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Author Topic: lost a viable kit for the first time  (Read 4842 times)

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kageri

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lost a viable kit for the first time
« on: March 01, 2015, 02:55:25 PM »
We lost one runt before but this time I'm not sure what happened.  She was gaining 4 grams a day, active, starting to eat solid food and then she was dead next to the pellet bowl.  It wasn't one of the cages with lots of levels and obstacles.  One low shelf and one house.  She didn't get any treats.  She had no wounds, didn't look to have been crushed, mouth was clear, teeth were fine, butt was clean and there had been no sign of digestive upset...  ::shrug::  I'm not sure if there's really anything to learn here.  It doesn't look like a husbandry issue and I wasn't planning to breed that female again anyway.  It's just sad.
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BLS Chins

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Re: lost a viable kit for the first time
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2015, 05:56:41 PM »
I have seen kits choke before. Could be a heart problem or even a hypoglycemic issue. Hard to say without a necropsy. Sorry for your loss
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BLS Chins
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GrayRodent

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Re: lost a viable kit for the first time
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2015, 06:46:44 PM »
I'm sorry to hear that. That is very sad.
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I'm a programmer not a chinchilla breeder. I learn by asking questions just like you.

kageri

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Re: lost a viable kit for the first time
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2015, 01:40:47 AM »
I didn't see any food but it's possible it was too far down the throat.  I figured a necropsy wouldn't show a whole lot when the body had already started rigor mortis.  I suppose an enlarged heart might be visible but who knows exactly how large the heart should be.
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GrayRodent

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Re: lost a viable kit for the first time
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2015, 02:07:07 AM »
If you ever want to have a necropsy done refrigerate the carcass but do not freeze it. Rigor doesn't matter. It is decomposition that will effect the results. Of course freezing makes any histological analysis difficult. All of the organs are weighed and compared against a chart. If it was a heart defect it would show up in the dissection of the heart. If something looks off a histological exam may be done on the affected tissues. Of course it doesn't mean you'll find a cause in every necropsy but it can be useful.
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kageri

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Re: lost a viable kit for the first time
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2015, 01:42:13 PM »
I think though I'd have to get the body to the vet that is now an hour and a half away.  There are vets around here that can do most things but none with as much experience and available tools.  That's where we have to take things with complex problems.
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ABC Chinchillas

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Re: lost a viable kit for the first time
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2015, 05:30:10 PM »
Sometimes it is just failure to thrive and no explanation can ever be found. One of the sad facts of breeding. The say on average  12-25% of kits are lost a year
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