Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[gremlin101]

Hello,

So my chinchilla had two babies and they are now 3days, however the runt is having some issues with mom. She is able to nurse, but mom tends to push her away after that. Mom favors the other baby more. Mom also cleans the babies like normal but she seems to bite the runt and it tends to scream a lot. I am not sure what to do, I don't want to have to take her away from mom but at the same time I do worry a lot.
Any advise will be amazing!!!!
Thank you so much.

-B 

[kageri]

Are you weighing them?  They should be born a minimum of 25 grams and gain 2-4 grams a day.  If either of those is not true you need to step in asap.  Even waiting just half a day can be too late.  There are a few different methods since there is no such thing as chin kit milk replacer.  I follow this one closest http://www.rivendellchinchillas.com/kitcare.html but use goat kid replacer instead of lamb and oxbow critical care instead of pellet bits. http://www.calvetsupply.com/category/s?keyword=oxbow+critical+care .  if the mother is still cleaning the kit it would be best to try to leave it with her.  You just can't replicate a mother chin.  Some kits are just squeaky and they may complain more if they aren't feeling well fed and comfortable.  If there is any sign she is actually causing injury or if the kit is not staying warm enough you will need to remove it to a hospital cage and provide the grooming and bathroom stimulation yourself.  A less reliable health indicator if you haven't been weighing is how curved the tail is.  Happy, healthy kits usually have a curled tail while kits doing poorly tend to have flatter tails.

[GrayRodent]

Congrats on your new kits. I hope the other one will come around in due time.

Trying to care for a kit in place of the mother usually results in the death of the kit even when you have done everything in the book to keep it alive. Part of the reason may be that there is something wrong with the kit which is why the mother rejects it. Another part is, like kageri says, you just can't replicate a mother chin. Unless the kit is being injured by the mother, not gaining weight, or is underweight, please do not try to separate them, and if you absolutely have to separate them, please don't be too disappointed if it does not go well.