Bloated or Pregnant?????

Hi Everyone!

Got a question here. Hope that you guys can help me out.

My female brown velvet, Brownie has gain quite a bit of weight. This is a record of her weight:

previous highest weight record - 416 grammes

13/3 - 426 grammes
16/3 - 418 grammes
18/3 - 428 grammes
21/3 - 422 grammes

She looks slightly bigger than before and her tummy shows a little buldge. I felt her tummy and thought that it is rather firm (not hard like a pregnant chin). She used to be quite slim and has a flat tummy. Now her bottom looks a bit rounder and bigger too. The last time he was in heat was 2 - 3 weeks ago. Is this a sign of pregnancy?? She's eating more than usual and her water intake has increase a liitle more.

I started adding small cubes of alfafa on alternate days to her diet of timothy hay and pellets 10 days ago. Does alfafa cause digestion problems???

[Sassy]

She may just be gaining weight. I hope she is not preggers, at 416 grams she should not be with a male, IMO she is to small to have kits, she could have difficulties dilivering kits. How old is she?
No alfalfa does not cause digestive problems, are you giving timothy or any other kind of hay beside the alfalfa?

[Christi]

I agree - she's way too small to be pregnant - is this the same chin we discussed before?

How do you know for sure she was in heat? I'd say if it was 2-3 weeks ago she probably wouldn't be gaining much yet.

Yes, this is the same chinnie that we discussed before. I seriously hope that she is not pregnant. If it is only gaining weight, that is a good sign!

I knew that she was in heat as my male chin tried very hard to mount her when I place her with him for a play session. I separated them after realising that she was in heat.

The only other time I place them together again was when I had to clean out their super pet cage. I place them in a pet taxi. That was 3 days after I realised that she was in heat. He didn't attempt to mate her very much then and so I suppose it was safe to keep them together for a while. Both of them have been living separately all the time.

Their diet is always APD timothy hay and pellets. Alfafa cubes was introduced 10 days ago in very small amount. But SHe has been eating more lately.

[Sassy]

The increased appetite could be from the alfalfa hay which is good, the alfalfa contains more fat and calcium. Try not to let them have play time together until she gains more weight, that way you can avoid a unwanted pregnancy for now.

[Christi]

They should always have alfalfa.

And you never place them together - especially when you know she is in heat. Being pregnant could be very dangerous for her considering her size.

She is currently 10 months old (by 28 March). I used to give them alfafa in hay form but realised that alfafa hay do not keep well in hot and humid environment in Singapore.

They love alfafa hay but I stop giving them alfafa hay 2 months ago before re-introducing the the cubes to them 10 days ago. They used to gobble up the alfafa and ignore the timothy. The brand I use is Kaytee. It comes in very small cubes mixed with berries which attract them even more.

I'm aware that she should not get pregnant; at least not for her size and weight now but she always look so lonely and bored. I tried to play with her but I think she prefer my boy more than me. She'll attempt to jump over to Perry's side whenever the cage is open. And it's tough trying o get her out. Sigh!

I checked her pelvic bones and it is almost the size of my thumb (still missing a bit). I hope she'll grown bigger (about 450 - 470 grammes) by the time she turn 16 months old. I think, that'll be a good size before I allow them to play freely together and not woory about her getting pregnant.