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[Joyce]

Ok folks please help me out here.  This is my first litter so I do not know how much weight Mia's kits should be gaining now. 
They were born on July 28th.  One was 71g and the other was 74g.   Both were boys.  They both went down in weight a little bit
over the next day, to 67g.  Today one weighed about 70g and the other was 69g.   
Is this OK, they really are not gaining much.  I don't want them to starve.
They look like they nurse continuously.  And Mia has 3 bottles on her cage, one water, one cranberry juice and one clear pedialyte.  I was worried she was not drinking enough.

[chinchillagrl06]

Don't worry, it's normal for kits weight to drop a little at first while mom's milk is coming in. They should start gaining pretty steady for you now. 

The little eb baby I had born is already up to 100 grams!

[Lori Earle]

Joyce,
Congratulations on your first kits!
Concerning their weight, the Joy of Chinchillas says that kits can lose up to 10% of their body weight in their first week. After that, look for a weight gain of approximately 20 grams per week. If they aren't gaining this much, then you would want to supplement.
If you know of a liquid that Mia likes, try diluting it with water and then syringe feeding her. I've had success doing that with yogurt and the soy shake mix I use.
lori

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Hi Joyce,
That sounds good to me.
To check they are getting fed, just feel their little tummies. They should feel full and warm.
If you can press the tummy almost to the back then they are not getting enough milk.

[Joyce]

Hi Sarah, Lori & Debbie,  Thanks so much for your help!  This is all a very new learning experience for me, to say the least!   
The babies are gaining now, pretty much by the book!    Their bellies are full & I feel much calmer about the whole thing.  I told my husband this is it for breeding, for a LONG TIME.   :-[  I am just not strong enough to do this again!    
    Mia finally started drinking on her own.  We did start giving her soy milk yesterday (YES Debbie, I am a firm believer now myself!!!)   Lani suggested it.  The kits like it too.  We also started giving Mia an almond every day until she is back on track, also Lani's advice.  And good advice too because it has worked!!!!  Thank goodness.  Now Mia is even drinking water again by herself.
She was just a new tired & overwhelmed momma with a touch of post partum depression.  Hey, like Lani says if we humans can get it why not chinchillas?      When Mia stopped drinking then she felt worse and didn't want to eat either.  It's a vicious cycle.

[Jo Ann]

Hi All!

Concerning their weight, the Joy of Chinchillas says that kits can lose up to 10% of their body weight in their first week. After that, look for a weight gain of approximately 20 grams per week. If they aren't gaining this much, then you would want to supplement.
If you know of a liquid that Mia likes, try diluting it with water and then syringe feeding her. I've had success doing that with yogurt and the soy shake mix I use.
lori

Lori, where do you get the soy shake mix or do you mix it yourself?  Will you share with us what all is in it? 

To check they are getting fed, just feel their little tummies. They should feel full and warm.
If you can press the tummy almost to the back then they are not getting enough milk.

Gently, please!   

Mia finally started drinking on her own.  We did start giving her soy milk yesterday (YES Debbie, I am a firm believer now myself!!!)   Lani suggested it.  The kits like it too.  We also started giving Mia an almond every day until she is back on track, also Lani's advice.  And good advice too

Most definitely good advice ... Lani is a researcher on chinchillas (CA Chins) ... we are all finding out new stuff all the time.  The almond every day kinda threw me ... that's the first time I've heard someone that knows what they are talking about suggest giving a chin a nut.  Is there a limited time on the almonds? :-[
 Learn something new every day!  That's what the forum is all about!   

 
Jo Ann[/i]

[Joyce]

Oh my gosh Jo Ann, the nut thing threw us for a loop too!  Our reaction was No, we can't give her nuts because everything we have read goes against that, the whole fatty liver thing etc.....
Well Lani said it was OK to give her 1 whole almond a day OR 1/2 of a walnut a day.  And yes this is for a very limited period of time just to get Mia over the hump.  Thank goodness she loves almonds!  I give her 1/2 of a whole almond in the AM and the other 1/2 in the PM.  I have done this for 2 days now.  I'll probably give her another one today and then see how she does for the next day or so without a nut.
Lani explained it like this.  Apparently nuts increase the metabolic water in a chins system.  Nuts are (sort of) indirectly metabolized into water.  Now this is very important,  AS LONG AS THE CHINCHILLA IS TAKING IN FIBER (TIMOTHY HAY) WHEN GIVEN A NUT it is OK.  But she must be taking in fiber.  Mia is eating timothy hay so we were OK.    Also, Lani suggested giving her soy milk or apple juice in a couple of extra water bottles on the cage or from a dropper if she would take it that way.  We gave her soy milk from a dropper and in a water bottle, she likes it OK.   We also gave her a 3rd water bottle with cranberry juice cocktail 1/2 juice to 1/2 water.  She liked that alot!
 
Lani's other suggestion was to give Mia certain fruits only such as apples or peaches and/or certain veggies because they all contained water!  Never tried veggies but I gave her a piece of apple and she reacted like I was trying to kill her!  She did not go for it! 
Now everyone keep in mind please the above advice was given to us to treat a SICK nursing momma chinchilla who had stopped drinking.  She was clearly suffering from postpartum depression and exhaustion and needed quick help.
Nuts, fruits/veggies, juices should not be given to healthy chins as treats.

Mia is doing much better now, she is even starting to drink water on her own.  For some reason after we gave her that first almond and some soy milk things really began to look up!  Don't know why, but it worked for us!!!  I just love Lani, she always knows what to do in any situation!

[Joyce]

Forgot to mention in my last post.  We have also been giving Mia some little extras just to get some nutrition & energy into her.
Sorry Jo Ann, I know you asked about this and I did not mention what those extras were!

The little shredded wheat square cereal, non frosted by Post,  raisins, papaya cubes, and plain cheerios & Mrs. Pastures oat/grain cookies for animals.  No, I don't give all of these to her every day!  Just a few a day and in moderation.  She has been doing well and no problems with her poops or digestion.  Poor thing just needed to eat & drink and Lani & I decided whatever it took (safely and within reason) then that's what we had to do.

[Jo Ann]

Hi Joyce,

OK ... I'm stumped again:
 

Lani's other suggestion was to give Mia certain fruits only such as apples or peaches and/or certain veggies because they all contained water!

Peaches???   I've always been told they were very bad/poisonous to chinchillas.   

I've got to do some serious reading ... I copied the whole website tonight.      And pulled out my "After Forty Years", my "Rancher's Handbook", and my "The Joy of Chinchillas"  ... doubt that I'll be getting much sleep tonight.   

 
Jo Ann [/i]

[Joyce]

I thought the same thing about peaches because from what I read anything with a pit was not good for a chin!!!  But Lani said peaches, so I am a believer.  We bought peaches but I never gave Mia any because she responded so well to the almonds, juices & soy milk etc........Peaches would have probably been a last resort if all else failed. 
Hey, ya learn something new every day!

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Peaches would have probably been a last resort if all else failed.

That's the key, these things are a last resort, and are only to be used with sick animals.
If your chin is facing death you'll try anything.
That does not mean that it's ok to use as a treat, not even occasionally.
If it goes in wet 9/10 times it's coming out wet, but just as we would eat prunes, if a chin is not digesting some of these items may help. They should be discontinued as soon as the chin is taking his normal feed.
::gossip::That's for the newbies who may be thinking of trying a few peaches. 

[Jo Ann]

Hi Debbie, Joyce, & Newbies,

    Glad to hear someone else agrees about stressing it ... and as you said:

That's the key, these things are a last resort, and are only to be used with sick animals.
If your chin is facing death you'll try anything.
That does not mean that it's ok to use as a treat, not even occasionally.

 For those that do not understand what we are talking about ... nuts, in general have a natural oil in them, if you give them to your chin it can cause a fatty liver, because they do not digest them properly.   The almond/walnut is being given as a 'medication' per "perscription" from Lanni for Mia to get her over the hump and feeling better.

For those who do not know, Lani Richie, a researcher in California for chinchillas, is who we are speaking of when we refer to "Lani".  She is a respected authority on chinchillas.  She is also co-author of The Joy of Chinchillas, which is a must read for anyone having a chinchilla and wanting to know how to properly take care of it.

 
Jo Ann[/i]

[Joyce]

  Thank you Debbie & Jo Ann for the two posts above and filling everyone in!

Mia is doing much better and we are no longer giving her any of these extras I have spoken of.  Only needed to do this for a few days.  She is eating her normal hay and pellets as well as drinking a normal amount of water again.  You can just tell how much better she is feeling.  We are still keeping a close eye on her. 
The kits are gaining weight and entertaining us every minute!   

[Jo Ann]

  Glad to hear Mia is doing much better and off the "meds."

Yea!  Go Mia go!

 
Jo Ann 

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Way to go Mia, Joyce and Lani.

I just hate that a problem arose on your first litter, but glad it wasn't too bad.
Now enjoy, they grow up so fast.