What do do to be prepared...just incase

[missjess10475]

So, I bought my first chin at Pet Supplies Plus, not knowing any better! A week later I went and got a second one because I read they're happier in pairs. TWO employees assured me the 2nd was a boy! They were together for almost a month before I found out chin #2 wasn't a he! Because they were pet store chins, I don't know how old they were. They were very young, though. I'm guestimating they were about 3 months old.
I'm really, really hoping my girl didn't get pregnant. I don't think she is, but like I read constantly, you don't know for sure until you see a kit in the cage. If she were pregnant, I'm assuming she would have the kit(s) around the end of Jan'beg. of Feb. They were together from the end of Sept. until the end of October.
My boy is currently 555 g and she is 444g. She has been steadily gaining around 9 to 10 grams a week. That doesn't seem like much compared to how much my other chins gain a week, but they're younger than her.
I love this chin to pieces and don't want anything to happen to her if she got pregnant so young. Plus, I don't want her to have a kit and have it get out of my FN cage.
I didn't know to check them. I assumed the pet store knew what they were talking about.
So, my question is, is there anything I should look for in the next couple months? A certain weight gain per week, mood changes, etc? I did not want to breed my chins. They are just for my pets. I just wanted to get some info beforehand so I didn't have to post one day about how I found a kit in my cage and don't know what to do. I want to be prepared just incase.
Please don't be harsh because I bought my chins in a pet store, or because I made a mistake by not checking for sure myself. I thought I had learned and read enough to be a chin owner. I have since learned a ton! But it will likely never be enough! I'm just trying to do the right thing now and watch out for her so nothing bad happens.

 

[eroomlorac]

Well, there isn't much you can do now but watch and hope she's not pregnant. Believe me, you aren't the first person who had male/female together without knowing because of what they were told. Your chinnies weight gain may just be that she is growing so don't fret but be prepared.

 

[lauralynne]

Right now you can only put her in a kit-safe cage and wait it out. I wouldn't weigh her each and every week. All the handling can stress her or any kind of mishandling could cause problems.

Expect the worst and hope for the best!

 

[RDZCRanch]

The one thing I would make sure to have on hand is hardware cloth. You can get that at home depot. This would be to line the inside of the FN to make it safe for babies. You don't need to line the cage unless babies appear, but you don't want to be in need of hardware cloth at 5am when stores are closed.

There aren't really any signs to look for. Some chinchillas will gain weight, some won't. Most times the females' nipples will elongate as they get close to the end of their gestation. Some chinchillas will get moody and some won't. Often times the females that get moody, regularly get moody when they go into heat, so it's not a helpful "sign".

Can you take pictures of the chinchillas' genitalia? We could give you more opinions on it being a boy or a girl. Often times pet stores mistake a cone for a penis. Males and females are very similar in appearance.

 

[tunes]

Have a good vet's number handy that you can go to at 1 a.m. or 10 a.m. at a moments notice. A 444 gm female giving birth could very easily have major issues delivering if her birth canal is too small. Find a vet now, explain the situation, and have any and all numbers he/she can give you so that you can reach them in an emergency if she goes into labor and has problems.

 

[Takuraktty]

Well if they are indeed only three months than shes not pregnant most females don't even go into estrus until they are 6-9 months, so if shes younger the chance is good shes not. Of course remove them ( which you probably already did). Then don't let them get together at all, a breeding takes seconds they can be playing out of a cage and within seconds the male can be connected.

You have no way of knowing how old they are but if they are young or not fully grown it is likely shes not. Also females go into estrus every 30-40 days so if they weren't together for too long chances are also good. But to be safe make sure to feed her a good food, such as Mazuri, Tradition or Oxbow (or other good brand to keep her healthy).

 

[Ash]

Takura, chins can and have been known to go into heat at younger ages, so Jess is well within her rights to be worried. While it is unlikely, it's still a possibility.

 

[RDZCRanch]

There have been cases of females becoming pregnant as young as 8 weeks and males impregnating females at the same age. So it is entirely possible that her female is pregnant at such a young age.

 

[missjess10475]

She's definetly a girl. I had a breeder look at both their genitalia and she agreed she's definetly a girl! They have been seperated since the end of October. If she is pregnant, she's only about half way. Like I said, I don't necessarily think she is, I just wanted to be prepared just incase.
I think she was 3 months old when I got her. I beleive she's now about 5 or 6 months. Actually, the chins were both the same size when I got them. He is now 555 grams and she's 444. I do weigh them every Tuesday. They are on Tradition feed and Oxbow timothy hay.
I just didn't want to wake up one day, find some babies, and be writing in the emergency section. Wasn't sure what to look for and what to do to be prepared. I will be thankful if January passes with no babies!

 

[starleomach]

Well if they are indeed only three months than shes not pregnant most females don't even go into estrus until they are 6-9 months, so if shes younger the chance is good shes not

.
12 weeks is the earliest I have seen them come into heat. So there is as much of a chance as not. I knew a breeder with this aditude a few years back he weaned all his babie together male and female..had 60% of his female kits die every year..Due to questionable circumstances

 

[Takuraktty]

I said usually, I didn't know it was that common for them to go into estrus earlier. This is why I'm not breeding yet and still in research phase.