Maybe this should be in emergency catagory. First off, don't criticize my inexperience please. I am worried and advice can help but criticism won't. I only say this bc I've read many treads where it seems ppl have been a little rude with their comments and I'm having enough angst as is. Ok... I got a female adult a little over a month ago and didn't know she was pregnant. I had an unexpected baby on Saturday. The baby seems fine but I am worried about the mom. She acts fine but her stomach is still big and feels hard, from what I can tell. She won't let me touch her really and when she jumped out of her cage tonight I had to grab her and put her back in and she a lot of hair clumped out. I'm worried maybe there's a still born or something? She was in a cage with a male when I got her so I'm not sure how common breedback is or what it could be. If its normal and I'm just being paranoid please ease my mind. I want to take her to the vet just to be safe but miy AC is out and my vet is about 45 mins away and with this Indiana weather its too dangerous to take her now. Also the baby isnt even a week old and it picked up a pellet and started eating it. Isn't that too early? Im gonna check out the FAQs on all this but if you have any advice on Mama, please let me know. She spats and tries to bite if I get close to her tummy. I don't want her to have complications but need to be aware of anything that may be occurring or if its normal. Thanks so much! They are in a babyproof cage and the only thing in there is a hidey house and foodbowl and bedding.
Need advice Please help
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starleomach
Dawnna's Keeper
Normally after birth Mom's stomach is squishy. But being that they have a double uterine horn she could still be pregnant with kits not ready to be born or something could be stuck in there.
My recomendation to you is Since you have no experiance I would take her in for Xrays and see. A breedback would not be showing after only a week.
My recomendation to you is Since you have no experiance I would take her in for Xrays and see. A breedback would not be showing after only a week.
AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
Put ice packs in your carrier and go to the vet or find someone to take you. If you were close to me, I'd come check her out myself and take her to the vet...but, most of us are pretty far from you.
A hard tummy a week after giving birth is not really all that normal. When you say that it is hard, have you felt any lumps in it? Sometimes mama chins have extra fat on them and will appear to have lost very little weight after giving birth. Is she eating and pooping alright? Is she urinating? Do you know if she delivered a placenta after delivering her baby?
Yes, it is normal for week old kits to nibble on food. Normally they aren't really eating much of it, just mostly copying their mamas.
A hard tummy a week after giving birth is not really all that normal. When you say that it is hard, have you felt any lumps in it? Sometimes mama chins have extra fat on them and will appear to have lost very little weight after giving birth. Is she eating and pooping alright? Is she urinating? Do you know if she delivered a placenta after delivering her baby?
Yes, it is normal for week old kits to nibble on food. Normally they aren't really eating much of it, just mostly copying their mamas.
caiti
Well-known member
I have no idea about the breeding questions but if you're handy you could rig up a DIY AC for your car. Just get a cooler, one you can cut into (thin plastic or syrofoam or if you have a dremel), cut two holes. One hole for a fan to blow air from inside the cooler and another hole for a vent so the fan can suck warm air into the cooler. It will pass the freezer packs or ice (freezer packs will last you longer) and become cold air before the fan blows it out into your car.
Here's an instructable and there is a column on the left with other similar instructables so you can tailor your project.
If you have stuff like that around maybe you can make an AC and get your chin to the vet asap if she needs to go which I think she might.
Here's an instructable and there is a column on the left with other similar instructables so you can tailor your project.
If you have stuff like that around maybe you can make an AC and get your chin to the vet asap if she needs to go which I think she might.
Laurie
I heart Leonard
As you are inexperienced and you feel there is something wrong you should take her to the vet. Do as people have recommended, get ice backs or fill bags with ice and put them in the carrier--try to cover them in fleece or cloth those so they don't soak the bedding. If you are bringing mom bring baby with as well. The only way to know for sure if everything is normal is to have an experienced vet take a look.
Brittany_Lynn
I like dinosaurs :3
I witnessed Ivan eating pellets at around 12 hours old. It is totally normal. Just wanted to say good luck!
Thank you so much for the much needed advice. I didn't have her that long for either of us to be comfortable with one another so I hadn't really held her too much bc she'd pee or nip at me and I'd get scared and pull away. If I opened the door, she'd come right out tho and I could get her to her play area and she'd seem fine. I don't want to cause her too much stress by trying to hold her and feel around while she's trying to get away and bite me. Is the hair loss normal? I never saw a placenta or anything nor would I have any idea what it looks like. Her cage and hidey house didn't have anything in it that I noticed. Do they eat that? When I went into the room to feed, her hidey house, which is a dustbath was turned on its side and in a 180 turn about so thats why I checked it out and then I saw the baby. I'm wondering if that couldve scared her and maybe she stopped the process? Crazy thought but I prob shouldve saw some sort of mess of the afterbirth, right? It was pine shavings as the bedding and everything in the hidey house was dry. I don't know if she's poopiing/peeing "normally" I've changed the bedding once but I guess it coulda been a leaky water bottle. She is in the tiniest cage and I feel bad but its the only one that has small enough spacing for the baby to be safe. Thanks Susan for the offer. That was super sweet! And also, Caiti for the AC idea.
AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
They usually eat the placenta so you may not have seen it. I was just wondering if maybe she didn't deliver it and that could be a problem. She's active, so maybe it's nothing at all. You could take her to the vet to be sure that she's alright. Most of the time as long as the mother chins have delivered the babies and afterbirth everything is alright.
No, dusting her wouldn't have hurt her or the baby during her pregnancy. Sometimes it can actually help with the birth because it gets mama moving and can strengthen contractions.
No, dusting her wouldn't have hurt her or the baby during her pregnancy. Sometimes it can actually help with the birth because it gets mama moving and can strengthen contractions.
I called the vet. She didn't think I should bring her in and cause her possibly unneeded stress. I'm going to mark her water bottle to make sure she's drinking. I guess I could put on a glove and try to feel her tummy better. She said losing hair was a normal defense mechanism so that makes me feel a little better. I still want her checked out to be safe but I guess I'll just have to keep a close eye on them and if they start acting up then I'll risk it and take them in anyway. I'm going to get a digital scale also so I can make sure the baby is growing and that I didn't mess up the milk glands by bathing her the night before. I have no idea if she delivered the placenta or not. I'd just think with that cheap pine shaving bedding (which we are never buying again bc its such a mess!) that I would've saw some sort of wetness even if she ate most of it. Maybe the pine shavings are giving her bloat?
Laurie
I heart Leonard
I don't believe the shavings can give her bloat. I don't believe you can stop labor once it starts--you can't with humans that I know. In the future do not do daily dustbaths for her, it dries out their skin. They need only bathe 1 or twice a week to keep their coats in good condition. If you have a dustbath in her cage constantly I would remove it and replace it with just a house.
Please keep a very close eye on her, if she is ill and nursing a baby it is going to take all the energy she has to take care of her baby--mother's will do that for their young.
Please keep a very close eye on her, if she is ill and nursing a baby it is going to take all the energy she has to take care of her baby--mother's will do that for their young.
No the dust bath isn't in the cage. She had spots on her ear that look dry and scaly so someone had told me to put tinactin powder in the bath and thats why I was trying to bathe her daily. I was worried about fungus and was trying to get rid of it before I put anything wooden in her cage (ledges, etc.) I'm not experienced with these guys but am trying to research often to ensure a long, healthy, happy life for them. They were an 8 yr olds pets, hadn't been handled in a couple of months but fed tons of treats all the time while on food mixed with treats. I'm really trying to correct all that abuse and get them as healthy as possible. I usually don't bathe daily tho. Wednesdaiys and Sundays usually or sometimes every other. I was just told to do that to cure any fungus if in fact thats what she has. I have a couple of healthy ones that I've had since babies and their ears dont look like that. Thanks again for all the info! I just think chins are the best pets ever! I love them so much and they give me sooo much joy! Such fun little guys! I worry bc I care so much. Thats why I love this forum bc it is soo informative and helpful! Thanks again everyone! Every bit is helpful to me!
mishellyshel
Chin Slave
what color is she? maybe the spots are freckles OR they could be healed bites from a previous cage mate.
its great that you are doing lots of research. it gets a little difficult in the beginning because there is so much info out there. dont be afraid to ask questions.
oh and we need pictures!
its great that you are doing lots of research. it gets a little difficult in the beginning because there is so much info out there. dont be afraid to ask questions.
oh and we need pictures!
VolunteerChin22
I <3 dustbunnies
If you think she has fungus a vet can easily tell you that with a blacklight so that you don't have to try and self medicate for something she may not have. As for the belly, I would pull her out and feel it with gloves on and check for any vaginal discharge. Keep a close eye on her and if you notice lethargy take her in right away.
Riven
Bad Chin
Could you define hard?
Hard like firm and not squishy, or hard like there is a baseball in her belly?
Baseball bad, firm okay. If she has a lot of milk in it can feel like she she has four lumps, they may be firm but if they hard actually hard you need to watch her for mastitis, in which case the lumps will generally be sore and also feel hot.
Any chin can fur slip, pregnant, new mom, or none of the above. She was just stressed out and let it go to get away and back to her baby.
Unless the male was still in the cage when she had the kit, or a day before, there will not be a breed back.
Chinchillas do have a two horned uterus, this means they can actually carry two pregnancies at the same time, it's not rare but not common either. Usually in that case the second pregnancy is expeled when the first is and you have a much smaller baby born.
Most mothers clean up the afterbirth and everything quite well showing little or no signs of the birth. If you visit my site : www.rivendellchinchillas.com there is a page in the breeding section that shows births gone wrong as well as placenta and mastitis.
I would not worry about her tummy too much, but I would check to see if she is having any vaginal discharge or if she is "open". She should have neither at this point.
Good luck, there is nothing wrong with learning. If there is something that makes you feel like someone is being mean, step back, see if there is any good advice in it, and if not, just ignore it.
Hard like firm and not squishy, or hard like there is a baseball in her belly?
Baseball bad, firm okay. If she has a lot of milk in it can feel like she she has four lumps, they may be firm but if they hard actually hard you need to watch her for mastitis, in which case the lumps will generally be sore and also feel hot.
Any chin can fur slip, pregnant, new mom, or none of the above. She was just stressed out and let it go to get away and back to her baby.
Unless the male was still in the cage when she had the kit, or a day before, there will not be a breed back.
Chinchillas do have a two horned uterus, this means they can actually carry two pregnancies at the same time, it's not rare but not common either. Usually in that case the second pregnancy is expeled when the first is and you have a much smaller baby born.
Most mothers clean up the afterbirth and everything quite well showing little or no signs of the birth. If you visit my site : www.rivendellchinchillas.com there is a page in the breeding section that shows births gone wrong as well as placenta and mastitis.
I would not worry about her tummy too much, but I would check to see if she is having any vaginal discharge or if she is "open". She should have neither at this point.
Good luck, there is nothing wrong with learning. If there is something that makes you feel like someone is being mean, step back, see if there is any good advice in it, and if not, just ignore it.
