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Sick Possibly sick newborn guinea pig?

Jeedus

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My boyfriend's family's guinea pig ended up being pregnant and recently gave birth to 3 adorable pigs about 2 weeks ago. Two of the pigs are doing wonderfully, but one of them seems to not be doing so well. :c
One of his eyes is doing perfectly well, and all of the other pig's eyes are wide open, but one of his eyes is about a quarter to halfway shut and seems to be a little sticky. It's not that there's any residue on it, but some of his fur is stiff and is sticking to the rim of his eye which is causing it to close.

Also, he is a lot smaller than the rest of the pigs and seems very bony. I'm not sure if it just means he is the runt of the litter, or if the mother is ignoring him and he isn't getting enough food.

He is only two weeks old, but I wanted to see if I could take him home with me this sunday night so I can give him the care that my boyfriend's family isn't properly providing, such as alfalfa hay. Is it too soon to take him home? And is this worth a trip to the vet, or should I just try cleaning off his eye with a cloth and water?
 

nibbler100

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If I where you Id take him to the vet. Another thing you need to take into account is that he needs his mothers milk to fight off infections, separating them so early is not good for them. Also, have you looked at his teeth? he could no be able to eat properly. Witch leads me to my next Q, do you know who the father is? like, what kind of guinea pig he is? certain types of pigs shouldn't be breed together because it can lead to birth defects. He might have something internally wrong with him to but you wont know until you take him to the vet.
 

Jeedus

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I know he needs his mother's milk, and I really hope he is getting it, because he just doesn't seem nearly as well fed as the other pigs. :c I only see them on the weekends, so I can't keep as close of an eye on them as I would like to, and the real owners of the babies just don't understand how to care for them. They separated the father which is good, but the 3 babies and mother are being kept in their cage with nothing but some pellets and water. I can't wait until I can take this baby and give him a good home. :c I haven't checked his teeth though, I'll do that right after I am done typing this. And the mother is a silkie and the father is an american short hair.
 

nibbler100

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i just tried to google it and i couldn't find what breeds shouldn't be breed (im not a breeding expert nor do i want to be one XD). i did find some sites though that say some pretty interesting stuff.

Breeding Guinea Pigs

https://www.guinealynx.info/breeding.html

both sites are grate for guinea pig care and what not. I would defiantly take him to the vet, if hes skinny and his eye might be infected then he needs to go.
 

Jeedus

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Alright, I am not going to be able to until after sunday, though. :/ So what should I do until then? If I can I am going to run to the local farming store and grab some alfalfa for them. Should I hand feed alfalfa to the little guy to make she he is getting enough? and if so, is it unlimited alfalfa or a set amount? And should I try wiping his eye to make sure it's as clean as I can get it? It might be dried residue from the birth that the mother never cleaned, but I don't want to irritate it or cause him any pain, ya know?
 

bpatters

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What color is the pup that's not doing well?

You can try cleaning his eye with artificial tears -- that's better than just plain water.

If you can talk them into it, they can take the mom and the runt out and put them in a small box for a while and let the baby nurse. She only has dinner for two, and the other pups may be pushing the little one out of the way.
 

Jeedus

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The pup is a tan and white pig, and his fur is already getting long like his mom's. It's scruffy around his face and is growing along his body. It's too cute. <3
But anyway, I never thought of that! I'll definitely get the runt and the mom alone together tonight, thank you so much for the advice. c: How long should I keep the two on their own for if he doesn't start nursing right away?
 

suzilovespiggie

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Is the mother getting any veggies at all? She needs some veggies that is high in calcium. Like Parsley, Kale, green peppers, cilantro, red and green letteces. She needs veggies daily. Not just pellets and water. Along with unlimited hay. Alfafalfa, timothy or a mix of alfalfa and grass hay.
 

bpatters

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Just put the mom and the pup somewhere for an hour or so. If he's going to nurse, that will be enough time, and you don't want to separate the other pups from the mom for too long. If he nurses, then repeat that several times during the day so he gets a good chance at the milk.
 

Jeedus

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Okay, thank you so much for the advice! I should be able to take him home once he hits 3 weeks old, correct?
 

Jeedus

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Here's an update on the little guy. c:
He seems to be doing pretty well today. He is walking around a lot more and interacting with his siblings. I checked his eye and it seems to be doing a little better. It's still a little crusty, but he is keeping it open more-so than he did yesterday. His eyes seem so much smaller than his siblings, but I guess it's just because he is the run of the litter! He is still feeling bony, so in a little while I am going to take him and his mom and let him have some breakfast alone with her. I am going to try sexing him again later on today just to make sure he is a boy. I have completely fallen in love with him, so I really hope everything goes through okay!
 
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