NEW and in need of HELP!

[deedeegardiner]

Hi there, I will try to keep this breif...

I just adopted my first set of GP's and I need some advise please!!! Let me start with, before I adopted them, I did all sorts of research in their care and environment. I didn't want to walk in blind. The one thing I did not research was identifying their sex, BIG MISTAKE. You would think that professionals would be able to tell and be honest if they are not sure.

I DID NOT ADOPT TO BREED, let me make that perfectly clear. I was looking to adopt two females. I was cleaning their cage for the first time (co-habituating at that time) and gave them some extended floor time. Five minutes after I put them on the floor, the male was all over the female trying to mate. AGAIN... I thought I adopted 2 females.

So, I separated them, 2 cages now, and I am crossing my fingers that she did not get pregnant. She is over 1 year old and has not had any babies yet (that anyone knows about anyways). From what I have researched, it could be very dangerous for her to have babies. So here are my questions I was hoping you could help with...

1. Is there any way I could tell if she has had a litter in the past?
2. Do you know their success rate in mating? (I caught them early
3. Advise on spay/neutering?
4. Advise on pregnant piggies???
Thanks

[Milkingit]

Females in same sex herds will mount each other during dominance encounters or when they are in heat.

Please see http://www.guinealynx.info/sexing_pups.html for information on sexing.

Mating does occur insanely fast, if they were male/female, they would have successfully mated.

Spaying is extremely invasive and a serious operation it is not recommended. Neutering isnt as bad. But still serious, anesthesia and post op complications can occur, not to mention its pretty expensive I've been told.

If she is pregnant, you need to figure out which one is the female, and start supplementing her extra calcium, from parsley or alfalfa hay for the growing pups.

[fieryone]

Have you checked their sex and made sure that they are in fact male and female? Females and males can and do mount a pig of their same gender as a show of dominance. My females have mounted each other in the past and one of my females mounts my neutered male all the time.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

What kind of "professionals" did you get these guinea pigs from?

Separate them and keep them separate on the slight chance she is not pregnant already.

Here http://www.guinealynx.info/reproduction.html

[deedeegardiner]

I got them from the humane society, where there are vets! I have since checked, and they are definitly male and female. I have them seperated and plan to keep it that way, but the problem is I have small children. I would be naive to say the will stay seperated forever. Thats why I was curious about the neutering deal. Thanks all for your help. Honestly, how dangereous is this if she is pregnant for the first time? I am pretty sure she is over a year old. Starting to doubt whatever the humaine society told me...