% of people told us that this article helped them. Boars become sexually mature at three weeks, so make sure you separate them from their mother and sisters at that time. Favorite Answer. Especially if any of them display aggressive tendencies. A professional should be able to make that determination. He is an exotic vet. There are many components to a pregnant guinea pig's diet. This is due to their pelvic bones fusing in position, and struggling to allow the fully formed baby to pass through and out into the world. Laber-Laird, Swindle, & Flecknell. During the last two weeks of pregnancy, do not handle the sow. You can give her fresh alfalfa, guinea pig food pellets, fresh vegetables, and fruits. ", needed available in a clear, concise manner, super simple, and now I feel confident in my unexpected blessing. I can see her eating veggies and drinking as usual, but not touching dry food. Wait 24 hours after the birth to give additional feeding for one of the pups as it takes this long for some pups to begin feeding at all. If you are concerned about the mother or have serious health worries about one of the pups contact a vet immediately, however. Every dollar contributed enables us to keep providing high-quality how-to help to people like you. Sometimes after birth, a female can have extra skin, which may make it look like she is pregnant. The temperature outside or in a garage/shed usually becomes too cold at night for a pregnant guinea pig. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Here are some ways you can help your guinea pig: Never intentionally allow your guinea pig to become pregnant, especially if they are older than six months, younger than three months, or have never been pregnant before. After this birth, it is very important to separate males and females to avoid new pregnancy. Female guinea pigs can struggle to give birth if their first mating is after their first birthday. Do not rely on foods that list added Vitamin C as an ingredient. ", "We have an accidental pregnancy. However, the process is complex and risky, so it's often not worth it. Calcium enriched hay as pregnancy increases, The daily amount of vitamin C should be tripled, so it is likely that they will require a supplement to their normal feed. If you are not certain that the pups are weaned at 21 days, the males should be removed anyway to prevent pregnancy. Where should you make sure you post your vet's emergency phone number? Unless they are very necessary, you should postpone them until, Breaking the amniotic sac: after they are birthed, the, Bleeding: bleeding is normal during childbirth. During pregnancy, you will need to provide your guinea pig with a clean cage or hutch. Nevertheless, you may notice your guinea pig begin to eat and drink more, and their belly begin to grow — see Tell if Your Guinea Pig Is Pregnant. :P So here is the birth! In the last couple weeks of pregnancy, you should handle your guinea pig as little as possible, and grooming requires a lot of handling. This prevents an excess of one particular mineral that might be contained in that vegetable. Do not intervene or touch the pups unless you need to. So separate your Guinea Pigs around then, if not well before. Choose another answer! Read on for another quiz question. Choose another answer! It's certainly not a bad idea to put your vet's emergency number in your phone. The female has a short postpartum estrus that will last for only about half a day and, without a dominant male, all of the males will try to mate with the new mother. The pups do not require a heat lamp or heating pad. Close! The gestation period of a guinea pig is from 59 to 72 days. Do not bath the sow during pregnancy. Instead, you should do something that limits the need for grooming as your sow nears her due date. I hope that answers your question as to how many babies can a guinea pig have! ", "Just the information I needed. I am to have more of a informative conversation with my vet on Monday. ok i have a 3 month old guinea pig that is very pregnant she is very fat and i have been able to feel the babies move for like a week and a half. A nursing mother should ideally be given the best guinea pig food available because she needs to regain her strength as well as be able to provide her babies with the nutrients they need through her milk. But there's no purr to signal that a sow is ready to give birth. If I felt my pregnant guinea pig's belly and caused her a miscarriage, what would the signs be? Not quite! This served a purpose in the wild to prevent predators from finding the newborn baby guinea pigs. In muesli, the individual components of the feed are identifiable, and your pregnant sow might only eat some of them, causing nutrient deficiency. Although during this period our guinea pig may seem to be leading a practically normal life, there are some important aspects we'll need to consider. She may carry several pups, between one and six, and they're carried in the womb for 58 – 73 days. Site gave me care info and weaning info. Thanks a lot.". It is best to keep them in a barn or have a carpet over the cage front to stop drafts. Discovered how versatile a, "I have a male and a female guinea pig. All the answers given above are important for a pregnant sow, but only one of them is something you can take care of by choosing pellet feed instead of muesli. How To Tell If A Cat Is Pregnant - Symptoms, Rabbit Pregnancy - Symptoms, Stages and Care, Possibility of fetal movement when we place hands on their belly. Make any changes as early as possible in the pregnancy, when the stress will have less of an effect on the sow. Not exactly! Even if your pregnant sow is not getting into physical altercations with the other guinea pig, she'll still be under extra stress if she has to live with a pig she doesn't get along with. If you are changing the feed, make a gradual change providing a bit of both to start with as otherwise she may not eat the feed at all. A female may accidentally injure the babies by squashing them and babies are prone to escaping cages, so check up on them regularly. Get a recommendation from a friend or family member for a vet or search on the Internet for vets near you. As the pregnancy develops, carefully check the guinea pig twice a week for signs of illness, like crusty eyes or a patchy coat. 4.The most important help you can do for your Guinea pig is do nothing while she is giving birth,if the baby is not getting on his feet in 30 minutes,you can … Next time you visit her to feed, you may be greeted by 3/5 young guinea pigs. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Not quite! So there you go…. One of the biggest uncertainties during any pregnancy is knowing when the event will take place. Try giving your pregnant sow alfalfa hay, which is very high in calcium. Quite a shock, since we thought, "I recently adopted two pigs but realized I would have many more very soon. 1 Breeding 2 Pregnancy 3 Giving Birth 4 Babies The best time to breed a guinea pig is when they are between three and four months old. The feeding of a pregnant guinea pig should also include the following modifications: In addition to feeding, it's also important to take the following precautions: These are the best guidelines of how to take care of a pregnant guinea pig, especially if it is a healthy female. If the sow becomes uninterested in food contact your veterinarian immediately. Vitamin C is highly unstable and breaks down within 8 weeks of the manufacturing date. Guess again! If the water bottle is usually placed high-up, provide a second water bottle lower down so that the sow does not have to stretch if she does not want to. Unlimited hay, up to 6 months of age, pregnant or nursing it should be alfalfa as it is higher in protein and calcium and helps them through the growth spurt, the development of the pups … It's better to take other measures to prevent your sows from becoming pregnant. This article has been viewed 290,333 times. However, with the proper care, this risk can be significantly reduced and your pregnant guinea pig can be kept in good health. Choose another answer! Almost! Did you know you can read expert answers for this article? There's no sound cause there basically was no noise … Most often,a guinea pig won’t need any help delivering her pups. As her pregnancy progresses, your guinea pig will become less flexible and less able to groom herself. You should definitely separate your guinea pigs if you notice that two of them aren't getting along. Then the sow will want to go to wherever she made her "nest". She will naturally clean up the area around her: lick the babies clean, bite off the umbilical cord and eat the placenta. "Just found out our rescued pig was pregnant even after two exams and one ultrasound. "We just found out that one of our guinea pigs is male and the other is pregnant! ", Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow, Aiutare un Porcellino d'India in Gravidanza, s'occuper d'un cochon d'Inde durant la période de gestation, Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. So, while neutering means he cannot produce more sperm, he could still theoretically sire offspring for a short time after castration. Try again! That's totally normal and expected. Calcium is an essential mineral for several important functions in the body of an animal. Physical signs of pregnancy are hard to detect, and often only become apparent towards the end of pregnancy. It is best to keep the guinea pigs somewhere warm if possible when they are expecting, as baby guinea pigs may not survive if they are born during the night if their cage is in a draft. Yes, it's possible to spay female guinea pigs. Wash out the water bottle with a gentle dish soap every few days. Posting your vet's emergency number on your guinea pig's hutch is the best way to make sure you have it while you're caring for your pregnant sow. But don't travel if the doctor can come to you. Provide her with a supply of alfalfa hay, which is an excellent source of calcium. Handbook of Rodent and Rabbit Medicine. ", "Learning what to do for a pregnant sow was most helpful, thank you. They will have been eating solids from a few days old so will cope without their mother’s milk at this age. Taking care of a pregnant guinea pig also includes the time of delivery. Time is of great importance during a breech birth. Guess again! Choose another answer! Squealing and whistling are very common sounds for a guinea pig to make. Nope! 1-2 weeks old- 10-15 ml; 2-3 weeks old- 15-30 ml; 3-8 weeks old- 30 ml+; You can feed milk to your guinea pigs with the help of a syringe. Pregnant guinea pigs do need significantly more calcium than other guinea pigs do, but pelleted feed isn't higher in calcium than muesli. But longhaired breeds tend to get their hair dirty and tangled, so you need to do something to keep your guinea pig clean and healthy. Keeping a clean hutch will prevent a build-up of ammonia from urine. Click to attach a photo related to your comment, How to Take Care of a Pregnant Guinea Pig, Ideal environment for a pregnant guinea pig, How to know if my guinea pig is about to give birth, Delivery complications for pregnant guinea pigs, Third Eyelid Showing in Cats - Causes and Treatment, Is my Dog about to Give Birth? it may also be necessary to separate your pregnant guinea pig from any other guinea pigs you have. Absolutely! All guinea pigs enjoy burrowing down in hay, but do not nest specifically because of pregnancy. Correct! If there are any signs that the pregnant sow is not getting on with another guinea pig, do not hesitate to remove the other guinea pig, but leave the pregnant sow in the hutch/cage she is in. It is completely normal for the guinea pig to not only east this, but the amniotic sac and umbilical cord also. From 10 months of age, a female guinea pigs pelvic bones become fused. 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. My guinea pig is pregnant, and I'm worried she might be sick. Reduce exposure to loud noises or bright lights. "I had no idea I brought home a pregnant guinea pig, and every bit of the information you provided was helpful. Click on another answer to find the right one... Not quite! Even if this is the first time you've had a pregnant guinea pig, the groan is distinct enough that you'll know it when you hear it. We must bar in mind that this test is not an exact determination and that it is not always easy to detect it. Cesarean sections to help relieve dystocia are very risky for guinea pigs and the survival rate for the sow is poor. To stop her hair from getting matted, it's a good idea to trim it short, especially around her rear, a couple weeks before she gives birth. If there is a likelihood any of the pups are born with this condition you must decide what action you will take. This means that if they have not yet had a litter, their rigid birth canal can prevent the exit of their offspring. Never provide a multi-vitamin. One of the few ways to predict an imminent birth in your guinea pig is to check the pelvic bone. How do I care for a rejected baby guinea pig? Clean the water bottle weekly to prevent the build-up of algae and bacteria. Most guinea pigs give birth in the daytime hours. Good luck. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Finally, don't engage in any activities which might cause them stress, such as bathing or brushing. For young guinea pigs, this may include supplementing her diet with Critical Care of a similar product. Sheerio. Supplement the mother guinea pig’s diet with calcium. Whilst guinea pigs should never be bred intentionally, coming home from the pet store with a guinea pig who is already pregnant is a common story. If your pregnant sow is hissing, try to remove whatever stimulus she's responding to in order to help her calm down. Although we know that a guinea pig's pregnancy will last about two months, it is impossible to know the exact day of delivery. Pregnant sows need more food than other guinea pigs, but not unlimited food. Hay (guinea pigs are completely herbivorous). Be very careful if you need to hold or handle a pregnant guinea pig. While parsley is a good source of vitamin C, it can also interfere with the pregnancy and may even induce a, Although their habits may be essentially very similar, they may have, If they live with other guinea pigs and we observe confrontations or, The guinea pigs won't need to make a nest to give birth. While a sow is pregnant she must have a lot of vitamin C in her diet. They may be willing to attend themselves, or you may have to contact an experienced breeder. please help and tell me when she … Pick another answer! Alfalfa hay is great for pregnant, nursing and young guinea pigs but the calcium content is too high for normal guinea pigs as a build-up of calcium can cause bladder stones. Whilst a pup becoming stuck in the birth canal or born breech is common, never intervene yourself. Back to back pregnancies are unhealthy and dangerous for the mother and could get her killed. This article has been viewed 290,333 times. They should be kept at the same comfortable temperature as the adults. Click on another answer to find the right one... {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Care-for-a-Pregnant-Guinea-Pig-Step-12-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Care-for-a-Pregnant-Guinea-Pig-Step-12-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/ac\/Care-for-a-Pregnant-Guinea-Pig-Step-12-Version-3.jpg\/aid711031-v4-728px-Care-for-a-Pregnant-Guinea-Pig-Step-12-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"