Male Chin Might be in need of help!

[Gon_destroyer_of_worlds]

Ok So I have two Chins one is name Gon, I call him Gon destroyer of worlds, and a female name Princess Buttercup. about three weeks ago when I was doing my usual cleaning of the cage I noticed Buttercup was a little plumper than she normally is. I figured she might be ready to have kits so I separated the two. a week later she gave birth to two bouncing baby boys. So Gon and Buttercup have been apart for three whole weeks. Which has been the longest they have ever been away from one another in two years. The past three to four days I have noticed that Gon has not been himself. He has not been eating, or drink much at all. He has been laying around a lot as well. ( which is not strange, he's a very lazy guy and I love him for that.) I thought I saw some wetness at the mouth the other day, but none since I cleaned him up and bathed him. tonight I placed him back into the cage because from what I have read I no longer have to worry about back breeding or anything. He now seems so much happier and is bouncing around like crazy, but he's still not eating much. Is he sick, or was he just sad that he couldn't be with everyone else?

 

[Dreamlite]

If he was wet around his mouth and not eating I would be worried about teeth problems. Have you weighed him? I would keep them separate cause if he does have issues its harder to evaluate eating and pooping in a group. Also teeth problems are genetic so i wouldn't risk another litter till I was sure he is ok.

 

[Gon_destroyer_of_worlds]

I have only seen wetness once and not again. I Stayed up all last night watching him and the others and he seems to back to himself, well mostly. He's not eating as much, but he's not refusing food like he was before I placed him back with his family. Also most of those feeding have been him feeding himself. Gon has been spending a lot of time grooming the other and being groomed. Gon is a very,very, very, very social Chin. When I first got him I had placed him in a separate room to make sure he has peace and quite. He hated that so much he started pulling his own fur out. By the time I had moved him to the living room he was missing a fair chunk of fur. This has never happened again and all and all he had been very healthy. So I don't know if he was just that upset or if he really was sick.

 

[Cuddlebug]

One, a minor incedent of drooling that stopped on its own was probably caused by something stuck in his mouth possibly between the teeth. Since it stopped, the item must have come out. If he begins to drool again, I would have him checked by a vet to see if he has issues with his teeth. He is probably eating less because, even though the item is gone his mouth still hurts some.

Two, keep an eye on his weight. Weigh him once a week and if you see a downward trend in his weight, get him checked by the vet.

Three, separate them now. It is still possible for him to get her pregnant while she is nursing her litter. That is very hard on the mother's body. I agree with not breeding them again until you know for sure that he does not have malo.

 

[Dreamlite]

Also what do you mean by pulling his his hair out when you got him? Was he fur chewing? If so he shouldn't be in breeding either way cause that is genetic.

 

[Caroline]

If he was wet around his mouth and not eating I would be worried about teeth problems. Have you weighed him? I would keep them separate cause if he does have issues its harder to evaluate eating and pooping in a group. Also teeth problems are genetic so i wouldn't risk another litter till I was sure he is ok.

Actually, this is what I believed to until recently. Now I know that isn't always the case. Dental issues can also be environmental, from an injury, to something stuck between their teeth to improper nutrition. If a chin only gets hay cubes and not hay they are at risk of developing malo because they are unable to properly grind down their teeth just eating hay cubes.

 

[ticklechin]

Malo can strike ANY chin at ANY time, if the chin has teeth it can have malo. Its genetic, its enviromental, its the bane of a chin owners existance.

 

[Cuddlebug]

Often, there is no way to know for sure if the cause in a case of malo is genetic, accidental or environmental. That is why any chin with teeth problems is pulled from breeding. Better safe than sorry.