Another Interesting Birth - Bear Has a Kit

Bear is a pastel female chinchilla who I paired with a very nice, blue, award-winning male I had been lent, called Tomsk. When I knew her due date I decided to take a week off work so that I could keep an eye on her - just as well I did really. This is her first (and possibly last!) litter.

She went into labour and everything was going fine - except there was no kit appearing. Finally, after a good couple of hours, a nose appeared and then everything stopped. Bear was beginning to struggle a little and although I could see she was pushing quite well, the kit’s nose was not budging. 4 hours is the maximum time any female chinchilla should be allowed to strain without a kit being born. Time to go and visit the vets……..

My regular vet was not on duty today so I rang ahead and warned the receptionists that I was coming with a possible emergency. It was lunch time but they would get the on-call vet to pop out of surgery when I got there. Three quarters of the way to the vets I heard small, distressed squeaks coming from the carry cage - the motion of being picked up, gently examined, and popped into a carrier and driven in the car must have helped Bear give birth. Unfortunately, the kit must have been stuck because when I pulled the car over to check, it has blood on what was left of it’s front paw. I decided to keep going to the vets to get both mother and kit checked out, especially since I was not sure if Bear still had another kit inside her or had passed the placenta. I also wanted the kit assessed.

When we arrived I asked for a towel to dry the kit and asked to see the vet as well. The kit had considerable damage to his (I checked!) left front paw and Bear had bitten his back right toes and nipped his ear - poor lad, what a welcome into the world.

The vet came out and we checked Bear out - no more kits left - and she had some oxytocin to ensure she passed the placenta. The kit had an antibiotic injection to prevent any infection but he could not have any pain relief because of his size/age (nothing is really suitable for such a teeny, young kit). I took the kit and his mother home, set up a “hospital” cage in my bedroom and have been sitting quietly watching them.

Bear is being remarkably good with the little chap and is not attempting to over clean is front foot which is good. I have seen him attempting to feed but he is struggling to part the fur around Bear’s nipples because he cannot use his left paw or balance on it to use his right. He’s one determined little furry though because he is managing, despite everything. It is touch and go whether he lives or dies and whether he loses that front leg or gets septicaemia but so far, so good.