Does she look pregnant?

[motorpigs]

I think my one year old guinea pig Ru may be pregnant. Her weight had leveled off at just under 800g but now she is around 850 and her belly is round and bulgy. She would be anywhere from 6-7 weeks along. Does she look pregnant to you? I know I will probably just have to weight and see but I have a few other questions too.
1. I got another female guinea pig, Rambler, who is about 3 months old, and I have had her for 2 weeks. Should I wait till after Ru has her babies (or not if she isn't prego). I don't want to stress Ru out, but at the same time I know the new guinea pig will bond better with the babies if she is in the cage when they are born.
2. Ru is currently in a cube type cage but there is no bottom, just black plastic on the floor covered by newspaper and then a towel. I have another cage that has solid plastic sides. Should I put her in the other cage close to delivery, or should I try and baby proof the grids?
3. Would it be too stressful for me to take her to the vet to have her x-rayed?
4. She is just at one year old, and I know this increases her risk of complications, does anyone have pigs that have been pregnant at this age?

[SurfingPigs]

I can't tell from those pictures if she is pregnant, but she does look a little bulgy in the first picture. I have a slightly overweight boar who looks pregnant, so slightly bulging sides aren't a definite indicator to me.

I would introduce them if the cage is of sufficient size; sometimes it is helpful to have another sow around mom, and auntie pigs are usually pretty good with babies.

I wouldn't bother taking her to the vet. If she is pregnant, she is pregnant; she will keep growing if she is and you can modify her diet accordingly once you are certain. If her sides (and she, in general) continue to grow and grow, that is a good indication she is pregnant.

You need to babyproof the cage if she does end up being pregnant. In a pinch you can just line the grids with cardboard.

[bpatters]

If she hasn't had a litter before, she may have trouble delivering. But she may not. Just have a vet lined up in case they need to do an emergency spay if she has a pup that won't fit through the birth canal.

Read www.guinealynx.info/pregnancy.html for more information on pregnancy.

At around 6-7 weeks, you'll be able to feel pups if you put your fingers along her flanks. If that happens, post back, and we'll give you some more signs to watch for as labor gets closer.

[motorpigs]

Ok good I will introduce them and just watch to make sure they are getting along without too much stress. I've been trying to feel for movement, but I haven't felt anything that I'm sure about yet. sometimes I've thought I've felt something, but I can also feel her breathing, purring, or having gas, so I'm not sure. She doesn't like being picked up and I try not to mess with her that much, and to lift her carefully. she also hates me touching her belly and she will bite, and bite hard. I'm worried that if she isn't pregnant its something else serious, because she eats and drinks and uses the bathroom fine, but her belly is obviously uncomfortable.

[motorpigs]

So recently i've been taking her out of the cage and placing her on the floor with some veggies so I can try and feel babies. I am very gentle, but the last week or so she will start shaking like she is scared or cold whenever I have her out. Is this normal for a pregnant pig? I decided I am going to have her x-rayed, just so I know for sure and my fingers are crossed there isn't anything else serious going on.

[bpatters]

Why subject her to an x-ray? She's either pregnant or she's not. If you wait long enough, you'll know for sure.

[motorpigs]

The fact that her belly is so tender concerns me. She didn't used to mind being picked up and now she will bite. x-rays are quick and painless and hopefully she won't be too bothered, and I will have an answer.

[pinky]

Biting like that can also be a sign of mites. She doesn't look very big to me from the photo. Did you have her housed with a male or did you just adopt her from somewhere else? I agree with the others that I'd only have an xray done if there was something seriously wrong that needed to be treated.

[motorpigs]

Well the x-rays didn't show anything which I'm relieved about, but yet again why does she all of a sudden hate being picked up? And she has definitely gained weight. She could be as few as 6 weeks along and I don't know about guinea pigs, but puppies won't show up on x-rays till day 45 at the very earliest.

Mites? would she have any other symptoms? She scratches sometimes but doesn't have hair loss or scabs or anything.

Oh and she was in with a male who had been neutered two weeks prior. Apparently they can still be fertile for 5 weeks though.

[pinky]

If she's in the very stages of pregnancy, would the xray put pups at risk from the radiation? ..... Guinea pigs won't necessarily have hair loss or scabs right away when they have mites. Itching is usually the first symptom. How old is she? Her weight gain might be due to normal growth.

[motorpigs]

I don't think radiation is a considerable risk as long as it is not excessive. She is one year old, and between Jan and Feb she didn't gain any weight, but between Feb and March she has gained about 60g. What is the usual treatment for mites?

[bpatters]

Ivermectin is the usual treatment for mites, and as long as she weighs more than 350 grams, there's no problem with just treating her. See www.guinealynx.info/parasites.html and follow the links for mites and treatment.

You can get the pour-on ivermectin and the syringes needed to measure it from This Little Piggie Marketplace.

[foggycreekcavy]

It would be very unusual for a male who had been neutered for two weeks to get her pregnant. I tend to think there is something else going on here.