HELP. Advice on unsupervised birth.

[rostykochergen]

In need of advice! If anyone has ever experienced this, please give me some advice!

We brought home our 2 female chinchillas 2 months ago, and yesterday we found a dead baby kit in our cage. We assume one was pregnant before we brought her home. I’m now scared that the mom is not healthy since this was not a monitored birth and we had no idea she was pregnant. I tried feeling her stomach for a retained fetus but I’m not even too sure what I am supposed to be feeling for! I’ve been trying to contact our exotic vet but they are 100% booked up until Monday. Any advice to help feel for a retained fetus? What does it feel like. Thanks! I’m also attaching a pic of the dead kit so viewer discretion is advised.

 

[Amethyst]

I don't have any experience with that, but personally I would just keep a close eye on the female, make sure she is eating, drinking, and acting normal. I don't know what a retained fetus would feel like but if she isn't acting off she may be fine, it's not uncommon for them to only have one and many give birth without any issues. If she is not acting normal though I would get her in to an emergency vet.

 

[ChinnyMama]

Most births tend to be single babies sometimes they have twins. Baby might've been stillborn, died by the hands of the one that didn't birth, or neglected by mom. If the momma seems fine and is eating normally and acting normally, she should be ok.

 

[rostykochergen]

She ate some treats I have, and nibbled on some pellets. She was jumping around normal this am and now she’s asleep. I’ll definitely keep a close eye on her! I just want to make sure my girls are happy and healthy! Any pet parent would understand my panic this morning as I was calling 10+ exotic pet vets lol!

 

[rostykochergen]

This was her this afternoon!

 

[tunes]

Chins will sometimes lose kits if it's their first pregnancy or the kit may not have been healthy or developed enough to survive outside of mom. You'll know pretty quickly if there are issues with a retained kit. She would have discharge, possibly a bad smell, she wouldn't be acting normally. Keep an eye on her vaginal area and check for discharge, swelling, odor, etc. If she seems normal and doing all her normal chin things, it was probably just a bad deal and she lost her kit with no after-effects.