Please Help....Weird Acting Chin

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ChinNoob

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2010
Messages
22
Location
Texas
Hi, as you guys know, I am fairly new to this forum but I have two chins, one 8month boy (Speedy) and one 2yr girl (Poppy). I woke up this morning to my girl acting very weird. She was barking pretty loudly which is unusual for her, I figured it was because the boy chin (whose cage is near) was moving around towards her cage. However after a little while (literally 20-30mins) she has lain on her side and not moving much, but barks/jerks her head at me when I reach in. I was going to take her to the vet but am wondering if I am being too worrisome?
 
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Chins laying on their side is not uncommon. A lot of chins sleep on their side and especially do so when too warm. I would make sure to check temp. This is the time chins sleep so her not being active is again common. Sometimes they bark in their sleep as they are dreaming.

I would keep a close eye on her--if she is eating and pooping normally then I would say no cause for alarm. BUT make sure you check out the temp and humidity down there in TX--it could be too hot and she would benefit from a kick of the a/c
 
Thanks Laurie, I am now at the vet because she was really worrying me, she sounded like she was in distress. Couldn't wait for the responses lol. But the room was very cool so I know the temp was ok, the a/c was on all nigh and this morning. She had recently been eating her hay and food more (I figured she was finally warming up to me and the place) but the droppings and things I did note were less.
 
And just to add, when I got to he vet and took her out of the cage, she was kind of like a limp noodle being lifted, she stopped the protesting. Maybe she realized I'm helping her? I'm just so worried and freaked out right now. I've had her for about a month, have taken great care of her (fresh water/hay/food (mazuri), toys, hammocks, playtime, house kept cool (a/c running), good treats (oats but not to many). The previous owner said she was in god health so what could I have possibly do wrong??
 
*update*

Just got back from the vet.....turns out my little girlie, Poppy, was pregnant and having a hard time having the babies. There were two babies and apparently something happened where they both got caught in the birth canal. She passed shortly after we arrived (R.I.P.) and the babies were still breathing at the time, they performed c-section to remove them. I named them itsy and bitsy, they were so tiny. Did not get to note genders. However, a couple hours afterwards, they too passed. The vet says that the kits were so small because the chin had probably been bred back to back. I was told she had never had a litter and I kept her from my male. So the lies from a supposedly "loving" owner has taken away 3 precious lives. Can't believe this.....

RIP Poppy, Itsy, and Bitsy
 
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I am so very sorry for your losses. :(

Sleep well, Poppy, Itsy & Bitsy.
 
Wow, I am so sorry for your loss.

Did want to note though, you said...

The previous owner said she was in god health so what could I have possibly go wrong??
Click to expand...

I do some rescue work, and if I could count the number of times I've been "told" they're perfectly healthy and fine, and then have to deal with impaction, or malo, or URI's, or some other issue, for a "healthy" chin... I even had a (rescue) 9 month female birth three kits... even though the previous owner told me that she'd never been with a male (immaculate conception... riiiiiiiiight). I really only believe the reputable breeders anymore regarding how healthy a chin is.

I am very sorry for your loss. :( At least you tried though, and went to the vet. You did everything you could.
 
Yeah, thanks Erin, just wish I would've known earlier. Maybe something could have been done. No use beating myself up over it, I did try.
 
I was just checking this thread and figured your chin would be fine! You at least gave her a chance. There really wasn't anything more you could have done.
 
Did not see all the responses in my first thank you post, thanks everyone, I really appreciate it! And yeah, at first I thought it was I doing something wrong..:(


RIP my little :angel4:s
 
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I am sorry for your loss. It is one of the hardest part of having a pregnant animal...Soo much can go wrong and sometimes there is nothing you can do
 
That's so terrible, I'm really sorry you had to go through that.

The only possible defense I can give for the previous owner is that perhaps they didn't realize how quickly chins can get pregnant, that they allowed the chins to play together on a few occasions? However, the breedback situation seems to contradict that.

What's most annoying is not that people don't know how to best look after chins, it's that people seem to have an idea they aren't following best practice because they then give new owners misleading information...
 
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