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[sabkdk14]

Hello! New to forums and posting so please bear with me if mine look strange for awhile…
 
I’ve owned my chinchillas since February of this year and did not realize that they were able to have babies…so on 7/24/11 I woke up to strange noises coming from the cage and saw three beautiful babies under mama. Unfortunately two babies passed on 7/26/11 and left me devastated. So now I want to do everything in my power to make sure the last baby lives! I have some basic questions that I’m sure have been asked time after time after time, but after doing much research and talking to multiple vets who don’t know much about chinchillas…even an exotic vet couldn’t help me, I just want answers! I’ve been going crazy for the past couple of days b/c no two answers are the same! It’s time I got answers from the experts/experienced chin owners.

Questions:
1.      What is the best substitute for the mother’s milk if the baby chin is not getting enough from the mother? – Didn’t know I had to separate mama and papa right after birth so there may be a chance she is prego again (I separated them the day after)… and I’m afraid if she is then the new developing babies could be taking away the nutrients the living baby needs. I also can’t get a straight answer on this via research or from vets.
2.      How much should the baby weigh (baby was born 7/24/11) and how much should it be gaining each day or week? – I looked this up but I’m seeing a lot of different answers and I want a better estimate so I know if I need to step in and hand feed it.
3.      When should the Baby start eating pellets and drinking water?
4.      Should I separate baby and mama on the 8th week?
5.      When can I reunite papa with mama and baby?   
6.      When can the baby and mama start taking dust baths?
 
Sorry for the question overload but I want to make sure I’m doing everything right to ensure the baby lives and mama/papa are happy. Thanks for your help!

[jbcstratton]

First, kits can range in starting weights especially with triplets.  As long as they are maintaining or gaining weight that is good.  After a few days they should start gaining a few grams a day.  Kits will start eating on hay and pellets just after a few days but need mothers milk as main thing.

As long as the kit is gaining you do not need to supplement, but you can use goats milk.  Fresh can be found at Walmart, I believe.

You can ween kits around 8 weeks but they should be around 200 grams or higher.  Also should maintain weight after weening or may need additional time with mama.

Dust baths after 10 days.

Father should not be housed with mother if you don't plan to breed, and loosing kits are only one of the hard things that come with breeding chins.  Father cannot be housed with mother and kits for a couple reasons other than breeding the mother, if your kit is female she could get pregnant at a young age and die from delivery from being too smalll, and if you have a male kit they can fight to the death over the mother when she comes into heat. 

If you would like to keep the kit it can be housed with either the mother of father depending on its sex.  But either way unless you are breeding you will need another cage.

Good luck with your kit.

[dianah]

1.      What is the best substitute for the mother’s milk if the baby chin is not getting enough from the mother? – Didn’t know I had to separate mama and papa right after birth so there may be a chance she is prego again (I separated them the day after)… and I’m afraid if she is then the new developing
babies could be taking away the nutrients the living baby needs. I also can’t get a straight answer on this via research or from vets.

it is not ideal for the mum to be nursing and pregnant at the same time, however, she's only nursing one baby now so this is not as bad as if she'd had three. i would give her extra nutrition - alfalfa hay, a teaspoon of oats twice a week and supplement vitamin c (get chewable tablets from pharmacy and give her half - they usually take it) and calcium (fruit flavoured tums, a quarter every few days)

2.      How much should the baby weigh (baby was born 7/24/11) and how much should it be gaining each day or week? – I looked this up but I’m seeing a lot of different answers and I want a better estimate so I know if I need to step in and hand feed it.
it varies greatly. you need to weigh the baby every day and expect it to put on 1-2g a day for the first couple of weeks. again, some days are better than others and some babies are better at putting weight on than others. if it's suckling, its tail is curling up, is active and steadily putting on weight, it's good. i would not be extremely keen on stepping in to handfeed - mum's milk is the best thing AND you need to feed every two hours day and night - it is not an easy task so don't start unless you have to. however, if the baby starts losing weight, it's important to supplement - fresh goat's milk's good, i actually used sheep milk (i milked a sheep!!!) for mine but it was lambing season. however, if the baby is losing weight, there may be a problem with mum and you should take them both (never leave the baby alone) to the vet. my fluffy had mastitis which meant she couldn't nurse.

3.      When should the Baby start eating pellets and drinking water?
make sure the baby can reach water bottle. they usually start eating hay very early - a few days old, not quite sure about pellets (don't remember!)

4.      Should I separate baby and mama on the 8th week?
baby needs to be over 200g. if it's not, you'll need to leave it for a bit longer. if it's a girl, you can leave her with mum indefinitely. if it's a boy, the latest i'd separate would be 10 weeks.

5.      When can I reunite papa with mama and baby?   
you can't. if the baby is a girl and you put the dad back in, he will get the mum and the baby (once fertile) pregnant. if the baby is a boy, him and dad may fight to the point where they kill each other; he can also impregnate mum after 12 weeks.
you could have the dad neutered, if you decide to do this, make absolutely sure your vet knows what they're doing, then wait for 6 weeks before you can reintroduce. again, if the baby is male, he will have to be separated.

6.      When can the baby and mama start taking dust baths?
10 days, like j said.

[sabkdk14]

Thank you both for the info!

I think the baby is a girl. Now i have another question.

1. I had to put the whole family in a small traveling cage b/c I went home for the weekend and no one was able to watch them. They pretty much have been sitting quietly together, probably b/c they are scared. I've been keeping and eye on the baby and noticed it has a scab on it's right lip. Would that be from the mother or father? (Please know I'll separate the father from the cage again when i return home). Could it also prevent the baby from feeding?

[dianah]

the baby could have a scab from mum cleaning her. if you are weighing the baby, you'll know if there are problems with feeding. mums can be a little overzealous at cleaning. it could also be from dad. no way of knowing really if there's no similar behaviour going on now.

it really is not a good idea to travel with chinchillas and especially a week old baby.