Chin laying on her side?

[Michael1980]

So this chin I rescued awhile back, she's suddenly taken to laying quite often, mostly while sleeping, on her side. Just started aout a week ago.

Thinking back to my days as a breeder, could she possibly be pregnant?? We havent had her TOO long, and I know her former owner had more than one cage, and mentioned about the other chin going to a diff. home.

Her personality has shifted a bit, too...become more cage agressive, and wont let me hold her, so I'd have to catch her to check for any other signs, which would cause a bit of stress to her I imagine.

Note: The area her cage is in, is not in the sinlight and the air temp is about 65 degrees, so I doubt she's overheated.

So the question is...will chins lay on their sides for any other reasons?

 

[Cinder and Me]

Since you said she was a rescue, how long have you had her? Any background (cage mates??) you know about her?

Do you know how much she weighed when you got her, and how much she weighs now?
If not, I'd weigh her now and keep a log.

My girl use to lay on her side when she was a baby ('til ~1y.o.), but she doesn't do it much now. I know that some chins love to lay on their side, but have also heard that many (if not most) pregnant ones will do it too.

 

[Chinniechantel]

Very likely possible, I agree with the scale if she does not get stressed out when you weigh her, and prepare like she is pregnant. Is she in a baby safe cage?

 

[Stackie]

Pretty much all of mine lay on their sides, and they're boys..so not just pregnant chins do it. However, in this case you'd probably be smart to prepare for pregnancy..just wanted to state that it isn't a for sure sign of pregnancy since my boys do it.

 

[tunes]

My chins play dead all the time. Males, females, moms, babies - they all do it. However, you say you got her a while ago, but "not too long ago." So how long exactly have you had her? Does she appear to be pregnant? By that I mean, does she look as though she's gained, gotten rounder?

Cage aggression could be from a new home, but again, you said you've had her for a while, so I would think if would have shown up before now.

With her being aggressive and it stressing her out, I think you're going to cause more problems by weighing her than just watching and waiting. I would say, instead, just prepare as though she is pregnant. If you see babies, you see them, if you don't, you don't.

 

[Michael1980]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I got her from her old home early march, around march 8th or so, so I've had her just over a month now. She started this behavior maybe tuesday of this week, actually, so it's recent.

When I had gotten her, he mentioned another chin which went to another home, but since he had two cages, I assumed they never were together. He didnt mention it, so I didnt even think to ask! The old owner didnt mention of the other was male, female, or what color/size, so I'd have no real way of checking anymore.

When she first came home, here, she was missing alot of fur from her back, behind the neck, and her two hip areas. He said she was a "fur chewer" but she has never, not even once, exhibited this at my house when I'm home. Nor have I found any large deposits of fur in her cage. In fact, its mostly grown back, even...and I never thought to weigh her upon arrival! I had no intentions of ever breeding again!! I just wanted a pet!
But thanks for the tip! Yes, we do in fact still have the old electronic scale from the old days, I'm sure I'll be bale to log her weights once I get her in there. She looks a LITTLE bigger, since I got her, but I'm also feeding her better (ie: Hay, hay cubes, and some general mix (corn, sunflower seeds, etc.) as treats, as well as the non-cheap food you pick up at petco.
Heck, petco costs $12.99 here, for a 4.5 pound bag of the general chin food...I can pick up the 40# bag od mazurai at the feed mill for like $16!!

The only other thing is spring is now upon us, and it;s maybe a bit more humid than it wa...but the whole attitude change...it's got me nervous! Her habits have really made a change!
She did, however, stop spraying me after the 4th day here lol.

I'm not convinced 100% she's pregnant, but looking back to my old info, it's got me nervous...it might be nothin...but I'll keep you all posted!

Oh and yeah, the cage should be baby-safe. It's taller than long, though, so I'll want to modify it a bit before the kits come.

 

[kaotictenshi]

2 out of 3 of my chins 1 f and 1 m lay on their sides, and I keep it very cool in the house, i think sometimes that's just how they like to get comfy, but being a rescue, you never know...

 

[Jenn]

My chin sleeps on her side occasionally. The first time we noticed this, we thought she was dead! Most of the time she sleeps in a sitting position, but I guess when she is really zonked, she falls over "dead".

 

[Sugarmama]

Michael, you may want to get rid of the corn and sunflower seeds you are giving as treats. They are not healthy for her.

Unsweetened mini shredded wheats and cheerios, rosehips, whole oats, safe wood sticks are all great treats, and much healthier for her.

 

[Twilight Chinchillas]

A few of my chins sleep on their sides, but when I have a female that normally doesn't sleep on their side, and all of a sudden begin hanging out on the bottom it's time to start watching.
It could just be her becoming more comfortable in her new home, but just to be safe, I'd make sure her cage is baby safe until you know for a fact she isn't expecting.

 

[Ash]

Oh and yeah, the cage should be baby-safe. It's taller than long, though, so I'll want to modify it a bit before the kits come.

No offense, but if you used to breed, you should know whether or not it's kit-safe. Is the wire spacing 1.5"x1.5" or smaller? If not, then it's not kit-safe.


And I agree with ditching your treat mix. Seeds, corn, etc, are unhealthy.