pregnant chin's kits taking all her nutrients

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rachelmz

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I wasn't sure if this would be under health, diet, or breeding... but I hope it fits here.

I suspect one of my chins is pregnant with several kits (she has a huge belly), and I fear that the kits are sucking the nutrition out of her badly. She feels really skinny everywhere other than her belly. I had her to the vet yesterday just in case, and they said she is almost definitely pregnant but they can't tell me she is definitely because she isn't far enough along (which amazes me because she is MASSIVE). Anyway, they said for added nutrition for her to get alfalfa cubes, which I did. But is there anything else any one knows of that will help her. Also, does any one have any tips for if she gives birth to many kits?
Thanks!
 
She's massive, but the vet can't tell if she's pregnant? Did they do an ultrasound to confirm? It would be hard to miss if they did one.

A chin should not look skinny and dragged down when she's pregnant. After the litter is born being run down can happen, though it isn't a good situation, but it shouldn't be happening now.

How old is this female and what was her weight before she conceived? If she is already suffering from carrying the kits, and from your description I assume she's in early pregnancy, then it sounds as though this girl may have trouble once the kits are born.

If it was me, I would order some Lifeline from Chocolate Chinchillas and start giving her that daily. You can also try and offer her a proven supplement to see if that can help her gain a bit. Ryersons has a supplement that they have used on their animals for many, many years. I would be very cautious though, even with a proven supplement, with giving her a bunch of new stuff if she's doing poorly.

Other than that, I personally can't think of anything to help boost her a bit. I've never had a female lose weight during pregnancy, only gain.
 
I would get her back in to see a vet and have an ultra sound performed. If her stomach is that huge and she's not pregnant, then she either has bloat, pyometra, a tumor or something else going on inside. An ultrasound and/or xray are definitely in order.
 
tunes - She is a bit over two years old. This will be her second pregnancy, and her first had no complications. She was 560 grams before. I was thinking the same thing - the pregnancy may not go well. The vet said the kits are probably taking all of her nutrients, especially if there are several, causing weight loss. Thanks for the advice though, I appreciate it.


menagerie - I did have an xray done. It didn't show anything, and the vet said that would be because she isn't far enough along. The xray only shows if the bones have begun to mineralize. I asked about an ultrasound, but he said he did not recommend it.

Does anyone know how much an ultrasound would cost?
 
Firstly I'm going to ask what are you feeding, unless the chin has other conditions pregnancy should not drag her down like that if she is on a good feed program. Also is she eating everything you give her in a day.
 
Riven - She is on PANR, and she eats as regularly as my other chins, which worries me because being pregnant I would expect her to eat more. She goes pees and poops normal though, and she drinks a lot.
 
How long has it been since her last kits were weaned? I had a female do what you are describing a few years ago. It turned out she had a horrible case of one engorged milk sac. It was the size of a lemon inside her body. We also thought it was a pregnancy until she started to get skinny on top. I am hoping this is not the case with your girl but I thought I would share just in case.
 
At 560 gm, is this an outstanding, show proven animal that you would be breeding such a small female? I wouldn't touch under 600 gm in my herd, and most of mine are 700+. I know there are people who will breed anything and everything, but there are way too many nice animals that are of a better size than that. I don't know why you would use her for breeding unless she was a GSC.
 
tunes - She was 560 g shortly after giving birth before. I (irresponsibly) had not weighed her more recently, but she was much more before her first pregnancy. I assume this is part of the problem. She was not back up to a healthy weight before getting pregnant again. My estimated time of conception is about 2 months after, shortly after I removed her kits. This is a completely unexpected pregnancy. She was in a run, and the hole had a metal wire cover over it, which she somehow got off. Thankfully she was wearing a collar, but the male got to her and must have gotten her pregnant in that one night.

chinclub - her kits were weaned in mid/late october.
 
chinclub - what did you have to do for the engorged milk sac?
 
Sadly we figured it out to late and lost our girl. Feel around on her tummy in the nipple area and see if she feels feverish there. Also, you might want to call the vet that did the x-ray and ask his opinion on that theory since he has seen her.
 
Oh man, a thin pregnant chin? Maybe she has something wrong with her other than a pregnancy?

Most of the time pregnant females eat everything in sight so that they can put on weight. Their bodies adjust to the growing little babies and the momma gains weight as the babies grow.

Is she eating? How are her droppings? I'd agree with everyone else...big belly would scream bloat to me or maybe a parasite or something.

I hope so much that she's alright. Poor thing.
 
Have you moved her out of the run? She should be removed from breeding, including moving her to a single cage where no "mistakes" can happen.
 
I would add some broad spectrum vitamin, mineral herbs like loose alfalfa hay, dandelion, nettle. Some wheat germ and bran, rose hips, and a tiny amount of cold milled flaxseed to make sure she gets essential fatty acids. Organic herbs, of course.
Fresh feed is very important right now, not more than 4-5 months from the mill date, ideally feed should be used within 90 days of milling. Just one example: about 50% of the vitamin C is lost in the feed in 6-7 weeks. I supplement my chins daily, I do not rely completely on pellets. Everything chopped that finely loses nutrients fast (for example, powdered rose hips loose 100% of vitamin C in just 6 months)!
Also, vitamins from synthetic/inorganic sources are not that easily absorbed and digested by the body, and most pellets lack some important trace elements.
My chins really enjoy roots, herbs, blossoms. I believe it's an essential addition to pelleted diet, excellent source of vitamins, minerals, trace elements,essential animo and fatty acids, flavonoids in organic, easy digestible form.
Please avoid willow wood, although many people say it's ok for chins, I would not risk it, especially now when your chin is pregnant ( significant level of salicylates, gastric ulceration can occur).
I hope your girl puts on some weight soon and everything is ok!
 
She is peeing and pooping perfectly fine. She has been moved to a new cage.
I felt her and she doesn't feel feverish. But when I put my hand in her cage she made some awful sounding angry noises at me.

Thanks again everyone for your help... I'm so worried about her. I plan to call the vet back tomorrow.

I asked earlier but I'd like to post this again - does anyone know how much an ultrasound would cost?
 
It's going to depend on your vets office. Out here they are around $75.00, but I know east coast they are usually a lot higher.
 
Wow. I would get the ultra sound down. I have had very very few cases of a female being pregnant and skinny....one was a rescue, the other had a complicated pregnancy and was never bred again. I also would pull her from breeding all together she sounds too small the only females I have that drop below 600 even right after delivery are sapphires and they do not drop much below 600, even the one nursing triplets right now. She gained 150 and only lost 75 with delivery. They should not look run down.

Most females go into prime and look their best right before delivery. A run down pregnant female is a sign of way to much wear on the body. Pregnant girls usually thrive and are at their healthiest during pregnancy it is usually the nursing that wears on them. And a vet that isn't sure about pregnancy I would find a new vet. I has to take Jazzy in a few months before she delivered I took her in in August she delivered end of october..the vet said...Ohh I think your girlie is pregnant....
 
I guess with my experience on PANR being okay, but my chins weren't reaching their potential, I'd try a different feed until she's littered and gained weight back. Maybe a supplement.

Other things can happen, like engorged mammary glands, hydropsy, etc. but they aren't as common as plan old worn down chin.
 
I'm going to call some places today and see about getting an ultrasound. I'll probably try taking her somewhere else, I'm just so afraid of stressing her out. Taking her the other day and getting the xray was traumatizing. Plus I'm in eastern PA, and it's COLD here. Poor girl...
 
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