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Pregnancy Pregnant piggy. Need advice please.

Babyghost17

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Hi all. Im new here so bare with me. About 2 weeks ago I adopted a beautiful brown and white Guinea (my very first) from a girl my brother knows. She told me he was a boy and was about 4 months old she had 6 guinea pigs all together but when I looked at him I fell on love. Me being inexperienced I took her word for it. Fast forward 1 1/2 weeks later Dani (my guinea) is bulging on both sides I picked *him up and I could feel babies moving. He is definantly a she. That was about 2 weeks ago. She is very large and eats so much. In the past week she hasnt let me touch her or pet her she hides away and she is very quite. When I first brought her home she would wheek every time she heard a bag now nothing. Ive been reading as much as I can but its all confusing. I checked her pelvis and it is separated about a thumbs width. So my question is how much longer until the babies are born? I would really like to be prepared.
 

Soecara

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The babies will come when they are ready, there aren't any truly reliable signs. I once had one sow who had pelvic bones separated 2 to 3 fingers for over two weeks before she birthed, drove me crazy enough to vow never to check the pelvic bones on my sows again, it just stresses both me and the sow out too much and doesn't really tell me anything.

She is probably close (within 2 to 3 weeks) of birthing, but they could come any day. Prepare for babies ASAP, or she might catch you off guard. It would be ideal for you to check around your area if you haven't already to see which vets are exotic vets, and if there are any emergency vets who are able to treat exotics, just so you know ahead of time who to contact if she were to experience any birthing complications.

What you need to do to prepare is first make sure her cage is large enough for her and babies, a cage 10 square feet or larger. Then make sure the cage is baby proofed, you don't want the babies to be able to escape or get stuck anywhere, if you have a c&c cage this means making sure the sides are ideally 10 inches high (you can temporarily increase the side height with cardboard between the side of the cage and the grids).

Baby guinea pigs are born fully furred, eyes open, ready to run, and ready to eat solid food within minutes of being born. As such they can eat anything mum can eat. However because she has been pregnant and will be lactating, and the babies will have growing bones they need a source of extra calcium within their diets. This can be given to them simply through a good quality young guinea pig pellet (brands we recommend are Oxbow or KMS), OR adding alfalfa hay to their diet (in addition to their regular hay at a ratio of roughly 30% alfalfa to 70% regular hay), OR adding one high calcium vegetable to their daily 1 cup of vegetables (for example a couple sprigs of parsley). The third option is best for cages with mixed ages, as guinea pigs over 6 months who are not pregnant or lactating should have their calcium intake cut back, so this makes the third option ideal as it is the easiest to give to some but not others by taking them out and feeding the high calcium vegetable to the ones who need it during lap time.

Also make sure they have a good diet, a pregnant or lactating sow is at higher risk of developing vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) as their vitamin C needs increase during this time. For the mother guinea pig a good diet includes unlimited hay (as much hay as she will eat, always top up the hay before it runs out), unlimited pellets (cut back to 1/8 cup per guinea pig per day when she finishes lactating), and 1 cup of vegetables which includes a high vitamin C but low sugar vegetable such as 1/8 of a large bell pepper (baby guinea pigs don't need many vegetables so don't scale this up too much after babies are born).

Male guinea pig pups need to be separated from the females when they turn 3 weeks of age, this is because after roughly 3 1/2 to 4 weeks of age they become sexually mature. So it is important to separate them before this happens to ensure they don't impregnate their mother again. It can be hard at first to sex baby guinea pigs but it becomes easier as they age, male guinea pigs have a bone in their penis so you will be able to feel it just under the skin just above their genitals.

Baby guinea pigs can be held as soon as mum has finished cleaning them off, but don't take them out for too long too often. It is ideal to take them out and weigh them daily at roughly the same time to keep an eye on how their weights are tracking. Expect a weight loss over the first day or two, this is perfectly normal as mum won't have started producing milk yet. After that they should start having a steady weight gain.

If you have any questions feel free to ask, I'm sure there is probably something I have forgotten to cover. I hope your sow has a safe and uneventful delivery and has healthy pups.
 

Babyghost17

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The babies will come when they are ready, there aren't any truly reliable signs. I once had one sow who had pelvic bones separated 2 to 3 fingers for over two weeks before she birthed, drove me crazy enough to vow never to check the pelvic bones on my sows again, it just stresses both me and the sow out too much and doesn't really tell me anything.

She is probably close (within 2 to 3 weeks) of birthing, but they could come any day. Prepare for babies ASAP, or she might catch you off guard. It would be ideal for you to check around your area if you haven't already to see which vets are exotic vets, and if there are any emergency vets who are able to treat exotics, just so you know ahead of time who to contact if she were to experience any birthing complications.

What you need to do to prepare is first make sure her cage is large enough for her and babies, a cage 10 square feet or larger. Then make sure the cage is baby proofed, you don't want the babies to be able to escape or get stuck anywhere, if you have a c&c cage this means making sure the sides are ideally 10 inches high (you can temporarily increase the side height with cardboard between the side of the cage and the grids).

Baby guinea pigs are born fully furred, eyes open, ready to run, and ready to eat solid food within minutes of being born. As such they can eat anything mum can eat. However because she has been pregnant and will be lactating, and the babies will have growing bones they need a source of extra calcium within their diets. This can be given to them simply through a good quality young guinea pig pellet (brands we recommend are Oxbow or KMS), OR adding alfalfa hay to their diet (in addition to their regular hay at a ratio of roughly 30% alfalfa to 70% regular hay), OR adding one high calcium vegetable to their daily 1 cup of vegetables (for example a couple sprigs of parsley). The third option is best for cages with mixed ages, as guinea pigs over 6 months who are not pregnant or lactating should have their calcium intake cut back, so this makes the third option ideal as it is the easiest to give to some but not others by taking them out and feeding the high calcium vegetable to the ones who need it during lap time.

Also make sure they have a good diet, a pregnant or lactating sow is at higher risk of developing vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) as their vitamin C needs increase during this time. For the mother guinea pig a good diet includes unlimited hay (as much hay as she will eat, always top up the hay before it runs out), unlimited pellets (cut back to 1/8 cup per guinea pig per day when she finishes lactating), and 1 cup of vegetables which includes a high vitamin C but low sugar vegetable such as 1/8 of a large bell pepper (baby guinea pigs don't need many vegetables so don't scale this up too much after babies are born).

Male guinea pig pups need to be separated from the females when they turn 3 weeks of age, this is because after roughly 3 1/2 to 4 weeks of age they become sexually mature. So it is important to separate them before this happens to ensure they don't impregnate their mother again. It can be hard at first to sex baby guinea pigs but it becomes easier as they age, male guinea pigs have a bone in their penis so you will be able to feel it just under the skin just above their genitals.

Baby guinea pigs can be held as soon as mum has finished cleaning them off, but don't take them out for too long too often. It is ideal to take them out and weigh them daily at roughly the same time to keep an eye on how their weights are tracking. Expect a weight loss over the first day or two, this is perfectly normal as mum won't have started producing milk yet. After that they should start having a steady weight gain.

If you have any questions feel free to ask, I'm sure there is probably something I have forgotten to cover. I hope your sow has a safe and uneventful delivery and has healthy pups.


Thank you so much. I think im just getting nervous. Im so excited to see the babies. I got her a new bigger cage with 2 hideys and baby proofed it. Shes starting to look really uncomfortable.
 

Babyghost17

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So I have another question. My guinea pig Dani has had a pelvic separation of about a thumbs width maybe a little more for six days now. So my question is how many more days until she gives birth? What time of day should I expect her to give birth? She is still moving around a lot she is eating and drinking and exploring her new cage. She is a little bit more lazy she stays in her hidie until it's very quiet. I have her cage right next to my bed and I am constantly checking on her. I feel like a nervous wreck waiting for her babies and making sure she is okay.
 

Babyghost17

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I can definantly feel the babies moving and it feels like chittering in her belly. She actually let me pet her for the first time in weeks. Normally she hides as soon as I open her cage.
 

Babyghost17

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Update.... Dani had her babies!!!!!! Im so excited. I went to bed around 6 am and around 9:30 I woke up to three squeeking babies. I will post pictures when I can. One looks almost just like her but im am very nervous about the other two. They are both completely white from what I can tell with red eyes. One is running around following mama and the other is trying to move but hasnt really gotten it down yet poor little thing. Should I be concerned?? Are all white guinea pigs always lethals??
 

bpatters

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Congratulations on the babies!

No, white guinea pigs are not all lethals. Lethals will have small or missing eyes and missing and/or wonky teeth.

I'd take the one that's not moving out of the cage with mom (or take the other two out) and let it nurse by itself.
 

Babyghost17

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20190211111408.jpg 20190211111425.jpg
I belive this one is a little boy. He is the smallest. Hes mpving around more but still kinda slow.
 

Babyghost17

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20190211111519.jpg
This is one of the girls. She looks good shes moving around and chasing mom.
 

bpatters

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He may be a lethal. Compare the size of his eyes to the size of the other white one and see if they're smaller. Also wave your hand in front of his face and see if he's blind. Check his teeth, too, and see if they're all there and growing in the right directions.

What are those colored bits in the cuddle cup?
 

Babyghost17

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20190211111548.jpg
This one is the biggest. Ive been calling her Minnie because she is a little mini copy of Dani.
 

Babyghost17

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Babyghost17

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The colored bits are bedding its critter care paper bedding. I looked at his eyes and the other one and to me they look about the same size I waved my hand in front of both of them and they seemed to respond and when I opened their cage they all jumped so I am pretty sure they can all hear. I also checked their teeth and they are all straight and seem ok so far.
 

bpatters

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OK, then the pup isn't lethal. Continue to give it some extra nursing time with mom until it's up and running normally.
 

Babyghost17

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So i think my little boy is dying. I took the other two out twice today to let him have some alone nursing time with mom but about 10 min. ago i went to check on them and he is just laying there in the corner of the hide away from mom and his sisters. he looks like hes having a had time breathing. I have taken him out to try and make him comfortable but I don't know what to do.
 

bpatters

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I'm sorry. Sometimes they just don't make it, and he didn't get off to a very good start.
 
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