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Pregnancy is my 13 week old guinea pig pregnant?

Codieh

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I am going to keep this pretty short and simple.
My guinea pig who is aged exactly 13 weeks tomorrow (24th feb 2015), I have had her since 8 weeks old...
I did get her from a pet shop at 8 weeks old, but yeah... read on.
Within the past week I have noticed her gaining more weight, I have weighed her and she had gained a bit of weight.
She has not been paired with any males, as I do not have any males, I only have the one guinea pig.
She has been eating and drinking more than normal, and when I say that, I'm filling her water up at least more than 4 times a day.
I have not increased her food, so she's eating the same amount she usually does 2 times a day (that being dinner and tea)

Here are some photos I have just taken of her:



sorry if not clear photos.
but you can see more of her bulge in the second picture, and she looks pear shaped.

i have read this thread: https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...inea-pig-is-pregnant-And-how-far-along-is-she
but it hasnt really helped as i dont know wot i am feeling for if i need to
 

BaconAndEggs

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Hmmm.... I've never coped with a pregnant piggy before, or any females for that matter, so my advice isn't the best.

In the pet store, she was probably in a cage with males because they either don't care which piggy goes in a cage together, or they are incorrectly told the gender. She does look a bit pear shaped to me, but, like I said before, I have never had an expecting pig.
 

ThatGirlMarie

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She probably shouldn't be held like that, whether she's pregnant or not. If she is, it'll be even more uncomfortable for her. If she IS pregnant, that would be at minimum 5 weeks since you got her at 8 weeks and she's 13 weeks now. That's just over halfway through. If you haven't increased her food, then how do you know she's eating more? 12 weeks is 3 months, so 13 weeks is just over that - she's a young piggy, she should be given more food anyway. The diet of a pig under 6mos is pretty much the same as the diet of a pig that is pregnant.

Alfalfa hay, alfalfa based pellets, etc. She should be eating a lot more as either a young pig or a pregnant pig. Follow the guide for diet for a pregnant piggy. If she is and you haven't increased her food, that could be unhealthy.

You could always take her to the vet to confirm if she's pregnant or not.
 

Codieh

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She probably shouldn't be held like that, whether she's pregnant or not. If she is, it'll be even more uncomfortable for her. If she IS pregnant, that would be at minimum 5 weeks since you got her at 8 weeks and she's 13 weeks now. That's just over halfway through. If you haven't increased her food, then how do you know she's eating more? 12 weeks is 3 months, so 13 weeks is just over that - she's a young piggy, she should be given more food anyway. The diet of a pig under 6mos is pretty much the same as the diet of a pig that is pregnant.

Alfalfa hay, alfalfa based pellets, etc. She should be eating a lot more as either a young pig or a pregnant pig. Follow the guide for diet for a pregnant piggy. If she is and you haven't increased her food, that could be unhealthy.

You could always take her to the vet to confirm if she's pregnant or not.

Do excuse me, I held her for a split second while I took the picture. I then placed her back into her cage before I took the next picture.
"If you haven't increased her food, then how do you know she's eating more?" - She is in a gigantic cage, I feed her two times a day. She has two bowls in her cage so she don't have to go from one end ALLLLLLLLLL the way to the other end for her food/water. She used to eat just over half of one bowl. She is now eating just over one full bowl of pellets. I have weighed her each day since I have seen this weight gaining. And she's been gradually gaining weight.

I would take her to my local vets, but they're not an exotic vet. (if that's correct word, new to this still sort of).
I'd like to thank-you for your advice/help etc. And if she is pregnant, I'll be sure to have a vet on hand in case of emergencies when the time comes.


Hmmm.... I've never coped with a pregnant piggy before, or any females for that matter, so my advice isn't the best.

In the pet store, she was probably in a cage with males because they either don't care which piggy goes in a cage together, or they are incorrectly told the gender. She does look a bit pear shaped to me, but, like I said before, I have never had an expecting pig.
Thank-you, if I am honest I can say you're probably right. And at least I'm not the only one who thinks she's a bit pear shaped. I kept thinking it was my eyes playing tricks on me as it's 1:27AM aha. But thank-you for your help/advice anyhow.
 

4cavies

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She does have a bit of a pear shape, but I have a piggy I took in off craigslist whom had already had a litter, but I believe had been housed with the male who had impregnated her in the first place for two weeks after giving birth, and I had been totally convinced she was pregnant because of her shape. I noticed her shape after having her two weeks and I have had her a month now and she has not gotten any larger so I am thinking she isn't pregnant - She might just be shaped like that. Pet stores are notorious for missexing pigs, though, and housing males and females together, so it is not at all unlikely that she may be pregnant.

On her diet, though... Guinea pigs as young as this should have an unlimited supply of pellets that are alfalfa based, unlimited supplies of alfalfa hay and a cup of veggies per day (instead of alfalfa hay, you could add more calcium enriched veggies to her daily cup of veggies, alfalfa hay makes me sneeze and itch! and give her orchard or timothy to snack on through the day), the same holds true for expectant pigs. After 6 months old, you can give timothy hay or orchard grass in unlimited quantities, an eighth of a cup of pellets and a cup of veggies. Pigs should have constant hay and water through out the day, and not fed only so many times a day like some animals. They have very quick digestive systems, so need to have constant access to healthy food like hay.
 

bpatters

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No, young pigs should NOT have an unlimited supply of alfalfa hay. They, like guinea pigs of all ages, need a long strand grass hay (timothy, meadow, orchard, blue, brome) to keep their teeth properly ground down and their digestive systems moving properly. They need extra calcium, which they can get from alfalfa pellets, or by supplementing (not replacing) grass hay with alfalfa hay (it's a legume, like peas), or by calcium rich veggies, such as parsley.
 

4cavies

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No, young pigs should NOT have an unlimited supply of alfalfa hay. They, like guinea pigs of all ages, need a long strand grass hay (timothy, meadow, orchard, blue, brome) to keep their teeth properly ground down and their digestive systems moving properly. They need extra calcium, which they can get from alfalfa pellets, or by supplementing (not replacing) grass hay with alfalfa hay (it's a legume, like peas), or by calcium rich veggies, such as parsley.

Excuse me, [MENTION=13820]bpatters[/MENTION]. I had meant to say an unlimited amount of an alfalfa hay/timothy or orchard mix. I had been told this by my exotic vet.
 

Fay

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What kind of pellets and veggies are you feeding her and how much exactly? If she's not pregnant then it could be that she's getting too much food or too much of the wrong kind :).

Also, have you weighed her? If she's the right weight for her age and not pregnant it could also just be her shape. One of my pigs had a very distinct pear shape.

Of course that doesn't necessarily rule out pregnancy per se but weighing regularly and giving a well balanced diet is recommended regardless.

https://www.guinealynx.info/diet.html
https://www.guinealynx.info/weigh.html
 

Kenna18155

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I can't give much advice that someone else hasn't already given, but please don't hold her like that. It looks like a painful position to be grabbed. If you need more photos of her shape, take pictures from above, but try to avoid holding her like that.
 

Lilpiggies

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At this point it's too soon to tell. start weighing her every week to watch for weight gain. Though even with that it's hard to tell because at this age they are still growing. I'm actually at the same place with one of my girls and if she doesn't have anything this week I will know she's just fat or may have other issues. How much does she weigh? She looks small for 13 weeks. My approx 14 weeks girls weigh 552 and 657grams.
 

Codieh

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Sorry everyone for my slow reply, I have not been able to get to a computer to reply. I have been keeping extra close eye on her, and I went to her earlier today and I felt her belly and it felt like something kicked my finger.. Like, I'm very unsure as I don't tend to feel things in/on my hands. But I just went to her just a second ago, and I definitely felt it again. Her belly feels different as to what it did when I first posted this, feels like jelly beans if I can put it that way...

Advice is still welcome, thanks!
 

Codieh

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Sorry everyone for my slow reply, I have not been able to get to a computer to reply. I have been keeping extra close eye on her, and I went to her earlier today and I felt her belly and it felt like something kicked my finger.. Like, I'm very unsure as I don't tend to feel things in/on my hands. But I just went to her just a second ago, and I definitely felt it again. Her belly feels different as to what it did when I first posted this, feels like jelly beans if I can put it that way...

Advice is still welcome, thanks!
Forgot to add, when I felt her when I first posted this... I couldn't really tell if I could feel "jelly beans" as I'm putting it in that phrase, but I definitely can now. She feels much heavier... And I'm feeding her no more than what I have been. Weight has increased too.
 

Codieh

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1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg4.jpg

Just update of pictures. Do people think she is pregnant or not? I'm honestly needing to know. I know I've felt things and thought I felt kicks and things. So I'm really curious, and none of my family is taking this seriously and I don't want any complications for when she gives birth, so I'm wanting advice/opinions on if she's definitely pregnant or not.
 

bpatters

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She could be. She could not be. If she is, she'll eventually have pups. If not, she won't. Just relax and enjoy her. If you want to know about pregnancy and labor, go over to www.guinealynx.info and look in the index for both topics.
 

Codieh

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ty [MENTION=13820]bpatters[/MENTION]
 

Codieh

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I would just like to state as to why I do think my baby girl is pregnant:
These two pictures;

gy1du2al.jpgFirst picture

4zd6e079.jpgMost recent picture


Both taken at pretty much the same angle, she looks much bigger on the second picture... Honestly curious now, never had a pregnant guinea pig before, so yeah. Also linking me to other sites/thread don't seem to help - I'm dyslexic, so I can't read or write properly. (My reading is terrible.) I'm asking my mum to write this out and read it to me. Just so I understand it more. Thanks.
 

AmberCalzone

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Baby guinea pigs grow very quickly, so I wouldn't take her getting bigger as a sign of pregnancy :) She doesn't appear to be pregnant in your most recent picture, to me, but if she is she is at the stage of pregnancy where she would JUST begin to show. It'll become apparent or not in a few weeks.
 

Codieh

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Baby guinea pigs grow very quickly, so I wouldn't take her getting bigger as a sign of pregnancy :) She doesn't appear to be pregnant in your most recent picture, to me, but if she is she is at the stage of pregnancy where she would JUST begin to show. It'll become apparent or not in a few weeks.
She is 14 weeks today, I'd assume she is though seeming I've felt things I thought was kicking, and so did a friend of my mums. Surely she can't get that big within a week and 1 day... I'm not feeding her anything more than what I usually do, so... And yes, I know as she's still a baby, she'll be still growing. But to me my recent pictures show her like a pear shape... Anyhow, thank-you. :)
 
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