregnant.

 

[RDZCRanch]

How long ago did Trixie get cagetime with the 6 month old? The discharge could very well be sperm if it was within a couple weeks. The male's create a plug behind their sperm to help ensure the female becomes pregnant. If the female removes that waxy plug, fluid will come out and that could be what you saw.

A four month old male can and will impregnate a 6 month old female. I wouldn't worry about it stunting her growth, but I would worry about her ability to pass the kits safely.

I don't know who the breeder is, but I believe there's a forum rule making it so that you cannot publicly accuse them. You can send the name to people in private if they are curious for their benefit, but I don't believe you can post it in open forum.

 

[SmileX3]

Ebbers is the one with the discharge and the one "Trixie" was with is Willow. So that wouldn't' be the problem but thanks bc I could look for that on Willow to see if that was a successful try the little guy had or not! I'm not going to expose her name on the forum of course but I am going to try to contact her one more tiime and if she doesn't respond again, anyone who has asked for her name, in private of course, I will let them know so they can steer clear.

Would Willow have had to been in heat to get pregnant? I weigh them daily so I'll keep an eye out. When they're in heat, what signs should I look for? This may give me a better idea if Ebbers is just in heat or if I should in deed take her to the vet. She's acted like this siince I got her so I didn't know there was an issue. I thought she was just shy but noticing the secretion maybe it is indeed pyometra. I personally haven't had her in with anyone else but thats not to say what the previous owner did. If she had mated with another previously, could that be a possibility of the secretion? I've had her since August 2 and she's always been real still and timid when you go to pick her up so I thought maybe she was still uneasy from the move.

 

[Brittany_Lynn]

Would Willow have had to been in heat to get pregnant?

Nope.

Trixie (the girl who is actually a boy) was with Willow, and not Ebbers.
Ebbers is the one with the discharge which you are worried may be pyometra. ...Is this correct?

 

[SmileX3]

Thats correct! Sorry for the confusion! I shoulda made another thread ;0)

 

[starleomach]

I would like the name as well. does she still have the discharge? what color is in and is there an odor?

 

[Riven]

Quote:
Would Willow have had to been in heat to get pregnant?
Nope.

Uhm Yes. Chins do have to be in heat to be bred. Being "in heat" means they are fertile and ready to receive a male. They can not get bred if they are not ovulating.

A 6 month chin can and will get pregnant.

As for Ebbers, does she still have the discharge now? Gently press on her lower abdomen ( right between her back legs ) and if you put gentle pressure there does anymore discharge come out? Chins sometimes have discharge while in heat, a lot of times you don't notice it because they clean themselves very well usually.

When a chin is in heat they will be "open", a small portion of the slit on her cone, and the lateral line between her cone and anus will be separated where as normally it is "closed". There maybe some discharge, but if it is excessive or pussy looking that is not normal. Because you said it looks like snot I'm going to assume it's mostly clean with possibly light whitish tint? And the consistency of snot.

If it is yellow or very white and very thick that is generally abnormal.

 

[SmileX3]

Is pyometra contagious between chinnies?

 

[Riven]

It can be, depending on what caused it. It could be a bacterial issue, or it could be a random thing. Some diseases actually have pyometra as a symptom, but usually it's bacterial or "random".

 

[RDZCRanch]

A chinchilla has to be in heat to become pregnant. The male can and will mate with a female when she's not in heat, but she will not conceive. Just like any other mammal, pregnancy can only occur when the animal is ovulating.

Pyometra is not contagious in the sense that one animal can give it to another. Two animals living in the same conditions can contract pyometra from the same bacteria or the same way, but it will not go from one animals uterus into another. Pyometra is an infection in the uterus.

 

[Riven]

Thanks Tab for clarifying. I was typing, but not reading it. I knew in my head what I was trying to say, but yea...

 

[SmileX3]

I thought that about the ovulation/pregnancy thing thats why I felt silly for even asking but didn't know if it may've been different with chins! Thanks for all of your help! So if its of the uterus, is it not contagious from females to males?

 

[Cuddlebug]

Correct. Males can't get pyometra because they do not have a uterus.

 

[saphire]

I would like the name as well.

Ditto! please

 

[SmileX3]

Just so you all don't worry, the breeder didn't have pedigrees and I don't think you all would buy chins without them for the price she had ($125) so I don't think you'd have to worry. I don't want to bad mouth them bc of my experience (with giardia and wrong sexing) until I have spoken with them and gave them a chance to explain or at least feel out their reaction to see if they're sincere or not. I know you all would like to know and I would too but lets give them a bit to talk with me first. Just bc if it were one of us we wouldn't want someone going around giving us a bad rep in case it all was an innocent accident. For all we know, they could've lost a lot of critters due to the giardia. I probably shouldn't have brought it up but you know how frustrated I had to have been after spending all the time on quarantining and then getting the chins familiar before putting them in their new FN only to have to remove "Trixie" aka "Trick-STER" lol bc it was mating with my entirely too young female, Willow!

I will keep you all posted though if she does or doesn't get back with me.

K now back to this "heat" business. Being a 30 yr old female, I feel silly asking these questions but I've always spayed my dogs and cats before finding out how it works with animals. Not being able to do that with my chinnie-choos I wanted to know a bit about it. I've read about how often they have it and the estimated time it lasts, but I don't know what it looks like. I've heard the cage will have wetter spots than just pee so does that mean its clear? For Ebber's, I tried to take a pic of her cone to post so you all could tell me if it looked like she was in heat or if I need to be concerned with pyometra but for some reason I can't upload my pics with my camera all of a sudden (always something!). I'd take her to the vet just to be safe but I'm the one with the broken AC in my car and the drive is too far to make it safely in this weather. My friends don't live in this city so I'm SOL on that one. I finally got Avatar to the vet but it was a madhouse trying to make that work and took 2 wks! I keep checking her and don't see the substance but she could be cleaning it. I don't think I saw an opening, thats why I took the pic for you experienced Mama's and Papa's.

K now for Willow, my 6mos beige whom "Trixster" just did the deed with: She's in the FN by herself and I looked for a "plug" that I've read about and haven't found anything. I did see on her tile a clear-brownish liquid spot about the size of a dime and didn't know if that could be that she may in fact had been in heat or what. The water bottle isn't on that level so it couldn't have been from that dripping on poo and she doesn't have diarrhea. Still just don't know about the "heat" and if its actual blood or what happens. And can they go into heat after they've been impregnated? Sorry if I sound like an idiot! It seems no matter how much I research these little guys daily, there's always sooo much more to learn! I enjoy it but its scary when you think you have enough know-how to be a good mom, something comes up!

 

[RDZCRanch]

Generally a female in heat does not produce copious amounts of vaginal discharge. What they produce (depends on individual chinchillas) can be clear or slightly whitish in appearance but more opaque than a solid white. Solid white, thick discharge can indicate pyometra. Their should not be extra wet spots in the cage other than spots produced by urine. A chinchilla in heat, generally, does not produce a large amount of vaginal discharge.

The brownish liquid you found in the cage of the other female is urine. Chinchillas do not produce blood or colored vaginal discharge when in heat.

Chinchillas have a uterine horn, basically two sections of uterus they can carry babies in. Chinchillas can and do go into heat after they have been impregnated, however, chinchillas do not go into heat once a week or every other week. They will only go into heat once a month.