Possibly Pregnant Is it possible? - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**bougie** · #1 08-28-09, 05:49 pm

Hi i'm new here but i just don't know what to do about this and am really worried. Back in May i was at my local pet store for supplies and i had a look in the piggy cage [as i always do]. There was only one piggy sitting there all alone and i know that this is a no no with all piggy lovers but i just couldn't make myself go out the door without her. I already had two pigs, a neutered male and a female so i thought they would all get along.
I quarantined the new one [ Georgina ] for a few weeks and during that time i started to notice her gaining weight around the tum. I read everything that i could find about guinea pregnancy online and she had all the signs of being pregnant. Well i panicked as i had been told that she was eight weeks old when i got her and thinking that i might lose her as she was too young, i rushed down to the vets. I am pleased to say that with the vets good advice, and lots of tlc, Georgina gave birth to two healthy boys. I spent all her pregnancy reading all i could find on the subject and one of things that most forums etc mentioned was to remove the boys from their mum between three or four weeks of age. Before they reached that age [from 10 days old] they were runbling around their mum but they were still suckling . I finally removed them at 20 days as they were actually trying to mount their mum. Mum is now showing signs of being pregnant again, changing shape, drinking, not wanting tummy touched etc. It is 5 wks since the bubs were taken from her. Is it really possible that she is pregnant? Help.... Will she be able to cope if she is?

**bougie** · #2 09-02-09, 01:11 pm

The answer to my above post is "yes".
I have just had Georgina to the vet and she is over 6wks pregnant.
Her babies were born 2/07/09 and she mated with her son on 20/07/09. I saw it happen as i was in the room at the time and she was quite happily allowing him. I should have removed the two boys straight away but as they were only 18 days old and still suckling her i left them until 22/07/09, when they were 20 days old.
Everything i have read online and in books has said that you remove the boys at 3 to 5 weeks and not before although one thing i did read somewhere was if they reach 400 grams before that and they are rumbling then remove them. I weighed both the boys on day 18 and they only weighed 310 and 320 so i thought it was quite safe and that they probably weren't fertile.
How wrong i was. My vet can't believe it as she has never heard of such a young piggy being fertile.
I am just letting you know about this so that you are aware that it can and does happen.
My next problem is what to do if she has boys this time.

**Ly&Pigs** · #3 09-02-09, 01:38 pm

Wow. I've never heard of pups that young being able to impregnate either. Boar pups should be removed at precisely 21 days and no later. Usually they are only practising when they mount as they shouldn't be able to get anyone pregnant. You also don't remove based on weight as that is not a true indicator. Normally, they are just a bit older than 21 days before being able to reproduce.

Do you have any other boars living in your home besides her sons?

If she has boars this time there will be no guarantee that one will be able to reproduce at such a young age.

**MapleOwl18** · #4 09-02-09, 01:41 pm

To make you feel better and let you know that you aren't the only one who's had a guinea pig with an Oedipus complex, get their mother pregnant.

Hi my name is Cherry and I got my Mom pregnant at the age of 4 weeks. She was a white Abyssinian, and all of her next litter was very very white Abyssinian. This is a picture of me all grown up.

**bougie** · #5 09-02-09, 01:49 pm

Thank you for your reply lynandpigs.
I have one neutered boar but Georgina has never been anywhere near him yet as she was quarantined when i first got her and then i discovered she was pregnant the first time [happened before i got her]. Zack [my neuterd boar] is in a cage at the opposite side of the room to Georgina and i promise you they have never met.
I am so worried, not just about Georginsa health but also what will i do when she has the next litter if there are any boys in it?

**bougie** · #6 09-02-09, 01:56 pm

Hi mapleowl
Cherry is so lovely. Did your mummy pig cope alright with having a litter so quick after the last one ?. The thing is my Georgina has only had 18 days pregnancy free since i got her. She is such a sweet natured little piggy and i would hate anything to happen to her.

**Ly&Pigs** · #7 09-02-09, 01:58 pm

Maple, in your case the pup was 4 weeks old an usually by that age they have the abilty to be able to reproduce. In Bougie's case the boar was only 20 days old and should not have been able to reproduce yet.

If your girl has boar pups in this next litter, I would keep an eye open and if they are trying to mount her at 18 days and older, you may need to remove that one earlier. But like I said, there will be no guarantee that any boars from this litter would be able to reproduce that young. You may just have one boar who is a one in a million case who could reproduce at such an early age.

**SuperPIG** · #8 09-02-09, 02:12 pm

it is absolutely possible bougie. well in truth and in fact, you should have removed the boys right after around... 3 weeks to halt the possibilty of them reproducing with their own mother. well, with the description it sounds like she is, indeed, pregant again and the is NOT good because she needs time to rest and heal her body after birth and feeding her piglets. well if she is pregant (which is very possible) take her to the vet so he can assist her. the risk of complications is higher since she was mounted twice in a row... good luck and those piggies will be beautiful!!

**bougie** · #9 09-02-09, 02:16 pm

I can't believe this has happened and i feel so awful for Georgina. I believe [though i'm no expert] that the bub was only 18 days old when he did the deed as i saw it happen and she lay down to him so she must have been in season as in the days leading up to that she was nipping him when he tried it on.
The vets assistant said jokingly that i should put a pair of knickers on her the next time if she has boys. I'm beginning to think about that as i could cut holes for the teats and they could still suckle but how would she poop?. Joking apart it really is a worry. Hope she has all girls this time.
As I'm new to this forum i don't know how to post thanks yet but thank you both for your swift replies.
By the way Georgina is due any time after 18th Sept. At my reckoning she will be 59 days pregnant then.

**Ly&Pigs** · #10 09-02-09, 03:04 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperPIG

it is absolutely possible bougie. well in truth and in fact, you should have removed the boys right after around... 3 weeks to halt the possibilty of them reproducing with their own mother. well, with the description it sounds like she is, indeed, pregant again and the is NOT good because she needs time to rest and heal her body after birth and feeding her piglets. well if she is pregant (which is very possible) take her to the vet so he can assist her. the risk of complications is higher since she was mounted twice in a row... good luck and those piggies will be beautiful!!

Sorry but did you actually read the thread? One of the pups impregnated the mother BEFORE the 3 week age mark. It's not like Bougie left the boar pup's in with her after they should have been removed.

**MapleOwl18** · #11 09-02-09, 03:13 pm

To answer your question Bougie, while I would never recommend that any guinea pig be bred much less back bred, yes she was fine. She was a very well cared for piggy, and when my sister left for college a couple years later we adopted her and her daughter to one of my Mom's students and their family. She got along with her daughter, Brownie quite well.

Mr. Cherry the Oedipus pig was adopted out to one of my Sister's best freinds I believe along with his brother Oreo. This is recent picture of him.

Of course this entire mess started when my sister decided it would be fun to put Marshmallow, with Mr. Spot to see what happened while I was at college. That's what started off the entire train of events. Lets just say I'm happy with a cross between a white piggy and a piggy with black around his eyes and bum that we didn't get a lethal white.

(Yeah Ly I got the fact that she got pregnant before 21 days. I just figured she should know she wasn't the only one who had had some Oedipus drama)

**rabbitsncavyluv** · #12 09-02-09, 04:06 pm

Well, guinea pigs like most animals don't really get the concept of incest and such.

**bougie** · #13 09-02-09, 04:33 pm

Thank you all for your replies. The vet says that she is a very healthy piggy and hopefully will be okay, but i have got an emergency number for her just incase.
I will let you know when the babies arrive, which should be anytime after 18th Sept .
This next time i will be more aware of what can happen and we shouldn't have any more accidents.
I am at the moment trying to arrange for good [only good ] homes for the little piggies. We kept one of her last litter [Truffles, boy] and he is at the minute in a cage of his own until he is old enough to be neutered then he may go back in with his mum once she has recovered from all this.
I may at a push be able to keep a baby girl out of this next lot as she may also go in with Truffles and Georgina.
I already have another two piggies, Zack [neutered boar] and Gabriella and i have read that you can't have two boars, even if they are neutered, in together with females, so i will keep these two separate from the others.
Another thing that i must mention is that i have a brilliant vet who knows all my piggies [they go to her to get their pedicures] and who used to keep piggies of her own, so she has a special interest in them.
Many thanks again for your time.

**MileyPiggyMom** · #14 09-02-09, 04:55 pm

I with your piggy the best of luck with her second pregnancy! It has to be scary!

**akstrohm** · #15 09-02-09, 05:43 pm

That is correct that you cannot keep two neutered males in with females (unless the females *vastly* outnumber the males).

Have you considered putting Zach and Truffles together and introducing Gabriella to the other girls? Then Truffles could have a friend now, and he wouldn't have to go through the risks of surgery.

**bougie** · #16 09-02-09, 07:45 pm

Oo I don't know akstrohm. I'm a bit scared to let the two boys together.
I read somewhere that they may fight if they can so much as smell females. Maybe i read too much. My cages are in the same room [spare bedroom] with nowhere else to put them.
It would be great if they could get along as i wouldn't have to get Truffles neutered. I know what i went through with Zack although he came through it fine. At the time that i got Zack i was looking for a friend for Gabriella and one of my workmates had piggy babies. They were all boys so i wasn't going to take one but the guy was going to give them all to the pet store to sell so i rescued the littlest one, waited four months then had to get him seen to before i could put him in with Gabriella.
When he was getting his op i sat in the waiting room until he came round. What a softie i am.

**Paula** · #17 09-02-09, 07:56 pm

Bougie - I understand your reluctance to have male guinea pigs together, but I actually have several male pairs living in perfect harmony despite there being females in the room.

The key is space. If the boys have plenty of room to get away from each other after little squabbles, they generally do just fine.

**bougie** · #18 09-02-09, 08:18 pm

Thanks for that Paula.
I may give Truffles and Zack some floortime together this weekend to see how they get on.
Zack and Gabriella get on so well though i don't know whether to separate them.

**akstrohm** · #19 09-02-09, 09:08 pm

Don't give them floor time together. If you want to put them together, do intros once. Then leave them together. Repeatedly putting them together and separating is stressful and makes them less likely to get along.

**MapleOwl18** · #20 09-03-09, 08:23 am

Also if you get a male baby piggie in the next batch, Little Truffles can have a friend, which will definitely make him happier.

Altough, I do like the idea of putting Gabriella in with everyone else and Truffles in with Zach. I can completely understand though if they're a very happy piggy couple and you got Zach neutered specifically to be with Gabriella.

"Thank you, Ly&Pigs, for this useful post," say these 2 members:
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"No thank you, SuperPIG. We respectfully disagree," say these 3 users:
akstrohm (09-02-09), MapleOwl18 (09-02-09), wigglesgiggles1 (09-02-09)

"Thank you, akstrohm, for this useful post," says:
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"Thank you, Paula, for this useful post," says:
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