Pregnancy Didn't know Lucy was pregnant. How is the male supposed to act?

brazil · Feb 2, 2010

I thought that I had two girl piggies. I was told by the previous owners (who had been told by the pet store) that they were both girls. After reading this forum, I checked myself, and still thought they were both girls, but to check again, I asked a vet, who again said that they were both girls. I came home from grocery shopping today and found 3 pups in the hidey house with Lucy, which means Hailey is a boy?! Anyways I had read advice on here and done everything I can for the moment, but the answer to one question I cannot find in any posts- I have Lucy and the pups on some towels on the floor momentarily, with an enclosure around them. I am currently prepping the spare cage for them. Hailey is still in her (his-gah) big cage that he/she was sharing with Lucy, which is beside the other piggies with no access to them. However, Hailey keeps checking out the side of the cage to look at the mommy and her babies, and everytime one of them is in view, Hailey starts wheeking like I have never heard before! Is this a good or bad thing? I had Hailey long before Lucy and she/he always seemed very caring and lovey. I know that I cannot tell their real feelings, but I cannot help but wonder if Hailey truly feels compassion and wants to be with them? Though I would never put them back into a cage together, I was just wondering if this is normal for the male guinea pig. Thanks for all the help in advance! I am still quite in shock from this!

TwitterPopcorn · Feb 2, 2010

By your previous post it looks like you have had them more the 70 days.

Are you sure who the mother is? Did one of them get fat lately? Turn them over and check them again now. On our male, you can open his pouch area (gentally rolling the skin apart as far as you can go back between the legs) and see a creamy white substance that smells. The males privates look a doughnut with a slit in the middle sometime you can't see the dot at the top (penis opening). The girls look like a Y. Also the male you can feel his penis bone just above his privates toward is tummy it can be moved left to right. The girls you just feel a hard bone that doesn't move.

Keeping them separate is the right thing to do. Are the pups nursing? The teets on the mother should be longer and fuller than the male/non-mother.

Good Luck

brazil · Feb 2, 2010

I am pretty sure Lucy is the mother as she had blood on her underside when I took her out of the cage. She also had a string of gooey blood attached to her and she was the one cuddled up with them when I found her... so I would say that she is the mother.

brazil · Feb 2, 2010

Also yes they seem to be nursing just fine... and the babies all seem healthy as far as I can tell. Another question... is there a certain type of bedding that should be used for babies?

TwitterPopcorn · Feb 2, 2010

Use the same as you use for the parents for bedding, Aspen, fleece, carefresh, etc. Once the pups are dry the bedding won't stick to them.

Hopefully, the last placenta will deliver soon or you could have some problems (I'm guessing that is what the red stringy thing is). She is not bleeding any more. If so, you should get her to a vet a soon as possible.

You should have some higher calcium food/pellets now too for mom and the pups.

If there is a male in the litter, your Dad will have a friend to live with and mentor in 21 days. Here is a great link on sexing. Sexing Guinea Pigs: How to Sex a Guinea Pig

Hopefully, you got them separated quickly enough so they didn't mate after the delivery as females can go into heat soon after birth. I believe that is what the sounds you are hearing from the male are sounds of wanting to mate.

Congrats and glad your surprise is going well.

bpatters · Feb 2, 2010

Be sure to baby proof your cage -- babies can get out of the grids of a regular C&C. I think in an emergency, which this certainly sounds like, you can stick cardboard between the walls and the sides of the coroplast to keep them in.

brazil · Feb 2, 2010

Thank you so much for your replies. Yes I am guessing that was the placenta as there was a greyish blob (which I at first thought could be another pup that had not developed correctly) that came out with the bloody string (you can tell I really know my medical terms haha) The babies are dry and beautiful. I am bringing them to the vet tomorrow as i only discovered this around 8pm and all vets are closed by then! I will also go get some calcium for them and some alfalfa hay to mix in with the timothy hay.

I am hoping that Hailey didn't get to her before I got them separated. I cannot see it having been long from the time of birth to the time I found them... there was still plenty of blood and goo on the babies when I found them and it seemed as though Hailey didn't even know what had happened... she/he was in a completely different part of the cage. I will monitor it however and make sure.

It still feels weird calling Hailey a boy lol.

brazil · Feb 2, 2010

bpatters said:
Be sure to baby proof your cage -- babies can get out of the grids of a regular C&C. I think in an emergency, which this certainly sounds like, you can stick cardboard between the walls and the sides of the coroplast to keep them in.

Thank you for the tip! Luckily I actually had a cage from before I made my C&C cage so I just put Lucy and the babies in that one!

Where People & Piggies Thrive

Newbie or Guinea Guru? Popcorn in!

Pregnancy Didn't know Lucy was pregnant. How is the male supposed to act?

brazil

Member

TwitterPopcorn

Well-known Member

brazil

Member

brazil

Member

TwitterPopcorn

Well-known Member

bpatters

Moderator

brazil

Member

brazil

Member

Similar threads

Share this Page

Newest members

Online statistics

Key Resources

Members online