Please help!!! I dont know whats wrong!!

[Macaroni and Chiz]

I dont know whats wrong with my chin. She has gained weight, her stomach is bigger, it feels hard. When I press a bit on her just to feel, she squeaks. She isnt nearly as active as normal, she sleeps most of the day, normally in a hunched position only standing on her back paws. She doesnt stretch or roll and I read that was a symptom of bloat. She eats and drinks fine. She doesnt poop as much or as often as normal. She does kinda have mood swings. One moment she will be very friendly and just sit there and let me massage her, then other times she wont really wanna be massaged or around me. She barked once today which she NEVER does and it freaks out my other chinnie. Is she pregnant? does she have bloat? Does she have something else wrong? Is there anything I can do or any herbs I can give her?? I would take her to a vet in an instant but unfortunately I can not afford one at the moment. PLEASE HELP I AM WORRIED!!!!

I also posted in the Health and Hygiene section, but I am so worried I felt like it was an emergency.

 

[greychins]

How much weight has she gained? Do you know? If you have a male chin and she's been around him, you should be prepared for her to be pregnant. And, in my personal opinion, a you seem like maybe you should do a bit more research before any more breeding goes on, especially if you don't have the money for a vet. When chins are pregnant, their stomach does get a bit more firm and rounder. I can tell, now (though not when I first started), if a chin is pregnant just by feeling the belly.

But that said... the symptoms you described could be anything, or nothing. Asking what herbs to give her without knowing symptoms is like you going to the doctor for your friend and telling the doctor to give you meds. If you don't know what's actually wrong, you shouldn't try to treat it. And even when you do know what's wrong, herbs are not the answer for most issues. They can help with appetite loss, stress, those sort of things, but if there's actually something medically wrong, or something like bloat, those herbs aren't going to do anything, no matter which ones you give.

At the end of the day, the solution to all of this is, take her to a vet. If you don't have the money to do that, and if these chins of yours are male / female, I would separate them and keep them separate. There's plenty of vet bills that come with pet chins, much less breeding, and if you can't even afford a basic vet visit, I think breeding should be out of the question.

Reading what you wrote, like I said, I'm not sure anything is wrong. It doesn't sound like anything super out of the ordinary for a chin, but then, it's not my chin. You know your chins best. But if you really think something is wrong, find a way to get her to the vet. Borrow money from a friend/parent. Charge it on a credit card. Apply for care credit.

 

[Macaroni and Chiz]

I do not know for sure, but it is obvious she is quite a bit bigger since I got her. I dont have a male chin, but I bought her from a lady on craigslist and the lady got her from the pet store which is where I think she may have mated (if it is pregnancy) Cause the lady didnt have a male and she didnt have the female for long. I do continue to do research as much as I can each day. I got the chins having money for a vet, but recently I haven't been get as much work so I am low on cash for a vet. I will talk to someone about them lending me some money. I dont breed and most likely wont for quite a while, I have two female chins and I am sure theyre both females. Thank you for the help!! I will make sure I am prepared for pregnancy and do my best to get her to a vet if it is something else.

 

[greychins]

Oh ok, that makes sense. It's always possible the pet store had her with a male -- many of them have no idea how to sex chins, or really, any of their small animals.

Do you have a gram scale you can use to weigh her? If you do, any chance you weighed her when you got her, so maybe you have a comparison weight? If not, I would suggest getting one now (preferably a digital one, as the other ones can be super hard to use with chins) and keeping track of her weight. Usually if they're sick, they will lose weight. I weigh all the chins here twice a month, so if I don't notice they're ill, their weight should show me if something is wrong, and it usually does. It's rare to have a chin just up and die without noticing something is wrong with the weight. So if you could start weighing her, that'd be great. I wouldn't bother her like daily, but maybe twice a week. See if she's gaining, losing. If she's gaining, it could be pregnancy, but if it's not a large amount over a period of time, it also could be that you're feeding her a better food or one she likes better. That is, if you're feeding something different than what was fed at the pet store. I've had chins gain weight from eating better (granted, I've also had chins lose weight, because they went from junk food to good food, but that's a different story).

Best of luck!

 

[Macaroni and Chiz]

I do not have a gram scale yet, but I am going into town saturday and will be sure to get one so I can monitor her weight. I did switch her food immediately after I got her. The lady was feeding her a unhealthy brand that had all the extra little treats in it. She has been eating the same amount of food ive always given her but she finishes it really quickly which she didnt do before. I dont think it is pregnancy anymore, because the gestation period is 111 days and I have had her for a couple weeks more than that, and she isnt as big as a pregnant chin should be. So maybe I am just getting worried over nothing and she is just putting on some weight?

 

[Dreamlite]

If its been over the 111 days its possible she has bloat or a gas issue. That would cause a more firm belly. Do you know how old she is? She could still be growing if she's young enough. A vet is always the best option if you are concerned or have doubts.

 

[Macaroni and Chiz]

I am pretty sure it is just a gas issue. I read the symptoms of bloat and most of them she doesnt have. She is 2 1/2 years old