Several Pregnancy Questions:

[MarissaRelf]

I have thought one of the rescues are pregnant (I still do) I have several pregnancy questions. I have googled and binged all over the place including using 'search' here and can't find solid, non contradicting answers, so I am going to ask here.

1: Can a (possibly) pregnant chinchilla take a dust bath like normal or will the rolling possibly hurt the kits?

2: She has been rolling her fleece up as well as dragging half of her hay inside her fleece tube. She's never done that before. Is she trying to make some sort of nest? Should I fix the fleece? empty the tube? or leave it.

3: She has been sitting up on her hind legs a lot and for long periods of time. Again, she hasn't done this before. What could this be? a tummy ache maybe?

4: She's been drinking and urinating A LOT. All her bedding that I would put in the night before would be soaked the next morning and she goes through almost a full ~8+oz bottle of water in a night. What is this and should I be worried. She is eating and pooping normally.

5: I read that I should be giving her 1/2 of a Tums twice a day until she has kits because of the calcuim but she licks it a little and wont eat it. Is there something else I should try or just let nature take it's course?

I think that's it (For now lol) I hope someone can at least answer some of these. Thank you.

 

[Pookinaround]

While I am still a newbie so I hope other more experienced breeders come along but I'll try and answer based on what I have experienced so far. 1. I have let my pregnant females take dust baths up to the point they actually have their kits with no problem. 2 All of my chins like to re-arrange their cages to suit their own liking so I'd just let her have it her way. 3. I have caught my pregnant girls standing up a lot. Being pregnant can be misrable in a normal way and I think that is just a more comfy position for them. 4. I may just be overlooking the water intake with mine but honestly I didn't notice a difference. Nothing drastically different. 5. I have never given a chin Tums. Good luck! Hope this helps. Again these are just my experiences and I gladly defer to more experienced breeders.

 

[RDZCRanch]

1: Can a (possibly) pregnant chinchilla take a dust bath like normal or will the rolling possibly hurt the kits?

Yes, they can have baths regularly, even after delivering the kits. Just give her dust baths like you normally would.

2: She has been rolling her fleece up as well as dragging half of her hay inside her fleece tube. She's never done that before. Is she trying to make some sort of nest? Should I fix the fleece? empty the tube? or leave it.

You should probably remove the fleece tube unless it is close to the bottom of the cage. Shelves should also be removed or lowered. The cage should not be too tall. Babies will climb the bars at 24 hours old and when they fall, they can potentially harm themselves.

3: She has been sitting up on her hind legs a lot and for long periods of time. Again, she hasn't done this before. What could this be? a tummy ache maybe?

It is probably more comfortable for her to sit like that. Less pressure from the babies. I have seen my pregnant girls sit in the oddest positions and it is just because that is what is comfortable at the moment.

4: She's been drinking and urinating A LOT. All her bedding that I would put in the night before would be soaked the next morning and she goes through almost a full ~8+oz bottle of water in a night. What is this and should I be worried. She is eating and pooping normally.

She may be trying to build up a milk supply. Some females will drink more right before delivering.

5: I read that I should be giving her 1/2 of a Tums twice a day until she has kits because of the calcuim but she licks it a little and wont eat it. Is there something else I should try or just let nature take it's course?

Don't give tums. If you want to give calcium, either give alfalfa hay or cuttlebone. Pregnant and nursing mothers typically do NOT need extra calcium. They do not need extra supplementation. So just keep her diet as it normally would be.

I don't know where people are finding this advice about the tums, but this is the second time I have seen it this week. It's not good information.

 

[MarissaRelf]

You should probably remove the fleece tube unless it is close to the bottom of the cage. Shelves should also be removed or lowered. The cage should not be too tall. Babies will climb the bars at 24 hours old and when they fall, they can potentially harm themselves.

Don't give tums. If you want to give calcium, either give alfalfa hay or cuttlebone. Pregnant and nursing mothers typically do NOT need extra calcium. They do not need extra supplementation. So just keep her diet as it normally would be.

I don't know where people are finding this advice about the tums, but this is the second time I have seen it this week. It's not good information.

The fleece tube is just an oatmeal container covered in fleece. it is on the floor of the cage and always has been. I also removed shelves, put her in a shorter cage ect. alright, I won't give her the Tums. Thank you

 

[MarissaRelf]

And also should I let her out for play time?

 

[renRaining]

In addition to the dust bath, don't provide the mom dust bath within 10 days of giving birth. Because the vagina is still opened and dust might cause infection.

 

[RDZCRanch]

You don't have to wait 10 days. I dust every Friday regardless of when babies were born. That whole "dust in the vagina" is a myth that picked up a few years back.

No, she should not be let out for playtime. She should not be let out for playtime while her babies are nursing either.

 

[Pookinaround]

Maybe it is just me but I honestly wouldn't even know when "10 days before" birth would begin..? I don't do that anyway but I think to even follow a theory like that it could in most cases be darn near impossible to even know.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I agree - most of the time you don't know exactly when a female is going to deliver.

 

[renRaining]

Thanks for the correction, Tabitha. The 10-day-no-bath rule is on a few chin websites.

 

[Caroline]

I believe that rule applies to 10 days after, not before. I doubt the vagina would be open before as it could cause infection to enter and possibly also possibly miscarriage

 

[RDZCRanch]

You don't need to be careful before or after birth. Most of my females are bathed the day of giving birth or often the day after. They are always bathed within 7 days of giving birth. Not one of them has ever come down with a uterine infection. I had one female bathe and while I was cleaning the other cages, she gave birth to her babies in the dust. I'd think if any animal were to get an infection, it would have been her. She and the kit are perfectly fine and healthy.

There is no need to change your regular dusting schedule for a pregnant or nursing female.