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[TheFreedomAngel]

Hi all,

I was wondering if people have advice on what type of care or things I should do for my pregnant chin. I heard calcium and vitamin C are good supplements but I don't know what I should give them? Also what type of things I should avoid doing when my chinchillas are pregnant?

Your inputs are much appreciated!

Thx,
TFA

[GrayRodent]

Pregnant chinchillas have the same needs as any other chinchilla. Calcium supplements are the only thing recommended supplement and nothing else is needed or advisable. What is going to be needed is a baby safe cage when it comes closer to time. You probably know that average gestation is 111 days.
The baby safe cage should not be tall like a regular chinchilla cage and should have a maximum bar spacing of 1/2" x 1/2". Anything larger than that and the kit will get out and probably die. This happens a lot.
Kits can climb the bars and if they fall they can die from injuries, which is also not uncommon, so you want to keep the cage no taller than 24". Closer to time you will want to remove any shelving from the cage so the mother will not be able to jump where the kit cannot get to her.
Never use any heating pads and keep the cage at normal room temperature.

[TheFreedomAngel]

thanks, where do i get calcium supplements? Is it the same as what humans take?

[GrayRodent]

I've used those in tablet but they seem to have some kind of filler in them that might have a sweet flavor. I used it with a male chinchilla that I suspected needed it at the time. He gobbled the tablets and I noticed large undigested chunks in his feces. I was concerned about him getting a bowel obstruction from it so I powdered them up into fine dust and put it over his pellets. That might be good enough. I recommend getting it from the vet because it will likely be a purer form although it will be more expensive.

[kageri]

You can use bird cuttlebone and mineral blocks for chins.  The main or only ingredient in them is calcium.  Some people give deer antlers sold as dog chews but it seems questionable to me and I haven't researched it.

I like to provide a little extra energy.  Bits of oatmeal (old fashioned or feed store rolled oat snot instant or flavored oatmeal) which are 5-7% fat and more kcals than most grains.  A little more controversial I give treats of sunflower meat.  Not the hull just the meat which is about the same in consistency to a rolled grain like oatmeal.  They are insanely high in kcals and 30% protein so they are a tiny treat to pregnant and growing chins.  Adding a little alfalfa hay can also provide more calcium, protein, and other nutrients.  Mine get a handful of organic alfalfa/clover mix once a week, a handful of oxbow botanical hay with herbs once a week, and bluegrass the rest.

[Jasonred79]

I've used those in tablet but they seem to have some kind of filler in them that might have a sweet flavor. I used it with a male chinchilla that I suspected needed it at the time. He gobbled the tablets and I noticed large undigested chunks in his feces. I was concerned about him getting a bowel obstruction from it so I powdered them up into fine dust and put it over his pellets. That might be good enough. I recommend getting it from the vet because it will likely be a purer form although it will be more expensive.

*I* personally, as a human, got a bowel obstruction once when I was taking too much dairy PLUS calcium supplements and such. (I was doing martial arts and trying to toughen up my bones and such)
Calcium definitely can "solidify" bowel contents if you overdose on it... it ends up going undigested through the system, and builds up in the bowels, an analogy is if you have kids you let them play with mud with low water content... see what happens when you add plaster of paris to the mud mix...
...
That was... rather uncomfortable. I'm sure everyone would rather not hear the details!