A sad kit week...need expert opinions

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qtpie61282

qtpie61282

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
271
Location
Rochester, NY
So I have been waiting for a baby boom here for the past few weeks. Finally on Sunday I see that my girl Anyah had a kit in the cage, but it was dead. It had a deformed front arm and a deformed back leg. Seemed small. Not sure if he was fully developed or if he was full term and just deformed.
I noticed a lot more blood than normal so I pulled Anyah out to check her. She seemed fine but she got startled when I put her back in the cage and she got her leg stuck in the door....now her leg is swollen.

Has anyone ever seen a kit deformed? Has anyone ever had to worry about an adult chin's swollen leg from trauma? If so, what should I look for, as far as other health concerns with her bc of the leg injury?

Also....
Today, I went in to check everyone this morning, and noticed my girl Nugget in labor, I heard her squeeking, and trying to pull legs out of her. The baby was coming out feet first and it didn't look like she was having much success. The legs weren't really moving, they were dangling. I waited, before I intervened, and ended up lifting her tail and helping gently pull the kit out.
He was blue so I started to rub him to stimulate him, I even ended up blowing in his little mouth to try and get air in his lungs, and gently giving him chest compressions. Nothing worked to bring this boy back and now my girl is super depressed and hovering over him lightly making squeeking noises.

She is breaking my heart.

Anyone ever experience a breeched chin birth like this that ended up in the kit dying? or living?

Here is the pic of the first baby born Sunday
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/qtpie61282/IMAG1803.jpg


Here is poor Nugget mourning the loss of her little boy today, seeing her so sad had me in tears
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/qtpie61282/IMAG1808.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/qtpie61282/IMAG1804.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/qtpie61282/IMAG1805.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have no advice to offer, but I'm sorry it sounds like it's been an extremely rough week.
 
I am NOT a breeder, so this may be a dumb question, but here goes...Do you have a mom with multiple kits that you could put one of them with Nugget to ease her suffering and use her milk???

Best of luck to you and your girls and so sorry for the loss of your new babies. :flowers6:
 
thanks :(
I have no other kits right now, these were my first two of the year.

I keep going upstairs to check on Nugget, she walks up to the cage door and pokes her head towards me, so I kiss her on her nose. She just keeps making sad squeekiy noises :-(
 
Maybe wrap her baby up and snuggle the two of them together and tell her what happened.

I DO anthropomorphize my animals and I DO believe that they understand what we are saying.

When Baby died, I allowed his bonded friend Mr. Whiskers to look at and sniff his little lifeless body and I cried right along with him. I told him the whole story and that Baby would not be coming home. I then took him to the vet to be cremated.

I'm certain that it helped.

Prayers for you and your girls.
 
Im the same way with my animals. I left the baby in there for a few hours so she could have some closure and hopefully understand. I just wish I had jumped in sooner to help. I didnt want to disturb her or interfere if she didnt need me, but by the time I decided to just help, I think it was too late. He could have been dead before I even walked in the room but its hard to say.
He was a good size, 58 grams....not sure why he was so stuck though, or why he was breeched :(
 
So sorry the babies didnt make it. First picture that kit likely was a stillborn - it doesnt look fully formed judging by the lack of furring not neccessarily by the malformed/missing limbs. She may have taken the limbs off in an effort to pass the kit. I don't think that kit was alive at the time of birth. Second kit, likely died in the birth canal from being stuck. he looks more like a newborn should.

This happens. Its never easy. I've found parts before and tried to put together what happened from the mess. Don't beat yourself up. You did what you could. You can't obsess over the what ifs.

For mama with the leg, I would keep an eye on it closely. If she's not using it, it's clearly dangling, broken or begins messing with it take her to a vet.
 
A baby chinchilla can survive being stuck for quite a long time. It becomes a problem if the umbilical cord is detached. At that point the baby will die unless it is delivered right away. It happens and it's horrible, but when breeding chins it should be expected that there will eventually be problems even when the kits are technically healthy and perfect. I HATE birthing problems so much!
 
I know when I got into breeding chins 7 years ago that I would encounter a lot of strange occurances and even some loss.
But you are never prepared for it. I have had other kits deliver normally and then die a few days later, losing a kit doesn't happen often. but It always hurts when we do :-(

I agree, the first one didnt seem fully developed, lack if fur etc. the legs I thought at one point could have been chewed bc they were wrinkly but I could feel the bone development.

the other one did have his umbilical cord detached, mom was pulling hard on him to remove him because I also noticed a small tear hole in his first layer of skin above his penis. the tip of his tail was also chewed on and bleeding.

im trying not to beat myself up, i just feel horrible for my sad girl. its her first loss of a kit.

Im a vet tech and if I learned anything in the field its that not all cases will have an answer or explanation



Luckily my girl with the foot is using it, but being ginger. so im hoping its just tissue damage and will heal
 
Do you have a cuddle buddy you could put in with Mama? I'm sure she'll know it's not her kit, but it may help. Or a large toy to distract her? Cholla log, lots of wood, etc?
 
It's extremely hard. Breeding chins can be so joyous, but also so stressful, heartbreaking and expensive. And, you'll never get used to losing kits or mothers or any chins...it's impossible to get used to it. It's just horrible and wrong when things go wrong! I wish I could be more upbeat and happy about things.

Here's the thing... The things that go wrong make those perfect kits and deliveries all that more special and wonderful!
 
I agree Susan. :)


I gave her some more twigs to chew, and ill see what else I can let her have. each time she sees me she runs up to the door, I thought she just liked my presence but now Im thinking she might just be waiting for me to give her kit back to her :(
 
She'll be alright! Just spoil her and keep her busy so she can get over this. For the last few months her body has been preparing her to be a mama, so it can be hard for her to just give it up easily.

One of my girls lost all her babies a few days ago. She was so forlorn and sad...two died within hours of being born and the other one died a day later. I just put her male back with her. He's keeping her busy...and she'll be fine with having more babies (this time, she's got a lot of extra fat reserves on her....)
 
I had her and the male separated but the door divider was stuck half way closed so with much effort on both their ends, I found them this morning all cuddled up in the corner of her cage together. I didn't have the heart to take him back out.
If he re-impregnates her she should be ok right because she isn't currently nursing any kits. She is a large girl as well.
They just looked so peaceful, and she seemed very content<3
 
Aw, I don't have any advice but I'm sorry to hear about your loss. And I'm glad momma has her man to snuggle up too now <3 hopefully it's alright and safe for her to be with him (not a breeder so I'm not fully sure)
Poor girl seeing her so sad in those pics made me sad for her as well :(
 
If she still has good weight, I would just let the male stay with her. Seems like the chins may have known what was best in this case.
 
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