My little Onyx

TammyC · Aug 24, 2009

I took a black velvet girlie back in June. She had been housed with a beige male that didn't make it through the night. The man that I got them from said that she had just given birth a couple weeks prior to a kit that fell out of the cage and didn't make it. I prepared for the possibility of kits..... baby safe cage, supplements, lots of reading up on babies, etc.

I got home about an hour ago. When I walked into my bedroom I noticed Onyx hunched up over in the corner on the bottom of the cage where she's NEVER at. I immediately went over to her to make sure she was ok. She had blood all in the fur on her underside. Upon closer inspection I found that she had given birth to a brown velvet or tan kit. All I found were misc body parts with medium to dark tan fur, but no actual body. It's absolutely terrible. I don't know how breeders do it. It's wonderful when everything turns out ok, but sooooo heartbreaking when it doesn't. She's acting like she's still in labor, but I have no clue. I'm not sure how far apart between kits is normal. It's been about an hour. She hops around on the couple of ledges that are still in her cage, but mostly is just staying hunched in the corner. She actually just starting eating a little of her pellets as I'm typing this. I am so terrified right now and praying that she will be ok. I will stay up with her all night if I have to. Does anyone know the "normal" labor and delivery time? How long is too long? I have another female that I took in back in May that gave birth overnight while I was sleeping so I don't know how long it took her to deliver those 2 beautiful babies. I never saw any blood on her fur or anything. When should I really start worrying enough to call my vet? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

TammyC · Aug 24, 2009

She actually just went into her hidey house, layed on her side and went to sleep. Is this normal? Could it mean that the labor is over and there was only 1 kit?

tunes · Aug 25, 2009

Have you palpated her stomach gently to be sure there's nothing else in there? I'm not real sure what the hunching is. The only time I see hunching with delivery is when they are trying to pull the kit out. They don't usually sit hunched for an extended period of time just to sit there.

Odds are if nothing has happened by now, then she's done. I have had chins take over 8 hours between kits. I was surprised as I thought it would be over much sooner, but the quads were all fine.

Do the usual - watch ins and outs, activity, etc. Make sure she's acting normally. If she is, then there should be no need for concern. If you have any doubts at all, or she displays more strange behavior, i.e., more hunching, stretching, too much bleeding or discharge, then I would check with your vet.

TammyC · Aug 25, 2009

I've palpated her stomach a couple different times and I don't feel anything. She's doing all of her normal activities..... eating, drinking, greeting me when I come to her cage front, etc. What has me concerned is that she keeps laying her head down. She will still be in the standing position, but lays her head down flat onto the bottom of her cage or shelf while her back end is still in the standing position. She is not acting lethargic or anything like that. I spoke to my vet on the phone and she said that she may just be extra tired from giving birth, just keep an extra close eye on her over the next day or two, and call her if I need anything. I've checked her vaginal area. There's no bad smell, and it's all closed up like normal. There was a little bit of bloody/mucousy discharge this morning, but nothing major. I will definitely take her into see my vet if she continues to lay her head down because she's never done that before. She's pretty much slept the entire time since last night. She's in her hidey house sleeping at this moment. Thanks for your help and advice.

saphire · Aug 26, 2009

Good luck, I believe things will work out. But as you have mentionned,close monitoring is the thing to do.

Sandi · Aug 26, 2009

Wow, sorry that happened to you and your rescue. I'm sure she'll be ok, good luck with her.

ann1 · Aug 26, 2009

well if u never found the actual body of the kit u said she delivered then i'm assuming it is still left inside of her and she needs to go to the vet asap. her labor may have stopped cause the baby is probably dead. also dis charge for her vaginal area is not good either. I personally would go to the vet asap

starleomach · Aug 27, 2009

she did find pieces I have seen that in a rescue that was too small to deliver but was pregnant, She tore the kit to pieces getting out. It has also happened here with a breech birth that i helped with the 2nd part. There may be some in there still but most likely she tore him apart getting him out.