At birth the pups should weigh roughly 2 to 3 oz. Make the habit of repeatedly measuring your pets weight, at least twice a month. Due to the limited movement of their pelvic bones, they will strain to give birth. Other potential complications are prolapse, retained placenta, uterine tears, etc. If you need it, you dont want to have to hunt around for it. Support wikiHow by Approved. 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. unlocking this expert answer. At the end of the process, the placenta emerges and the mother eats it as well. Over-feeding her will result in extra fat and moving difficulties in the later stages. Laber-Laird, Swindle, & Flecknell. He is an exotic vet. If the female guinea appears to be in distress or is in labour for longer than 20-30 minutes without giving birth, then emergency veterinary care is imperative. [1] . Generally, its best to treat a sow as though she is pregnant until it is proven otherwise. Guinea pigs can especially sexually mature early for animals. Is your female guinea pig getting more chubby lately, leaving you wondering if youll soon have a bunch of fluff balls running around? However, this would put a huge amount of strain on her body and her mental stamina. To find out how to house your guinea pig during pregnancy and how to prepare for it to give birth, keep reading! Gaining weight at a regular pace is important. "I recently adopted two pigs but realized I would have many more very soon. When you are sure the birth is over, you can assist the sow in cleaning by removing any stained bedding. What Can Guinea Pigs Chew On? If you hold her carefully by the shoulders when she's on . Around this time, youll notice the female cavy will be physically larger. A female may accidentally injure the babies by squashing them and babies are prone to escaping cages, so check up on them regularly. Those fertile periods can occur during any time of the year, but most frequently during spring. The guinea pigs won't need to make a nest to give birth. If you are not certain that the pups are weaned at 21 days, the males should be removed anyway to prevent pregnancy. Loss of appetite can also be a symptom of pregnancy toxemia. % of people told us that this article helped them. How much your cavy expands during this time depends on the number of pups shes carrying. 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. Sometimes even surgery must be performed to save the mothers life. Do not overfeed pellets. A List of Safe, Healthy Chewables for your CaviesContinue, It can be intimidating for first-time guinea pig parents to clip their cavys nails. The male on, the other hand, will put on his manly display but will still approach the saw with a lowered head. This type is rich both in protein in calcium, two things she needs a lot at the moment. 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. We got her without knowing that she was a pregnant guinea pig. Discovered how versatile a. Some may happen sooner, later, or not at all. when they are this wide you will know she will give birth in the next 48 hours. One more way to detect guinea pig pregnancy is the smell of the pet. Duration of guinea pig pregnancy depends on the number of pups: the larger the litter the shorter the pregnancy. 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. Examine the shape of the cavy's genital opening. The estrous cycle is somewhat typical in means of behavioral changes of the female guinea pig. The sow should gradually put on weight. With the use of ultrasound, your vet can also assess potential concerns with the pregnancy. Thats why the best age for a guinea pig to get pregnant is between 4 and 7 months of age. Guinea pigs should be split into same-sex groups at 3 weeks old. 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. Ammonia irritates the lungs of pigs and will predispose the pregnant mother to lung infections. The canal is fully fused by the 7-8thmonth of age both in unbred female and male guinea pigs. [1] Keeping a clean hutch will prevent a build-up of ammonia from urine. ). it may also be necessary to separate your pregnant guinea pig from any other guinea pigs you have. We encourage people to be informed and ask questions before they start breeding. The vet will assess the guinea pigs condition. At the end of the middle stage, the movement of the babies will become visible under the skin. Look closely at the cavy's genital opening. Do not crowd the mother have only one person in the room, but another on standby to make calls if necessary. The middle stage is up until the seventh week of pregnancy. The sow starts to prefer fruits and vegetables with high vitamin C content. Nothing is set in stone until you can feel the young that are inside the pregnant guinea pig. 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. This causes mineral deficiency. This prevents an excess of one particular mineral that might be contained in that vegetable. (The Surprising Answer! Sometimes its the uterus lacking contractions; sometimes its a pup ending up stuck in the birth canal. 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. In the presence of a male, the female changes her back (spine) which she arches downwards. Are you still deciding whether to breed your female cavy? The mothers weight will vary for a few days whilst she re-adjusts but should settle within five days. At this stage, the sow will appear quite swollen in the midsection. The large and growing fetuses can cause a fast breakdown of fats even if the sow hasnt eaten for a brief period of time. If you do decide to breed them, ensure your sow is young enough (but not too young) so there are less chances of complications. If they do survive the first week they have a shorter than normal life expectancy and will require large amounts of medical care throughout their lives. The gestation period in guinea pigs varies between 59 and 72 days. As with most animals, there's not a set number of days that a guinea pig is pregnant. 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. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This is of benefit to them as prey animals, and it allows them to be able to escape predators. If you are concerned about the mother or have serious health worries about one of the pups contact a vet immediately, however. Publisher: Pergamon. 2. If any of the pups is definitely alive, but is not alert or able to see or walk then contact your vet immediately. How Long Are Guinea Pigs Pregnant? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 326,562 times. In addition, he is a proud owner of two guinea pigs. The duration of pregnancy is 60 to 70 days, because of this guinea pigs give birth to well developed young. I know there are so many groups out there that don't and its okay. Common pregnancy complications include metabolic imbalance, difficult birthing, and postpartum issues like seizures. If there are male guinea pigs present at the time of birth, they will compete between themselves to mate with the mother and protect the newborn guinea pigs. Duration of guinea pig pregnancy depends on the number of pups: the larger the litter the shorter the pregnancy. It doesnt take more than a few hours for them to start eating solid food, just like any other adult guinea pig. She may, if he persists, even urinate on him. There is a 3-5 minute interval between each baby. In time, it will be a bit harder for them to move, but this is of little or no significance. Adding a soft, fleece blanket to her sleeping area. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. 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. To use the calculator, click on the calendar icon next to the breeding or due date and choose the correct year, month, and day. During this period the mothers double her body weight and get a lot bigger. The gestation period in guinea pigs varies between 59 and 72 days. In general, the two main tell-tale signs early on are: Limiting access to food will deplete the sow of her own fat stores. If there is not an out-of-hours vet in your area, discuss this with your vet to come up with a plan. This article made the information I, "This helped a lot. Fleece bedding comes in many styles, looks great, and is comfortable on guinea pigs feet. Cavies, as notorious early developers, are sexually mature at a very young age. If you have not removed males yet, do so at this point. How do you know if your cavy is actually carrying pups? Excess vitamin C is passed in the urine so cant be over-dosed, but other vitamins can build up and create problems. Near the end restrain yourself from picking the animal up. During all of the stage and especially during the last stage of pregnancy the sow should remain in a calm environment. Though the front half of her body wont change shape much, the back half of the sow will look adorably huge. During the last two weeks of pregnancy, do not handle the sow. I for one was never able to see Emma's babies move from the outside. Required fields are marked *. Somewhere around week 5-6, the abdomen and hindquarters of the pregnant guinea pig will be markedly enlarged. During the first month or so, there arent a lot of physical signs to indicate your sow is a mom-to-be. Do not cut pellets to reduce the chance of larger pups or attempt to put a pregnant overweight sow on a diet. Female guinea pigs usually have a smooth swelling over their genital area. Its a great way to predict and control diseases as well. Females can reach sexual maturity as early as approximately 4-6 weeks of age and males as early as approximately 8-9 weeks of age so the different sexes should be separated before they are able to reproduce with each other. Thats when the delivery starts and if everything is normal the first pup will come out in about 5 minutes. Especially if any of them display aggressive tendencies. Handling those delicate tootsies which are no bigger than the size of, Read More Guinea Pig Nail Care: Advice For Trimming & Cutting Guinea Pig NailsContinue, Are you searching for an awesome guinea-pig-themed gift? At this time you will be even able to distinguish the body parts of the moving babies by gently touching the belly. Reduce exposure to loud noises or bright lights. The average gestation period is 65 days. If there is a likelihood any of the pups are born with this condition you must decide what action you will take. Even though you can assist the birthing by yourself, its always better to leave it to licensed professionals. Male guinea pigs have a larger amount of space between their penis and their anus, about 2-3cm of space between the penis and the anus. However, even without the mothers milk baby guinea pigs can survive feeding only on solid food. In both cases, your pet needs to be seen by a vet. However, with the proper care, this risk can be significantly reduced and your pregnant guinea pig can be kept in good health. 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). The pups are born with open eyes and covered in fur. Guinea pigs reach sexual maturity early. If not, the female guinea pig will most likely bite or urinate on the male. 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. This is because sperm can survive in his tubes for this length of time. If the weight does not pick up, or a pup does not improve with additional feeding, consult the vet. How Big of a Cage for Two Guinea Pigs? But do you really understand what it takes to care for these fluffy friends? The placenta contains hormones which can trigger contractions. Whether the gift is for a friend or a family member, an adult or a kid, or even for, Read More 16 Gifts for Guinea Pig Lovers & OwnersContinue, Fleece bedding for guinea pigs is popular amongst piggy parents, whether they want a nice-looking cage or the comfiest home for their fur babies. 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