Possibly Pregnant Chinchilla, Still Unsure

[cuddskers]

Hi. Cuddles is a standard gray chinchilla who is possibly pregnant. We think she mated with our other male chinchilla. We took her to the vet a month or so ago, and they could not confirm whether she was or not. Since then, she has gotten much bigger. Today, she became very lethargic and is sleeping all of the time and doesn't like to move. Don't know if she has drank or eaten in last 3 hours. We thought we felt 2 nipples, but they aren't long yet. Can we give her Simethicone while she is pregnant in case it is gas? Do you know if they are that lethargic when they are pregnant? It occurred around May so she should be close. It is really scaring me because I haven't been through a pregnancy before, and I don't know what to watch for to see if she is pregnant or sick.

 

[Dreamlite]

Did you intend to breed them? Do they have pedigrees? Chins can lay around and be moody towards the end of pregnancy. The only way to know if she is bred is to wait for kits.

 

[Basket_of_Chinchillas]

If she is potentially pregnant (and potentially close to a due date) you need to put her into a baby safe cage asap. Was May the last time she had contact with the male?

 

[chechinchillas]

I agree moving her to a baby safe cage where the wire openings are not larger than 1/2" x 1". A newborn baby chinchilla can squeeze out of any openings that are larger than that. You will want to be extremely careful when handling her, but the easiest way to see the nipples is to gently lay her on her back in your palms and blow into the fur onto the outer sides of the belly. I usually check closer to the armpit area for the first nipple and then follow that down her side. When she is close to delivering usually the nipples are longer, plumper and pink. If you think she is having some other issue instead of being pregnant you should take her to your vet for an exam again. When she goes into labor usually a female will stand and hunch over or strain when having a contraction. Some of them whimper, but most of mine are usually quiet. They will continue to clean their genital area also.

 

[Caroline]

My girls become very lethargic the closer they get to delivery.
My nursery cage is a FN142 covered in 1/2" hardware cloth. I picked it up in the gardening section of Home Depot, but you can find it at lots of stores.

 

[chinsNdobermans]

All chinchillas experience pregnancy differently. But it sounds like there is a possibility your girl is expecting.

Please move her into a baby-safe cage, and be sure you have a veterinarian in you can contact in case of complications.

I wouldn't handle her more than necessary. If I'm feeling particularly curious I might rest my hand lightly on the stomach of my chin to see if I feel any kicks, but I only do this with my friendly girls who are unlikely to be stressed out.

Good luck...