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Chinchillas => General Chat => Topic started by: Jessica on July 31, 2008, 08:05:32 PM

Title: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: Jessica on July 31, 2008, 08:05:32 PM: I know it's really not recommended but my female gave birth today to 2 kits. One is male and the other is female. The male is already spoken for and I may end up keeping the little female. I was considering getting mom done as well. All my other chins are boys, one of which is neutered and I want them to live in the same cage together. I had one of my rescues spayed and it went well. I have a good vet that I trust very much.

I know rabbits are around 4 months of age. Are chins around 8mo or so?

Thanks
Title: Re: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: chinclub on August 01, 2008, 01:16:13 PM: Why not just let mom and the female live together. Then you won't have to take the risk.
Title: Re: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: madie on August 01, 2008, 05:11:25 PM: Quote from: Jessica on July 31, 2008, 08:05:32 PM
I know it's really not recommended but my female gave birth today to 2 kits. One is male and the other is female. The male is already spoken for and I may end up keeping the little female. I was considering getting mom done as well. All my other chins are boys, one of which is neutered and I want them to live in the same cage together. I had one of my rescues spayed and it went well. I have a good vet that I trust very much.

I know rabbits are around 4 months of age. Are chins around 8mo or so?

Thanks
::shrug::Are you planing on keeping all of them?????
Title: Re: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: Abby W. on August 02, 2008, 09:07:53 AM: How many are you planning on keeping in the same cage together?

I would agree with chinclub that it would be better to just allow mom and daughter to live together in a separate cage, rather than taking the risk to hav ethem spayed. Surgery is always a very risky proposition with chinchillas. Why take the chance of losing one of your babies?
Title: Re: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: Jenova on August 02, 2008, 03:04:46 PM: I'm hoping with my babies I have one of each and I can then put the males together and the females together, however what would you say to keeping them in the same room? I don't want father and son to fight over the females... what are your experiences of keeping two males together in a room with females?
Title: Re: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: Jessica on August 11, 2008, 06:48:13 PM: Well, mom and daughter will live in the same cage for now. I may sell one of my males, I'm not sure. I'm very attached to all of them. I have a nice big quality cage that they can all live in.

I have all my chins in the same room and I've never had an issue with the males.
Title: Re: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: Jenova on August 12, 2008, 12:22:06 PM: I'm pretty sure they're all girls, so my only problem is what to do with dad. I don't want him to be on his own, but I almost lost my rabbit when he was neutered and I really don't want to let that happen to Chong. I'm trying to bond with him more at the moment although he's never really been people chinnie. He could then be my little buddy and the girls can live together. In a perfect world I would get him neutered and have a happy little family but I'm too scared for him to do it.
Title: Re: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: Lori Ramsey Earle on August 13, 2008, 06:42:21 PM: Regarding the neutering issue - over the years, we've had a fair number of our males neutered and found it to be a safe, fairly uninvasive surgery. Not everyone has had the same experience, and I think alot of this hinges on your vet's skills and knowledge. Spaying a female is a totally different issue - it's very invasive abdominal surgery and I wouldn't risk it unless it's a dire emergency. It's like comparing a vasectomy to a hysterectomy.
The easiest thing is to separate the sexes, like Jamie said. Or read up on the neutering process for chins and then discuss it with your vet, to make sure he's familiar with the process. I've found that folks get quite animated over the neutering issue, so keep your mind open. The most neutral /informative source I've found on this particular procedure is on chincare.com. Or you can always ask us more questions here!
:Lori
Title: Re: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: ChillinChinchillas on August 16, 2008, 05:29:32 PM: I would opt for neutering the males over having the females spayed. You said you already have a neutered male, so if you feel that is unsafe to simply keep the males and females seperate, then I would go with fixing the males. I wouldn't spay a female unless there was a problem with her reproductive organs.
Title: Re: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: Debbie.nl.ca on August 28, 2008, 09:48:23 AM: My vet has spayed a few chin now and all did, and are doing well.
I have one friend that let her only pair have a litter, two females kits, and then got the dad spayed.
All are living happily in the same cage.
I can't get two males in the same cage with females around but know folks who do it with out a problem. Go figure. :D I haven't tried in years after a Dad & son almost killed each other, oh me nerves.
I have sold many a male pairs and they do fine with out the females.
All my single males have their own cages and I have as many as 5 females in the same cage.
I've been tempted to try a male kit with a Dad again, all my adult males hate each other.
Title: Re: What's a good age to spay a chinchilla?
Post by: ABC Chinchillas on September 25, 2008, 01:27:55 PM: I keep all my animals in the same room. Females do not cause the males to fight. I would never spay a female. I would consider nuetering a male but Spaying a female is much more invasive. Not to mention I am sure if you took spayed females and put them in the cage with more than 1 male it would still cause huge problems!