Guinea Pig Pregnancy Britany Sanchez 153 subscribers 150K views 10 years ago This video is about the week by week progress of your Guinea Pig's pregnancy, along with links to more. Pet stores often keep both sexes together, resulting in many people being sold sows which are already pregnant. Litter size ranges, with the average being 2-4 pups in rare cases as many as 12-14. Laber-Laird, Swindle, & Flecknell. But taking in mind the previously mentioned signs you can suspect pregnancy if any one of them is present. Updated 18.12.19. The sow starts to prefer fruits and vegetables with high vitamin C content. Guinea pigs can especially sexually mature early for animals. Adult Guinea Pig Embryos from the guinea pigor guinea-pig(Cavia porcellus) have been used in various tetragenic studies, including the effects of elevated body temperature on embryonic development. X If you are not prepared to care for them yourself, a more experienced guinea pig owner may be willing to take them or you may make the decision to have them put down. For older guinea pigs, this may include her carrying out her pregnancy and birth housed at the vets, as she is more likely to need intervention. it may also be necessary to separate your pregnant guinea pig from any other guinea pigs you have. However, even without the mothers milk baby guinea pigs can survive feeding only on solid food. And, truth be told, it can certainly be a tricky, stress-ridden adventure for experienced cavy owners as well. The guinea pig may die during or after pregnancy due to complications during pregnancy or birth, or from toxemia after birth. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 326,562 times. My guinea pig's quite fat, but when we went to the vet, she wasn't pregnant. Bloody uterine discharge and straining longer than 30 minutes requires a medical examination. A local breeder may also be willing to help. Phone: 06 758 4006. Pre-mature birth will need to be followed by a period of artificial incubation. Those fertile periods can occur during any time of the year, but most frequently during spring. Boris is a veterinarian of a small house pets. Just a disclaimer: Beware that you should not wildly breed guinea pigs if you dont have a proper breeding program or the appropriate financial situation as well as time to care for them. Boys will try and mate with their mum at . . At birth, baby guinea pigs can weigh between 2.1 and 4.2 oz (60 and 120 grams) and have an average size of 3-4 inches (8-10 cm). Fleece bedding comes in many styles, looks great, and is comfortable on guinea pigs feet. Flaunt your baby bump in style in 'belfies' or bump selfies. When its utterly necessary make sure she has the support of her hips. Depression Incoming! Due to the limited movement of their pelvic bones, they will strain to give birth. The average number of days female guinea pigs stay pregnant is 65 days. I for one was never able to see Emma's babies move from the outside. The birth canals of these animals are very narrow. Until we noticed that her belly got bigger than it should be. Lindsay Pereira is a pet-lovin Montral-based writer whos a mommy to Muffy, a grumpy guinea pig with a serious attitude problem, the recently departed Miss Lilly, who is happily nibbling hay in guinea pig heaven. Is your sow pregnant? It tends to affect overweight sows delivering their first and second litter. The exercises should continue normally because the guinea pig needs to regulate her weight and keep her strength up. The vet may try to manipulate the piglet into a position where the mother can pass it. Guinea pig newborns are fully covered with hair, have open eyes and ears and have teeth present. Neutered boars should be kept separate from sows for four weeks after surgery. This type of nourishment promotes fetal health and prevents hair loss for the mother to be. Interesting fact - The largest numbers of pups a sow has given birth to was 14! Guinea pigs are pregnant for 59-72 days. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Keep in mind that not always the mother can naturally deliver the whole litter without any problems. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. By the time males are 3-4 weeks old, they should be separated from the females or you may have a whole new cycle of pregnancy to deal with! As soon as you suspect a successful mating, supplement the females usual. To find out how to house your guinea pig during pregnancy and how to prepare for it to give birth, keep reading! If the food has been stored for a while at the retail outlet, the chances are the vitamin C content is already negligible by the time you open the bag. they were both female and have been living together. During the last two weeks of pregnancy, do not handle the sow. In time, it will be a bit harder for them to move, but this is of little or no significance. ", needed available in a clear, concise manner, super simple, and now I feel confident in my unexpected blessing. To prevent high stress levels, which can lead to disease, keep your guinea pig away from direct sunlight. Whilst brothers will be fine to be housed together throughout their lives, they may never get on well enough will other boars to be permanently housed with them. After the 7th week, the movement of the pups will be even more noticeable. Negligence and ignorance can prove to be fatal for the mother and the babies. [1] A guinea pig's pregnancy lasts about 9 or 10 weeks. For young guinea pigs, this may include supplementing her diet with Critical Care of a similar product. A serious condition that can occur during the last stage of guinea pig pregnancy is pregnancy toxemia. Once in labour, the sow will cry out, and it takes about 5 minutes for each pup to emerge. Finally, feed your guinea pig high quality hay and pellets throughout its pregnancy. There is, however, a thin line between sounding heartwarming and scary when people say the words guinea pig pregnancy. There is no need to remove other sows, they may even help with the pups. Loss of appetite can also be a symptom of pregnancy toxemia. Duration of guinea pig pregnancy depends on the number of pups: the larger the litter the shorter the pregnancy. Enriching the guinea pigs diet with kale, broccoli, green peppers, and parsley is also advised. Be very careful if you need to hold or handle a pregnant guinea pig. 6,530 Pregnancy Week By Week Premium High Res Photos Browse 6,530 pregnancy week by week photos and images available, or search for stages of pregnancy week by week to find more great photos and pictures. Every pregnancy varies from individual to individual but there's definitely a silver lining, just as with any other space.Not only will we dive deeper into how you can actually find out if your piggy might be pregnant and how you can take steps and precautions towards their delivery date.Just a disc. Interesting Fact: The shorter the pregnancy is, the larger the litter size is. Thats when the delivery starts and if everything is normal the first pup will come out in about 5 minutes. If she has given birth before, she likely will double her weight by the time she gives birth, so you can approximate how far along she is by weighing her. Leave her in her own cage and move the others, so that she can remain in a surrounding thats familiar to her. They interact with voices and gestures to show you everything they feel. If there is a likelihood any of the pups are born with this condition you must decide what action you will take. As a guinea pig lover myself, I created a list of cute and funny gifts for guinea pig lovers that will surely be appreciated by the receiving party. The pregnancy of the guinea pig will be shorter if there is a larger litter size. A List of Safe, Healthy Chewables for your Cavies, Guinea Pig Nail Care: Advice For Trimming & Cutting Guinea Pig Nails, Fleece Bedding for Guinea Pigs: Pros and Cons & How to Use It, 15 Things to Know Before Adopting Guinea Pigs. Do not overfeed pellets. Thats because they dont want other males to approach her. There is a 3-5 minute interval between each baby. If so then this video will help answer all of your questions. For example, carrots contain lots of oxalate. Pet stores also often house both sexes together, and some breeders do not separate the sexes early enough so it is possible the sow was already pregnant when you bought her. Introduce the male pups to the father and any other boars you have. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. You can sense the distance between the bones by gently positioning your finger on the belly just a few centimeters from the anus. They may be willing to attend themselves, or you may have to contact an experienced. Laber-Laird, Swindle, & Flecknell. There are numerous medical reasons why giving birth can go wrong. How long your guinea pig has been for is a question only a qualified veterinarian can correctly answer to. Naturally bald areas. Ammonia irritates the lungs of pigs and will predispose the pregnant mother to lung infections. Do not bath the sow during pregnancy. Guinea Pig Site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. After the commotion of a mating ritual, keep a close eye on the sow. Male guinea pigs as young as 3 weeks old can impregnate a female, and a female guinea pig as young as a month old, can get pregnant. Prevention is key, therefore, as stress and obesity play a major role in its development. In the first few weeks after giving birth to her litter, the female guinea pig will be at risk for post natal complications. Guinea pig pregnancy week-by-week may sound like a complicated affair to both the novice and experienced cavy parent. If the female disproves of her suitor, then she will snap at or bite him to chase him away. Just because they are the pups of a familiar guinea pig, this does not mean that they will be accepted immediately. Ideally, relocate cagemates elsewhere rather than removing the pregnant sow, so she can remain in familiar surroundings. At the end of the process, the placenta emerges and the mother eats it as well. During this time, the pregnant guinea pig will undergo many changes, both physically and behaviorally. Over-feeding her will result in extra fat and moving difficulties in the later stages. ask a friend or neighbour to check on her. The early stage consists of the first few days after mating. It takes about 20-30 minutes for the whole litter to be delivered. An average guinea pig weighs about 26 ounces before she becomes pregnant. Guinea pigs have a relatively long gestation compared to other small mammals. Adding a soft, fleece blanket to her sleeping area. She does so, as well, with the placenta. As in humans, this happens when pups grow and take up more space. The male, when courting a female, will physically display himself with actions like rumbling, standing upright before the sow, and approaching her with a lowered head. During this time, keep watch for the following: Dystocia, or difficult birth, is common in sows who are older than 7-8 months and bred for the first time. Guinea Pig Eye Infection What You Should Do? Place any cavies that appear to annoy her in a different cage. Otherwise, a c-section may be necessary. Other potential complications are prolapse, retained placenta, uterine tears, etc. 8 weeks after birth the guinea pig pups double their size by adding 3-4 inches (8-10 cm). How much depends on the size of the litter, but her weight should never begin fall. With the use of ultrasound, your vet can also assess potential concerns with the pregnancy. This article was very helpful in letting us know what to expect and what to do when our female goes into labor, etc. If you are not certain that the pups are weaned at 21 days, the males should be removed anyway to prevent pregnancy. Common pregnancy complications include metabolic imbalance, difficult birthing, and postpartum issues like seizures. Loud squeals are a sign that she accepted him. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Examine the shape of the cavy's genital opening. A new estrous cycle in saws can begin very shortly after giving birth. Even still, it's important to keep a very clean cage or hutch. The female doubles in weight and hence gets bigger in size too during pregnancy. Get an experienced vet to check the sex of all your other guinea pigs. If you need it, you dont want to have to hunt around for it. As the pregnancy develops, carefully check the guinea pig twice a week for signs of illness, like crusty eyes or a patchy coat. Especially if any of them display aggressive tendencies. Female guinea pigs sexually mature as early as 2 months of age. Sometimes its the uterus lacking contractions; sometimes its a pup ending up stuck in the birth canal. when they are this wide you will know she will give birth in the next 48 hours. There is a high maternal mortality rate for guinea pigs (about 20%) as they are vulnerable to complications and illnesses such as toxemia. Make the habit of repeatedly measuring your pets weight, at least twice a month. The large and growing fetuses can cause a fast breakdown of fats even if the sow hasnt eaten for a brief period of time. Clean the water bottle weekly to prevent the build-up of algae and bacteria. The sow must be fed an adequate selection of healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables daily, along with high-quality pellets and unlimited hay and water. Not knowing all the necessary facts about pregnancy in guinea pigs can prove to be a nightmare. 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