Need opinions/help with kit.

[Mandy]

I'll see what I can do here..
I'm gonna end up with a knocked out chin. Just watch her continue the jumping around..just against the sides and not the roof.
I might put fleece to see what she does first.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

I would not stop milk at 110g - that's very small - I would worry about continued growth problems if milk is stopped too early. I typically don't worry too much about moms injuring kits once they get that big. Seems that most squishing problems happen early on when the kits aren't very quick. Is she allowing him to nurse? wondering if that's why he's so small if she has access to get away from him in that cage...

 

[Mandy]

She lets him nurse all day if he wants. When he's not nursing he's drinking water,sleeping,or eating.

'I typically don't worry too much about moms injuring kits once they get that big.'
She squished the female day before yesterday. She was the same size as him.

 

[starleomach]

are you 100% sure she squished the female and that is why she died. Sometimes dead or dying kits are limp and listless and seem injured when they are not. Kits at that agre really aren't squished and being that he is that small if she were small too perhaps they weren't getting enough milk or are genetically weaker or something. I had a pair that produced small kits that both litters died before 8 weeks somewhat randomly. Happened with 2 litters of two in a row, those kits were smaller than they should be. I split the pair up and now the litters have been fine. he is really really small

 

[Mandy]

When I found the kit she was on her side. When she would try to breathe you could see she wasn't able to get her chest to push up. Momma was jumping around the cage when I woke up and that's what sort of made me think she had fallen on her.
The female never caught on to hiding when momma was wall-surfing either.

Once the female had passed I did feel her rib cage and it didn't feel 'right' it felt like it was broken and like one of the bottom ribs was poking against the inside of her. I don't know how that would work though.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

I agree with Kristi, I've only had it happen one time with a newborn when a jumphole was open. None of the other kits have ever been injured, but I do use breeding runs. It's also possible the kit could have injured herself somehow climbing and then falling. Well, only way you would know for sure it was illness or an injury is to do a necropsy on the female - not sure if that is an option now. I think your only solution (if she was indeed squished) is either to put Mom in a smaller safer cage so she can't surf or to pull him and handfeed.

 

[mishalaa]

She could have died because she wasn't getting enough milk, too. Starvation can make them look squished and ribs poke out.

I've never heard this. Chins either breed back or they don't. Milk quantity doesn't make a difference.

For breeders who separate the male, not try for breedbacks. Females go into heat every 3-4 weeks, so by weaning and reintroducing the male at six weeks, females are exposed 1 cycle sooner than weaning 8 at weeks.

 

[Mandy]

If a kit were to starve would their tummies still feel full? I use to check them all the time. They always felt ok.. if they were hungry and all why would they have been gaining weight everyday? They were eating pellets and hay a lot too.. so I'd be confused on starvation. I'd feel horrible if that was the reason because I wasn't supplementing them as much as I was when they were first born and getting no milk what-so-ever.

The male just weighed in at 119/120 grams.
He ate like a champ today. Pooped on the kitchen floor and made my mom freak when she saw it, too!

 

[mishalaa]

I was just throwing out a guess, I have no way of knowing why she died. But no, their bellies should not have felt full if they were starving.

 

[RDZCRanch]

Her stomach feeling full and the gasping makes me think she died of bloat which is not uncommon in kits that don't get enough of mom's milk early on.

 

[Mandy]

Oh I know you were. Thanks for saying something about that though - it didn't really come to mind but it put in my head to really make sure the male isn't not getting milk.

RDZC - I was sort've thinking the same.. She had just gotten over a very minor case of bloat a few days before she passed, so I didn't know if it still would've caused her death.

I'd have a vet look and see why she died, but I don't think I could get my mother to allow it. She'd have a cow and break down again. (I still have her body.. she's wrapped and in a sealed box until we figure out if the owner we rent this house from WILL let us bury something in the backyard.) Worse comes to worse and he says no..we'd just bury her in the box, and in some sort of flower pot until we move? (I know this sounds morbid, I'm sorry.)

 

[VolunteerChin22]

If it would give you peace of mind to know why she died then I would do it. You will have to be ok with not having her body to bury as they don't give it back after a necropsy (unless your vet/lab is different). We have a state lab near by and it only cost me $25. They consulted with my vet who called me and also mailed me the results.

 

[greychins]

Worse comes to worse and he says no..we'd just bury her in the box, and in some sort of flower pot until we move?

We actually did this, when one of our pet gerbils died (but he was more than a gerbil, he was how my chins are to me now) - he was buried in a large planter that we had. It was actually nice, because when I moved, I knew I was taking him with. <3

 

[Mandy]

VolunteerChin22..as grey chins said.. my pets are far more than just pets to me. I don't think I could live with not knowing what happened to her remains..just to know how she died. I feel like..she died..there's no turning back no matter what the vet says. I think I'm OK with no peace of mind on how she died..because that would turn into ''did she just go to some trash dump? Burn her? what happened.'' I'd rather just lay her to rest and learn from this.

And that's really sweet Greychins.
I think that's what I'm going to end up doing.
I'd find it a little.......awkward to bury my animal in a yard someone else owns..then leave it when we move. (we WILL be for a fact..)

 

[VolunteerChin22]

Which is why I mentioned it would happen that way - if you thought it was something potentially contagious I would definately have done it, as I did in my case. My cause of death was pnuemonia and it helped direct treatment of other chins in the cage.

The only reason I said it might give you peace of mind (oviously there's nothing to do for her now) was that if you could rule out the mother squished her (ie there was indication of bloat) then you could rest easier and make more informed decisions on the other kit

 

[Mandy]

True
If I thought an animal (talking in any animal I own) would've died from a sickness..I would've had the vet look into it.
In this case I wasn't thinking straight. I need to try to stay calm when it comes to my animals deaths.. I mean.. upset is one thing.. going into a depression and not taking steps I need to was another. :/

 

[Mandy]

Just thought I'd come update how this guy is doing. (he's helping on the iPod screen here)
Tomorrow he turns 7 weeks and as of tonight he weighs 141g.

 

[addictedtochins]

31 gram gain in a week, that's good. Keep it going, he's still little.

 

[Mandy]

He's 8 weeks today and weighs 170g. Going to see how he does on his own? He looks like he's eating more pellets and hay (went through a whole hand-full last night - piggy) and just using Momma as a snuggle buddy.

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

I would leave him with mom for a few days at least. He should be closer to 200 grams before you wean him. It sounds as though he may not have been getting enough to eat when he was younger. He needs to catch up and mom's milk will help him catch up faster. It's great that he is eating pellets and hay. Just my thoughts.