Mastitis
I haven't had any of my females develop this so my knowledge stems from how members and other breeders I know found the problem
Females have six teats in all. So do check each one when looking for any problems. Finding Mastitis early does lessen the risk of a really bad infection.
Careful checks on all females who are pregnant or with kits.
I am a strong advocate of clean spotless cages for mums giving birth. No shelves for babies to fall from either.
No sandbath in cage the day before kits due nor during or after birth. Newspaper on floor of wire cage. If a litter is used on a hard based cage? beware litter wet with urine or having food or droppings laying in the litter. This can cause Mastitis and other bacterial infections due to mums belly and sexual areas brushing over the litter or bedding, Please be careful of using those type of cages. They are NOT chinchillas cages. A chinchilla should be in a proper chinchilla cage with wire base and slats of wooden rest spots lain on floor of cage for chinchilla to rest on.
After a birth the mums are open to urinary infections etc. mastitis and other bacterial infections.
Once they start feeding kits a daily check should be made to make sure mums cage is spotless with newspaper on floor of wire cage and changed regularly a few time per day to ensure a more sterile environment. No sandbaths whatever for two weeks. The sand is NOT sterile and may harbour bacteria from urine and dropping etc.
First sign is mum not allowing kits to feed, pushing them away etc or moving to a high shelf if shelves not removed, sitting on top of hide box etc. Thus avoiding kits finding her to feed. This is always suspicious so check mum out. especially her teats to make sure they are clean and healthy looking each day
If you find the teat area excessively hot and hard? be aware of Mastitis.
Treatment for it is usually easy. Antibiotics, usually Baytril but recently members have had a problem getting chinchillas to take it. They don't like the taste. If your female abhors it? ask vet if they think Septrine antibiotic might treat it just as well. If vet insists on Baytril and if it's a really bad infection? the vet may decide to give the Baytril injection. Everything depends on how well you know and also get on well with your vet. remember the vet is there to help your pet. Please be advised by what they say.
If mum appears to keep running away or does attack the kit then the only option may be hand feeding.
However.
During this period I would advice supplementary feeding for the kits. While mum can still feed from the other teats remember that the kit may hurt mum when it tries to feed from the bad one. when mum is settled place the kit at a healthy teat.and at the side away from the infected one, mum will usually allow kit to feed. having six there are options.smile and hopefully the kit/s will survive. Please do be very observant as to what's going on. Not the first time a mum has jumped on a baby unintentionally when she jumps in pain.