Pregnancy Pelvic Bones, Pregnant GP, Labor?

[Ballet2vet]

Hi!
I have a guinea pig who got pregnant without me knowing and she is now just over a year old. I have read that rabbit's pelvic bones can fuse together if you don't breed them within the first threeish months, so I'm a little nervous. I started seeing the babies move last week and read that that happens at week 9 of pregnancy, and week ten the babies will be born. I did some research to see how to tell if the pelvic bones have separated and I found that you have to run your fingers down the spine and you'll feel it there, but then I also read that you have to put your finger under her belly right behind her vulva. I tried the first way and the bones are about 1/2 inch apart and the second way they are about 1 inch or more separated. She is now sitting with her back legs relaxed and sitting up on her front legs, I'm really nervous because I think she might be straining. She doesn't seem to make much effort but she just looks really uncomfortable and has been making noises even when I'm not in the room which is not normal. Just a few minutes ago, she was running around eating and drinking and peeing and pooping like crazy. She is also breathing kind of heavy, and the male (who is in another cage) has been trying to get to her and is acting protective. I have stayed up with her all night, but I'm getting tired and don't know what to do. If you have any advice please let me know! Thanks!
P.S. My female's name is Almond and the male is Pal.

 

[Soecara]

First things first, make sure Almonds cage has a top on it, a determined boar can be a surprisingly good climber and can push up a top on his own cage, but won't be able to lift up a top on her cage. She will go into heat after giving birth so he will only get more determined, his behavior now is normal, and I would say protecting her wouldn't be the first thought in his mind.

Secondly a sows pubic bones don't fuse, what acutally happens is the ligaments connecting them stiffen and become less flexible so they aren't able to stretch as far. This doesn't happen overnight and certainly doesn't happen before about 7 months of age. An older sow can still successfully birth if she has several smaller pups, however if she has one large pup it could get stuck.

When I have had heavily pregnant sows they have all been quite uncomfortable towards the end of their pregnancies. It won't help you or her to keep trying to feel for her pelvic bones, it will just stress the both of you out and won't provide any useful information. The only way to tell if she is likely to have problems or not would be to go to a vet and have an x-ray done to see how many pup there are and how big they are.

I don't recommend anyone feel for the pelvic bones on their pregnant sows, it is a sure fire way to drive yourself crazy, this is speaking from my own experience. When feeling for the pelvic bones on my sows it gave absolutely no more information than I could tell by looking at them (heavily pregnant) and gave no indication of when she would birth (one sow had pelvic bones 3 fingers apart for 2 weeks before birthing), it also wasn't helpful to tell how far apart the pelvic bones even truly were as I noticed when some of my sows became distressed the gap between their pelvic bones actually closed up quite a lot. If you absolutely must feel anyway despite all better judgement (as I did), you are feeling for the area just above the vulva.

What you can do for her now is try to make her as comfortable as possible, for example give her something soft to lay on/in (such as a piece of loose fleece, or a small fleece pad under a hidey, etc.) and give her some privacy. I noticed most of my sows birthed when it was quiet, either when I was out of the house or during the night when I was asleep. Also make sure her food and water is close by so she doesn't have to move as far to get to it. Make sure she is still eating and pooping, if she stops eating or pooping you will know something is wrong, if she is still happy to eat then she can't be feeling too bad.

 

[Ballet2vet]

First things first, make sure Almonds cage has a top on it, a determined boar can be a surprisingly good climber and can push up a top on his own cage, but won't be able to lift up a top on her cage. She will go into heat after giving birth so he will only get more determined, his behavior now is normal, and I would say protecting her wouldn't be the first thought in his mind.

Secondly a sows pubic bones don't fuse, what acutally happens is the ligaments connecting them stiffen and become less flexible so they aren't able to stretch as far. This doesn't happen overnight and certainly doesn't happen before about 7 months of age. An older sow can still successfully birth if she has several smaller pups, however if she has one large pup it could get stuck.

When I have had heavily pregnant sows they have all been quite uncomfortable towards the end of their pregnancies. It won't help you or her to keep trying to feel for her pelvic bones, it will just stress the both of you out and won't provide any useful information. The only way to tell if she is likely to have problems or not would be to go to a vet and have an x-ray done to see how many pup there are and how big they are.

I don't recommend anyone feel for the pelvic bones on their pregnant sows, it is a sure fire way to drive yourself crazy, this is speaking from my own experience. When feeling for the pelvic bones on my sows it gave absolutely no more information than I could tell by looking at them (heavily pregnant) and gave no indication of when she would birth (one sow had pelvic bones 3 fingers apart for 2 weeks before birthing), it also wasn't helpful to tell how far apart the pelvic bones even truly were as I noticed when some of my sows became distressed the gap between their pelvic bones actually closed up quite a lot. If you absolutely must feel anyway despite all better judgement (as I did), you are feeling for the area just above the vulva.

What you can do for her now is try to make her as comfortable as possible, for example give her something soft to lay on/in (such as a piece of loose fleece, or a small fleece pad under a hidey, etc.) and give her some privacy. I noticed most of my sows birthed when it was quiet, either when I was out of the house or during the night when I was asleep. Also make sure her food and water is close by so she doesn't have to move as far to get to it. Make sure she is still eating and pooping, if she stops eating or pooping you will know something is wrong, if she is still happy to eat then she can't be feeling too bad.

Thank you so much for all this information!

I woke up and there are no babies, so false alarm. I have not been feeling for the pelvic bones lately because I could tell it hurt her, but I will totally stop. What other things could I be looking for?

Almond and Pal are in wire cages with bedding (so there is no chance of escaping, and the ledges on Almond's cage are high so the babies can't get out through the wire. And the wire is pretty close together.) I know a lot of people say to put fleece or something down but I have had a guinea pig give birth on bedding and she was fine. (I was young and my mom took charge so we don't really remember any signs or anything, that's why I'm asking on here.) I have tried doing that but she just tears it up, eats it, and smears her poo and pee on it. So it's not really a good laying place. I can try though if you think it's necessary.

We are not really able to take her to the vet, but if she starts to have contractions and we can tell she or the babies are in distress we will not let her suffer, so we will get her checked out.

I don't know if this changes anything but Pal is about 7 years old, I honestly didn't know he could still get her pregnant.

I did not put her hideout in her cage because I'm not able to see her when she's in it and I wanted to be able to keep an eye on her. Plus, if she did need help during pregnancy I didn't want to stress her by moving it. Do you think I should put it in there anyways?

So, is the breathing heavily, constantly tired and lazing around (which is not normal for Almond) and all this other behavior okay? The constant heavy breathing is the thing that worries me.

Maybe she hasn't given birth because I have been watching her like an eaglelol I will give her some privacy. I want to be a vet, so I wanted to catch the birth (I have set up a camera every night. But I will just not do that.) Should I make it dark or just put a hideout in there? I have her in my room right now and Pal is in the cage next to her because they are really close and freak out when they are separated (that's why I had them together in the first place, and I thought he couldn't do anything) But I can move her to a dark and quiet room.
SHE HAS LITERALLY PEED SO MUCH!! Does that mean something?
Thank you so so much! This has really been very helpful!

 

[Ballet2vet]

Thank you so much for all this information!

I woke up and there are no babies, so false alarm. I have not been feeling for the pelvic bones lately because I could tell it hurt her, but I will totally stop. What other things could I be looking for?

Almond and Pal are in wire cages with bedding (so there is no chance of escaping, and the ledges on Almond's cage are high so the babies can't get out through the wire. And the wire is pretty close together.) I know a lot of people say to put fleece or something down but I have had a guinea pig give birth on bedding and she was fine. (I was young and my mom took charge so we don't really remember any signs or anything, that's why I'm asking on here.) I have tried doing that but she just tears it up, eats it, and smears her poo and pee on it. So it's not really a good laying place. I can try though if you think it's necessary.

We are not really able to take her to the vet, but if she starts to have contractions and we can tell she or the babies are in distress we will not let her suffer, so we will get her checked out.

I don't know if this changes anything but Pal is about 7 years old, I honestly didn't know he could still get her pregnant.

I did not put her hideout in her cage because I'm not able to see her when she's in it and I wanted to be able to keep an eye on her. Plus, if she did need help during pregnancy I didn't want to stress her by moving it. Do you think I should put it in there anyways?

So, is the breathing heavily, constantly tired and lazing around (which is not normal for Almond) and all this other behavior okay? The constant heavy breathing is the thing that worries me.

Maybe she hasn't given birth because I have been watching her like an eaglelol I will give her some privacy. I want to be a vet, so I wanted to catch the birth (I have set up a camera every night. But I will just not do that.) Should I make it dark or just put a hideout in there? I have her in my room right now and Pal is in the cage next to her because they are really close and freak out when they are separated (that's why I had them together in the first place, and I thought he couldn't do anything) But I can move her to a dark and quiet room.
SHE HAS LITERALLY PEED SO MUCH!! Does that mean something?
Thank you so so much! This has really been very helpful!

I forgot to say... Last night she was lifting up her bottom and pushing and then hunched over and dragged it on the ground. Sometimes poop would come out but I don't know if that was it or not.
Thanks!

 

[bpatters]

All that sounds perfectly normal. Just be sure to keep her on dry bedding. If you have to move her to do so, do it very gently and disturb her as little as possible.

You need a lid on her cage. Pal can push up a lid on his own cage, but he can't lift the lid on hers. She'll be in heat again minutes after giving birth, and he'll be desperate to get to her. So either put a lid on, or move his cage so that even if he gets out, he can't get into hers.

She's peeing because there's no room in her bladder to hold the urine. Ask any woman you know who has had babies what that's like.

And PLEASE do not breed your guinea pigs. Labor and delivery are very hard on guinea pig sows, and the death rate is high. They're prone to several painful, possibly fatal genetic diseases that can require lifelong, constant care. There are enough accidental pregnancies to keep the species going, so there's no need to ever deliberately breed another sow.

 

[Ballet2vet]

All that sounds perfectly normal. Just be sure to keep her on dry bedding. If you have to move her to do so, do it very gently and disturb her as little as possible.

You need a lid on her cage. Pal can push up a lid on his own cage, but he can't lift the lid on hers. She'll be in heat again minutes after giving birth, and he'll be desperate to get to her. So either put a lid on, or move his cage so that even if he gets out, he can't get into hers.

She's peeing because there's no room in her bladder to hold the urine. Ask any woman you know who has had babies what that's like.

And PLEASE do not breed your guinea pigs. Labor and delivery are very hard on guinea pig sows, and the death rate is high. They're prone to several painful, possibly fatal genetic diseases that can require lifelong, constant care. There are enough accidental pregnancies to keep the species going, so there's no need to ever deliberately breed another sow.

Thank you! The cages do not have any openings except a door on the side (that sometimes I have trouble opening!) so I don't have to worry about escaping. Thank you for the advice! I will keep an eye on her, she has just been lazing around. How long do you think she is from delivery?

 

[bpatters]

There's no way to know when they'll come -- the pups can't read the memo on scheduled delivery. If you can hear the teeth gnashing, it won't be long.

 

[Ballet2vet]

There's no way to know when they'll come -- the pups can't read the memo on scheduled delivery. If you can hear the teeth gnashing, it won't be long.

Last night I thought I heard little squeaking sounds, it didn't sound like Almond or Pal and it was very faint but I don't know if that could have been the babies. Thank you for all the advice! I guess I just need a dose of patience now!

 

[Ballet2vet]

Last night I thought I heard little squeaking sounds, it didn't sound like Almond or Pal and it was very faint but I don't know if that could have been the babies. Thank you for all the advice! I guess I just need a dose of patience now!

Update on Almond-
She is eating, drinking, and laying down a lot. She has seemed to kind of calm down since last night. There is something I forgot to say that I have forgotten, I will tell you what it is when I think of it. If ANYBODY has ANY advice or ANYTHING it would be MUCH appreciated! I just love my piggy and am nervous for her so any encouragement or advice is much much welcome! I'm really excited and hopefully she will have an easy birth and all healthy babies! (And hopefully not too many boys! ) Thanks guys!

 

[Soecara]

Fleece isn't necessary, so if using it doesn't work for her then don't use it.

No reason not to use a camera, they have no idea what it does so it couldn't possibly make her feel any less private. The only thing with cameras though is if it has a blinking light on it that they can see that can freak them out a bit if they aren't used to it, so if it does use something to cover it.

It is up to you whether you want to move her, put her hidey back, or leave it as is. Whether she really needs anywhere to hide or not depends on her individual personality, if she is a very timid guinea pig who spooks easily then I would say yes do something to give her some more privacy, if she is an outgoing and confident guinea pig then there is no need to change anything. You could also consider using something to just cover part of her cage, like a thin sheet, if you do chose to do that just make sure she can't chew it given she has already proven she will chew on fleece.

 

[Ballet2vet]

Fleece isn't necessary, so if using it doesn't work for her then don't use it.

No reason not to use a camera, they have no idea what it does so it couldn't possibly make her feel any less private. The only thing with cameras though is if it has a blinking light on it that they can see that can freak them out a bit if they aren't used to it, so if it does use something to cover it.

It is up to you whether you want to move her, put her hidey back, or leave it as is. Whether she really needs anywhere to hide or not depends on her individual personality, if she is a very timid guinea pig who spooks easily then I would say yes do something to give her some more privacy, if she is an outgoing and confident guinea pig then there is no need to change anything. You could also consider using something to just cover part of her cage, like a thin sheet, if you do chose to do that just make sure she can't chew it given she has already proven she will chew on fleece.

I hear the babies! It is like an echo of her chewing except it comes from behind her. How long do you think it will be?

And I don't have a camera, I use my phone and put a flashlight or lamp next to her cage. Is that still okay? I only do that at night but in the day I just constantly am checking her.

I am so excited I can barely handle myself! I've been kind of down and sleepy all day because I stayed up with her until 3 this morning but as soon as I heard that noise I woke up!!

Thank you so so much for all the advice! I'll keep you posted!!

 

[Ballet2vet]

Fleece isn't necessary, so if using it doesn't work for her then don't use it.

No reason not to use a camera, they have no idea what it does so it couldn't possibly make her feel any less private. The only thing with cameras though is if it has a blinking light on it that they can see that can freak them out a bit if they aren't used to it, so if it does use something to cover it.

It is up to you whether you want to move her, put her hidey back, or leave it as is. Whether she really needs anywhere to hide or not depends on her individual personality, if she is a very timid guinea pig who spooks easily then I would say yes do something to give her some more privacy, if she is an outgoing and confident guinea pig then there is no need to change anything. You could also consider using something to just cover part of her cage, like a thin sheet, if you do chose to do that just make sure she can't chew it given she has already proven she will chew on fleece.

I forgot to say... I put her hide out back in so maybe that is what has brought this on if it is labor. Because I have heard guinea pigs can hold off their birth until they are in a safe hiding spot.
And the thing I forgot to say earlier... what should I be feeding her? I read that I should feed the babies Alfalfa hay and I should mix Timothy hay and Alfalfa hay for her. I have been giving her fruits and veggies (mostly just carrots though) and pellets as normal. Anything I should add?

 

[Soecara]

The only difference between what you should be feeding an adult guinea pig vs what you should be feeding a pregnant/lactating sow and all guinea pigs under 6 months of age is that the latter should have a source of calcium in their diet. This is because a pregnant sow needs it for the pups growing inside her, a lactating sow needs it for her milk production, and guinea pigs under 6 months need it for their growing bones.

For this source of calcium you have some options. You can feed alfalfa hay mixed in with their timothy hay at a ratio of roughly 70% timothy to 30% alfalfa. OR you can feed young guinea pig pellets. OR you can add a high calcium vegetable into their diet (such as a couple springs of parsley every day). You only need to do one of those options, so pick which one works best for you. If you have a mixed cage (such as after the mother stops lactating, which happens about 6 weeks after birthing, or if you end up with a male pup that you end up hosing with dad) it is generally the easiest to go with the vegetable option and just take out and hand feed it to the ones who need it so the ones who don't need it don't get any.

You may also want to consider adding bell peppers/capsicums into their daily diet, guinea pigs don't produce their own vitamin C so they need it from other sources to prevent scurvy, pregnant and lactating sows are at a higher risk of developing scurvy as they require more vitamin C. Vegetables are the best way to get it to them, but most vegetables high in vitamin C are also high in calcium (such as kale), which is why bell peppers are a good choice for guinea pigs of all ages. Try not to over do it on the carrots, while they are okay to feed daily they are high in vitamin A, so it is possible to feed too much carrot (limit it to about a 1 inch chunk of a large carrot per guinea pig daily for example).

Some vegetables you can feed daily to guinea pigs of all ages are red/green leaf lettuce, butterhead lettuce, radicchio, zucchini, tomato (limit to 1 or 2 cherry tomatoes per guinea pig per day or equivalent), bell pepper, and carrot. We generally recommend to feed 1 cup of vegetables per adult guinea pig per day. Limit fruit to once or twice a week as they are high in sugar which can give guinea pigs digestive problems such as gas issues.

If you do end up with any male pups make sure to separate them from the girls when they turn 3 weeks old.

 

[Ballet2vet]

The only difference between what you should be feeding an adult guinea pig vs what you should be feeding a pregnant/lactating sow and all guinea pigs under 6 months of age is that the latter should have a source of calcium in their diet. This is because a pregnant sow needs it for the pups growing inside her, a lactating sow needs it for her milk production, and guinea pigs under 6 months need it for their growing bones.

For this source of calcium you have some options. You can feed alfalfa hay mixed in with their timothy hay at a ratio of roughly 70% timothy to 30% alfalfa. OR you can feed young guinea pig pellets. OR you can add a high calcium vegetable into their diet (such as a couple springs of parsley every day). You only need to do one of those options, so pick which one works best for you. If you have a mixed cage (such as after the mother stops lactating, which happens about 6 weeks after birthing, or if you end up with a male pup that you end up hosing with dad) it is generally the easiest to go with the vegetable option and just take out and hand feed it to the ones who need it so the ones who don't need it don't get any.

You may also want to consider adding bell peppers/capsicums into their daily diet, guinea pigs don't produce their own vitamin C so they need it from other sources to prevent scurvy, pregnant and lactating sows are at a higher risk of developing scurvy as they require more vitamin C. Vegetables are the best way to get it to them, but most vegetables high in vitamin C are also high in calcium (such as kale), which is why bell peppers are a good choice for guinea pigs of all ages. Try not to over do it on the carrots, while they are okay to feed daily they are high in vitamin A, so it is possible to feed too much carrot (limit it to about a 1 inch chunk of a large carrot per guinea pig daily for example).

Some vegetables you can feed daily to guinea pigs of all ages are red/green leaf lettuce, butterhead lettuce, radicchio, zucchini, tomato (limit to 1 or 2 cherry tomatoes per guinea pig per day or equivalent), bell pepper, and carrot. We generally recommend to feed 1 cup of vegetables per adult guinea pig per day. Limit fruit to once or twice a week as they are high in sugar which can give guinea pigs digestive problems such as gas issues.

If you do end up with any male pups make sure to separate them from the girls when they turn 3 weeks old.

Ok, will do. Do you have any information on the noises I am hearing? She is in her hideout and I can only see her head. I hear little popping sounds like teeth clamping together but her face and mouth don't move, so I'm guessing that's the babies? How long after I can hear them do they usually come?

 

[Soecara]

You can usually only hear the pups gnashing their teeth when she is within a week of giving birth.

 

[Ballet2vet]

You can usually only hear the pups gnashing their teeth when she is within a week of giving birth.

She is definitely going to have them this week. I started hearing them today and last Monday was the first time I was able to see them kicking. I will keep a close eye on her and will do everything you have suggested. Thank you!

 

[Ballet2vet]

She is definitely going to have them this week. I started hearing them today and last Monday was the first time I was able to see them kicking. I will keep a close eye on her and will do everything you have suggested. Thank you!

No babies yet :sad: But she is loving the hay!

 

[Ballet2vet]

No babies yet :sad: But she is loving the hay!

Still no babies. I got her a new big hideout, I think she may be having 3 but am not sure. I saw a video of a guinea pig that was even a little smaller then Almond and she had 8 babies! hmy:

 

[Ballet2vet]

Still no babies. I got her a new big hideout, I think she may be having 3 but am not sure. I saw a video of a guinea pig that was even a little smaller then Almond and she had 8 babies! hmy:

So... as I feel the babies kicking my idea of 2 or 3 babies has turned to at least 6!

I walked into my room just a few minutes ago and she started squealing at me. She does that when she’s hungry or thirsty but she had food and water. I’m feeding her by hand and she is very eager to eat as much hay as I feed her. I noticed some hiccup movements a while ago so maybe we will have the Christmas babies I’ve been hoping for!

I will give updates tomorrow.

 

[Soecara]

Just keep in mind each baby has 4 legs, so feeling the kicks will only give you a very rough idea of how many pups. Also how large or small the sows stomach is can also be deceiving, some sows can carry the pups slightly differently or have a different amount of fluid.

One of my sows was absolutely huge by the time she gave birth and she had only 1 pup, but the pup was 180 grams when born. Fortunately some of her history prior to coming into my care was known, so I knew she had birthed at least twice before, otherwise at her estimated age of around 2 that could have been very bad.

Another sow of mine was quite small at the end, still large enough that she looked pregnant but small enough that you could have sworn she was only having 1 or 2, she had 4 pups but they were about 75-80 grams on average when born, the mother herself wasn't fully grown at an estimated age of 7 months. The family I got her from were upfront about the fact that they had recently gotten her thinking she was a boar as a companion for their existing boar but found out she was a sow only after putting them together and were re-homing her. They let me know they didn't know if she was pregnant or not and didn't know anything about her life prior to them.

I hope your sow safely delivers a healthy litter. Christmas babies would be lovely.