Yeah, sounds weird, but it actually works with several other animals too. We want to provide you with all the information for your furry little pals! The guinea pig gestation period is 59 to 72 days. Even though the birthing can be handled by yourself, it is better to leave it to licensed veterinarians to avoid last minute complications. The latter logic transcends the former. Small litters do not cause the belly to enlarge significantly, and will not be as noticeable. As early as six weeks of age. Rough handling may cause miscarriage. If you suspect that your female guinea pig may be pregnant, then it is best to consult your veterinarian. You may think a little touch or petting couldnt hurt. 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. You vet may also be able to hear the piglets' heartbeats in the sow's abdomen. Pregnant guinea pigs should be kept inside. Guinea Pig Pregnancy Stages Week By Week - Pregnancy Nicky Dalere (@NickyDalere) August 29, 2016 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js August 29, 2016 at 01:30AM Toxemia is the result of a metabolic imbalance, which causes the guinea pig to become gravely ill. Calcium deficiency often displays similar symptoms, but it is the result of a calcium imbalance, whereas toxemia happens due to internal complications associated with impaired blood supply to the uterus. [1] Newborn guinea pigs weigh about 3.5 ounces (100 g). Cavy Slave. ", all. If you do decide to have your guinea pig spayed or neutered, seek out a veterinarian who has successfully done a large number of these surgeries. If it declines every day or continues to change after 5 days, consult the vet. For different stages of progress, there are different medicines, food supplies, the quantity of food and water, and more! Avoid over-feeding Pet shops are notoriously bad for sexing guinea pigs and may have mis-sexed one of your guinea pigs. So they wont fight with each other. Make note of all the foods that you offer her, with the quantity and time. Pups from small litters are usually bigger than pups from large litters. AmberCalzone Well-known Member. If pregnant, your guinea pig may have a single piglet or up to 3-4. The Merck Veterinary Manual was first published in 1955 as a service to the community. This prevents an excess of one particular mineral that might be contained in that vegetable. Guinea pig's pregnancy: final stage. That is exactly why you need to cautiously read all the following so that you can make the hard and painful process of pregnancy easier on your guinea pig! But when pregnant, the mother needs to enrich herself for the pain she is about to endure and should provide nutrition for her babies. If you have any concerns, do not hesitate to get to a vet. On average, baby guinea pigs come in litters of 2-4, and weigh 70-115g. Post the number on a piece of paper next to the guinea pigs hutch/cage. Your vet will instruct you with all the necessary tests to be taken. As if that is not bad news enough, even mothers suffer death immediately after delivery because of malnutrition. Well, I guess this is the most important section of this post. The safest, easiest, and least expensive way to prevent breeding is to house male and female guinea pigs separately. 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. Does anybody have like weekly signs of guinea pig pregnancy like week one no sights week two they eat more something like that thanks . Do not bath the sow during pregnancy. If the other sow eats it, their own pregnancy may be induced. To feel for fetuses, place the sow on a towel on a firm surface. How Can You Know How Far Along Your Guinea Pigs Pregnancy is? However, both males and females can mature and be fertile even earlier. Make note of the time and amount of water during each refill. Just because they can get pregnant again, doesnt mean that it wont have adverse effects on their well being, not just physically but also emotionally. Thats right, they have a distinction between emotions and the mind, just like humans, even though both are processed and caused by the same brain! Offer fresh vegetables every day. If you feel lumps under your fingers this is a sign the female is pregnant. Despre Club; Echipa; FRESHconsult Again, it could also be because of fat. The towels should be changed at least twice a day. Bumps can also indicate ovarian cysts or tumors. Wash out the water bottle with a gentle dish soap every few days. Again, lets go step-by-step with this too. Begin by making a "C" shape with your thumb and first finger, and then sliding the thumb over the top of her tummy and the forefinger underneath her belly. So follow a routine. If you've found out that your guinea pig is pregnant, check on it several times a day to monitor its drinking and eating habits so you know what is normal and can react to changes. 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. The pups will be able to eat solid food from day one, and the mother will introduce them to new food herself. Instead, coax her onto a towel or into a box. Publisher: Pergamon Birth can sometimes be more complicated because of several medical reasons. Some of you might think of this question as absurd. We do not control or have responsibility for the content of any third-party site. Neutering is advised only after the age of 4 months. If you show negligence in ensuring that your guinea pig could handle the pregnancy, you are not only putting the mothers life at risk, but also that of the babies in the litter. But that does not mean that you should not give them access to outdoors. "Just found out our rescued pig was pregnant even after two exams and one ultrasound. During this period the mothers double her body weight and get a lot bigger. Neutered boars should be kept separate from sows for four weeks after surgery. Four read more . Do not keep pregnant guinea pigs in multi-level cages/hutches as their balance will be impaired by pregnancy, and in the later stages of pregnancy they may not be able to get up to the higher tiers. Another weird yet interesting way to find out pregnancy in guinea pigs is their smell! Right? Commonly, their size would be ranging from eight to ten inches. In addition, you may want to increase your guinea pig's fiber intake. Ultrasounds are non-invasive and do not require sedation. This article has been viewed 324,740 times. When they reach about 6 ounces (170 g), the offspring will stop nursing and eat the same foods as their parents. Guinea pigs, even when not pregnant, are vulnerable to mood swings. Even at such a small size, they have hair and are able to see and run. Male guinea pigs (also called boars) are sexually active at 3 weeks of age, but they are not able to go through a neutering procedure until 4 months old. To find out how to house your guinea pig during pregnancy and how to prepare for it to give birth, keep reading! "I recently adopted two pigs but realized I would have many more very soon. ", care of my guinea pig and I am so sure that she is healthy and will have my little baby friends soon! However, toxemia is in part a lack of sugar, so keeping sugar levels high is important. Neutering a male is generally easier than spaying a female. A good idea is to weigh your female guinea pig regularly (perhaps weekly) and to record the weight. Approved. However, guinea pigs often do not react well to surgery, anesthesia, or being kept in unfamiliar surroundings. The placenta contains hormones which can trigger contractions. Female guinea pigs can become pregnant as early as two months of age. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'pocketpetcentral_com-leader-2','ezslot_9',126,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-leader-2-0');Sometimes, surgery could be necessary. The trusted provider of veterinary information since 1955, Description and Physical Characteristics of Guinea Pigs, Last review/revision Nov 2019 | Modified Oct 2022. It could be a disease causing the accumulation of excess metabolic products.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'pocketpetcentral_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_7',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); Either way, one thing is pretty clear: You have to take your guinea pig to the vet. Starting from how to know if your guinea pig is pregnant, to how to care for a pregnant guinea pig, to all characteristics of the gestation period, to the birth of the litter, I will lead you through every little detail of guinea pig pregnancy in the upcoming sections of this post! Use OR to account for alternate terms Interesting fact - The largest numbers of pups a sow has given birth to was 14! Has She Interacted With an Unneutered Male? Since guinea pigs attain sexual maturity as early as 6 weeks in their life, even young guinea pigs are bound to get pregnant. Sows that reach adulthood without a prior pregnancy may not be able to deliver their young normally. So you should. Until we noticed that her belly got bigger than it should be. Guinea Pig Pregnancy Stages - YouTube 0:00 / 2:14 Guinea Pig Pregnancy Stages 64,851 views Jul 6, 2014 550 Dislike Share Save Squishy Bubbles 5.62K subscribers Are you wondering if your. Of course, all these are high school zoology concepts. If you let your guard down after one litter being born, without watching the females interaction with un-neutered males, the mother who just delivered a litter could get knocked up once again! This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. The gestation period in guinea pigs could be anywhere between 59-72 days. Stress is one of the most common reasons for death in guinea pigs, during pregnancy no less! This could increase her stress and affect her eating and drinking habits. If your pet has too much of this, it can build up in urine and cause bladder stones. By gently running your hand on your guinea pig, you can feel bumps and lumps, which could be because of one of two reasons. If there is a likelihood any of the pups are born with this condition you must decide what action you will take. The guinea pig may die during or after pregnancy due to complications during pregnancy or birth, or from toxemia after birth. To learn more about what to expect during the pregnancy, read on! The ultrasound will also be able to confirm how many pups there are, and how many of them are alive. Females can have estrous or fertile periods at any time of the year, but they are most common in the spring. Anywhere between 59-72 days. Fruits should usually be given sparingly to guinea pigs because the acid can give them mouth ulcers. This way you can keep track of her weight in order to determine any patterns of weight gain that may be indicative of a pregnancy. But to a pregnant guinea pig, it does! However, if your sow is not yet mature and is less than 6-8 months of age, she will still be growing and thus weight gain may not be indicative of pregnancy. Lethal guinea pigs are white in colour (not albino) are born blind, usually in both eyes, have crooked or deformed teeth, are often also deaf and often suffer from internal deformities particularly to the digestive organs. Laber-Laird, Swindle, & Flecknell. How many babies do guinea pigs get per litter? This is because sows who are too young are at a greater risk of vitamin deficiencies during pregnancy. If you need to transport your guinea pig, never pick her up by her stomach as it can harm the unborn guinea pigs and the mother herself. Though this window usually falls between 2-3 months old, some can even be mature after only a single month. It is entirely possible for a male pup to impregnate its mother or sisters. Do not intervene or touch the pups unless you need to. The other? Which Can Include: Being vigilant about their activities is vital to their well-being. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. I didnt know whether to hit him in the face for the negligence or to feel sorry for his loss. They belong to the family Cavidae, which contains 14 species of animals commonly known as cavies and Patagonian hares (or maras). Vitamin C is highly unstable and breaks down within 8 weeks of the manufacturing date. Guinea pigs go through four or five estrus cycles every year. Menu Clubul de antreprenoriat. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). So you wouldnt have to worry about them running away to places they are not supposed to go. Between 1 and 8 guinea pig babies with 4 being the most common number of guinea pigs per litter. Excess vitamin C is passed in the urine so cant be over-dosed, but other vitamins can build up and create problems. Quite a shock, since we thought. Last Updated: November 26, 2022 The entire span of 40 weeks of the pregnancy is divided into three trimesters. Recovery from neutering could take as long as 6 weeks. Guinea Pig Vomit: Everything You Need To Know. Outdoor time, again, with your availability to monitor. Adults are no longer growing but still require macro-nutrients like fiber and protein, as well as micro-nutrients like the vitamins and minerals that are found in a timothy hay-based, uniform fortified food. Research source Handbook of Rodent and Rabbit Medicine. Giving them their favorite toys and treats. What are the Similarities and Differences Beetwen Humans and Guinea Pigs in Pregnancy? We read that the more babies she is carrying will result in a shorter pregnancy. Interesting fact - The largest numbers of pups a sow has given birth to was 14! To tell if your guinea pig is pregnant, start by observing her eating habits to gauge whether she's eating and drinking more than usual. The average period of pregnancy is approximately 65 days. A guinea pig's pregnancy lasts about 9 or 10 weeks. The optimal maintenance of guinea pig colonies, commercially and in research settings, relies on robust informed breeding programs, however, breeding data on specialized inbred strains are limited. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'pocketpetcentral_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_13',127,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0');Unlike humans who may experience contractions for hours at a stretch, guinea pigs do not take longer than half an hour for the delivery of their litter. It goes without saying that they need emotional stability during pregnancy when they are drowning in fluctuating hormone levels. Pregnancy can have a number of complications for the sow, the female guinea pig, including toxaemia (metabolic imbalance), dystocia (difficulty giving birth), and post-partum difficulties (such as seizures due to low calcium levels). If you have any concerns regarding your guinea pig's health or well-being, contact us today at 407-286 . Whilst a pup becoming stuck in the birth canal or born breech is common, never intervene yourself. This allows you to gauge what is normal, so that if she becomes unwell and stops eating, or becomes very thirsty, you will pick up clues early on. To learn more about what to expect during the pregnancy, read on! If you are concerned about the mother or have serious health worries about one of the pups contact a vet immediately, however. 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