Lying on side?

[jess_w]

Since I got my chin I've always kept the room he is in at a pretty cool temperature (colder than is really comfortable for me but I know that's how they like it) ...So I don't think this is to do with heat exhaustion, but recently he has been lying on his side quite a lot.
Should I be worried about that or is that just sometimes how they like to lie? I'm just wondering because when I first got him he never used to do it, but in the past couple of days he has been, especially after he's been out for playtime. He doesn't seem ill or anything, he is eating and if I put my hand in the cage he will always come up and have a sniff - so is he just a bit odd or do you think there's something wrong?

That might be a stupid question but just thought I'd check as I read somewhere that it's not a good sign if they're on their side!

 

[tunes]

As long as he's acting normally otherwise, it's completely okay. I have chins that scare the snot out of me daily laying on their sides when I walk in the chin room. I feel compelled to go up and blow on them or touch them, because I'm just SURE they are dead. Then they get irritated and kack at me because I woke them up. <rolls eyes>

 

[Chinniechantel]

Some chins will sleep on their side, and it is very scary to see for the first time! Is he acting normally otherwise? Eating, drinking, pooping, etc? Because he does it after playtime though, I am guessing he is just tired and found a new comfortable position to sleep in! My pregnant girls do that, and it always scares me, so I go poke them and they wake up and look at me like I am the devil. Haha. Sounds normal to me, don't worry about it. But what temperature do you keep it on? Maybe you should lower the temp when he is out for playtime, or give him a chin chiller to help cool him down.

 

[Rickman]

Wait until one is on its side, with its head hanging off a shelf!! Heart stopping!!

 

[Jenn]

As the others have said, as long as everything else is normal for your chin, then it probably just prefers to sleep on his side. The first time my hubby and I saw my chin on her side, we thought she was dead! What a scare! But I have since learned that quite a few chins like to sleep this way, so you need not be concerned!

 

[Sandi]

Wait until one is on its side, with its head hanging off a shelf!! Heart stopping!!

Heart attack x 3 (1 = me, 2 = my husband and 3 = my daughter), CJ has only done this a few times when we first got their new shelves, lol

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

the worse is when they are sleeping on their sides with their eyes open - I have a couple that do that (they are related too). The one sleeps VERY soundly, so it takes a few 'pokes' at her to wake her up to see if she is ok. She is 12 years old and has been doing this since I got her at 2 years old age. She STILL scares the heck out of me

 

[Laurie]

I have a couple of chins who lay on their sides after playtime because they are exhausted. but some of them do prefer to sleep on their side. As others have said it is very scary. As long as your chin is eating and pooing regularly and you're sure heat isn't a problem, them it just means they are comfortable sleeping this way.

 

[jmdebb]

Oh yes how scarey it is, I've said this to other people before, but I have just one [chin-chin] that lays on his side all the time, and the first time I saw it, I also got very scared and thought he was dead. Then he got up, at that point I wanted to kill him for making me think he was dead...:laughitup: Okay I would never harm an animal, I meant that in a joking way. But yes my point being is that some of them do lay on their sides, and some don't, and yes it is very scarey the first time you see it.

I have to say I would love to see a picture of one with their heads hanging off the side of a ledge that Rick was talking about, sounds cute, but yah I bet that one is even more scarier. They are funny critters for sure.

Oh, and is it out for a very long time, and does he do too much running around while he's out, I don't know if that would matter, other people in here know much more than me, but just wondering if that could be it since you mentioned that he does it after playtime.

Jean

 

[Sugarmama]

Mine lay on their sides, heads hanging wherever...I always have to go check their breathing. Drives me crazy, but at least I know they're comfy!

 

[cherylslittleangels]

Mine will do it mostly after playtime (at least the ones that aren't pregnant)

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

Kingston does this after playtime as well, at first I was concerned because like you said, he had never done it when I first got him. He does it all the time now, and he likes to hang his head off the edge of his shelf. Here's some pics, if its the same as your little guy its completely normal :]

 

[Ruby]

Blitzen also likes to sleep on her side. Venus, on the other hand, not so much. She would rather sleep like a Buddha.

 

[Cuddlebug]

All 7 of my chins sleep like that. It is scary to see and very hard to get used to. I still have to check to make sure they are alive. They just like to sleep that way.

 

[ALS_WIS]

Mine looks like Cheryl's pic. She is also a white, the wilson type, she is 9 months and she just passed 830 g. She has been sleeping on her side, her back, like a cat, a lazy one haha, since she has been like 4 months old. She is beautiful, just is more comfortable on her side.

I think there is a little misconception about chins laying on their side. yes they are prey animals, and they dont show illness until usually very sick, like laying on side, things like that, but if that is how they always sleep or sometimes take a rest, and nothing else is wrong and they are acting normal, nothing happened, I wouldnt worry to much for sure.

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

Mine looks like Cheryl's pic. She is also a white, the wilson type, she is 9 months and she just passed 830 g. She has been sleeping on her side, her back, like a cat, a lazy one haha, since she has been like 4 months old. She is beautiful, just is more comfortable on her side.

I think there is a little misconception about chins laying on their side. yes they are prey animals, and they dont show illness until usually very sick, like laying on side, things like that, but if that is how they always sleep or sometimes take a rest, and nothing else is wrong and they are acting normal, nothing happened, I wouldnt worry to much for sure.

Did you mean my picture of Kingston? Let me see your chin, there's gonna be a whole mosaic twin/triplet revolution. Kingston and Gideon ftw.

 

[jmdebb]

HaleyGoBoom, those pictures were just adorable. I actually was able to get a picture of Chin-chin sleeping on his side the other night, with his head leaning off the shelf..:hilarious: I just couldn't stop staring at him. I'll try to post it within a few days. But I have to admit, the pictures aren't nearly as cute looking at it than with your own eyes.

Jean

 

[Takara & Bao]

Bao likes to do that too ! first time scary, now I am used to it ! it's cute though !

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

HaleyGoBoom, those pictures were just adorable. I actually was able to get a picture of Chin-chin sleeping on his side the other night, with his head leaning off the shelf..:hilarious: I just couldn't stop staring at him. I'll try to post it within a few days. But I have to admit, the pictures aren't nearly as cute looking at it than with your own eyes.

Jean

lol I know what you mean about seeing it with your own eyes ^-^

Cant wait to see the pics

 

[aznmexaggie]

I have some chins who sleep on their sides and two that sleep on their backs. The ones that are on their backs seriously look dead sometimes. I've seen it so many times but I still get scared everytime they do it!