Pregnancy Is my guinea pig pregnant or is she gaining weight/growing??

[julifhy]

My guinea pig Coco is about 2 months old. I got her about 3 weeks ago off of craigslist. I was told she was housed with both boy and girl guinea pigs before I got her, so that worried me a little bit. She seems really healthy (she has a big appetite and there doesn't seem to be anything off), but she also has a really round stomach which I can't tell if it's normal or if she might be pregnant (she seems to be growing everyday, but she's still technically a baby, so that's what has me confused). Another reason I'm worried, is that I was holding her today and I felt her stomach move. I have no idea if something else could of caused that or if that could be a baby guinea pig. I am going to try to get a vet appointment as soon as I can, but I just wanted to know if this could possibly be a pregnancy or it's me overreacting and she's just growing. (I will attach a picture of her later.)

 

[bpatters]

She could be pregnant. She's old enough.

But I'd hold off on taking her to a vet. It's impossible even for a vet to tell until the pig is several weeks along. The bones have to "mineralize" before they're visible on x-ray, and any pups are just too small to be felt until she's about six weeks.

A pregnant sow needs exactly the same things a baby guinea pig does -- good quality hay, good quality pellets, a calcium source, veggies, and some vitamin C. So her diet is crucial.

What exactly are you feeding her? What kind of hay? What kind of pellets? What brand of pellets? What veggies does she get?

Read this thread -- it will give you some ways to tell whether or not she's pregnant: https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...inea-pig-is-pregnant-And-how-far-along-is-she

And get yourself a scale if you don't have one. A kitchen scale that weighs up to five pounds in both ounces and grams is fine, and it will cost $15 or less at places like Walmart, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc.

 

[julifhy]

She could be pregnant. She's old enough.

But I'd hold off on taking her to a vet. It's impossible even for a vet to tell until the pig is several weeks along. The bones have to "mineralize" before they're visible on x-ray, and any pups are just too small to be felt until she's about six weeks.

A pregnant sow needs exactly the same things a baby guinea pig does -- good quality hay, good quality pellets, a calcium source, veggies, and some vitamin C. So her diet is crucial.

What exactly are you feeding her? What kind of hay? What kind of pellets? What brand of pellets? What veggies does she get?

Read this thread -- it will give you some ways to tell whether or not she's pregnant: https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...inea-pig-is-pregnant-And-how-far-along-is-she

And get yourself a scale if you don't have one. A kitchen scale that weighs up to five pounds in both ounces and grams is fine, and it will cost $15 or less at places like Walmart, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc.

Tysm! I feed her timothy hay, regular cylinder and donut shaped pellets (not sure what brand their from though because the bag broke a while ago), fresh carrots, red bell peppers, celery, cilantro, and occasionally spinach and apples. I did weight her today and she was about 1.52 lbs which I read was normal for 2 month old guinea pigs.
I also noticed she was less active today. She didn't call for food when I walked into the kitchen and was asleep all day today except when I took her out of her cage. She also only got up to eat twice today. These are all just things I noticed today, so I hope it doesn't mean anything bad.
Do you also happen to know why I would feel something moving in her stomach?

 

[bpatters]

You can feel movement in the stomach just because of the food going through the gut. If she's really just two months old, she couldn't be more than about 4 weeks pregnant, if that much, and you wouldn't be able to feel the pups at that point.

Also, double check that weight again. One and a half pounds is a LOT for a two month old pig, which means she could be more pregnant than we think. A more normal weight for an 8-week old pig is about 500 grams, which is barely over a pound.

How sure are you of her age? If she's even a few weeks older, she could be much farther along.

The pellets are no good. She should have plain hay pellets, preferably alfalfa at her age. The only ones we recommend here are Oxbow and KMS Hayloft -- both are excellent and provide great nutrition.

She also needs some greens -- red or green leaf lettuce is good. And go easy on the carrots -- they've got quite a bit of sugar in them, and GPs don't process sugar well.

 

[julifhy]

You can feel movement in the stomach just because of the food going through the gut. If she's really just two months old, she couldn't be more than about 4 weeks pregnant, if that much, and you wouldn't be able to feel the pups at that point.

Also, double check that weight again. One and a half pounds is a LOT for a two month old pig, which means she could be more pregnant than we think. A more normal weight for an 8-week old pig is about 500 grams, which is barely over a pound.

How sure are you of her age? If she's even a few weeks older, she could be much farther along.

The pellets are no good. She should have plain hay pellets, preferably alfalfa at her age. The only ones we recommend here are Oxbow and KMS Hayloft -- both are excellent and provide great nutrition.

She also needs some greens -- red or green leaf lettuce is good. And go easy on the carrots -- they've got quite a bit of sugar in them, and GPs don't process sugar well.

Ty again! Unless there's something wrong with our scale, she's definitely 1.52 lbs. I don't know if this will help with anything, but from her nose to her rear she's about 9-10 inches. How old do you think she might be? (I also still have the number of the person I got her from, so I guess I might be able to ask them about her age again.)

I had no idea carrots had a lot of sugar in them! I was feeding her small pieces everyday! I also found out that both my parents were giving her "breakfast". My dad says he was giving her 1 baby carrot every morning and my mom was giving her an apple slice. I told them to stop feeding her and I'll also get her some new pellets tomorrow. I'm pretty sure the ones I had were plain hay pellets though, mixed in with some other ones.

 

[julifhy]

Here are some pictures of her:

She doesn't really look all that overweight or possibly pregnant from the pictures, but when you feel her stomach it feels pretty round. She's my first guinea pig in 3 years, so maybe she's just older than I was told she was and I forgot how a guinea pig's stomach feels like? Are they supposed to feel round??

 

[julifhy]

I went to the kitchen (where her cage is) and saw that she moved her house to the other side of the cage (which she sometimes does) and she was in the middle of the cage with her front legs holding her up and her back legs spread out. The best I can describe it is that it looked like if she was doing the yoga pose “upward facing dog” lol. Does that mean anything? I’ve never seen her do this before. She also didn’t really seem relaxed doing this.
If a guinea pig might be bloated, could that cause her to be heavier than usual?

 

[peanny77]

I had two pregnant sows recently.Their stomachs weren’t so big so I thought they’re in their early stage of pregnancy,but I was wrong.They gave birth 2 weeks later.I don’t know if this helps you,but this is my 8 month old,3 days before giving birth to 3 tiny babies.

 

[bpatters]

At nine inches, she's probably older than two months.

She doesn't look all THAT pregnant, if she is at all. Just keep weighing daily and track her weight.

I don't see any significance to the yoga position.

 

[julifhy]

Ok, I'll continue weighing her daily. I do have one last question, how should a guinea pigs stomach normally feel?

 

[bpatters]

It depends. if they've just eaten and are very full, it will feel like it's full. If they're sick and have bloat, it will be blown up like a balloon, and will make a hollow sound if you thump it. If they haven't eaten, it will be squishy. In the later stages of pregnancy, you can feel the pups heads and feet.

But feeling a guinea pigs stomach is not a good way to determine anything except possible bloat or possible pregnancy. Just let her be. If she's pregnant, you'll know it soon enough. If she's not, you'll also know that soon enough.

 

[julifhy]

It depends. if they've just eaten and are very full, it will feel like it's full. If they're sick and have bloat, it will be blown up like a balloon, and will make a hollow sound if you thump it. If they haven't eaten, it will be squishy. In the later stages of pregnancy, you can feel the pups heads and feet.

But feeling a guinea pigs stomach is not a good way to determine anything except possible bloat or possible pregnancy. Just let her be. If she's pregnant, you'll know it soon enough. If she's not, you'll also know that soon enough.

Tysm! Yesterday she was 1.52 lbs and today she is 1.54 lbs and I can definitely feel something moving in her stomach. I have not contacted the person I got her from yet, but I think she might of actually been 3 months when I first got her. I contacted her about another guinea pig that was 3 months old, but someone else adopted her before me and then she showed me that Coco is still available and I ended up getting her. Maybe she lied about her age to get her adopted quicker? I’m not sure honestly. Would everything make more sense if she was about 3.5-4 months old? Also, should I go to the vet with her?

 

[bpatters]

There's no point in going to the vet if she's behaving normally, and eating well.

If she is pregnant, you can sort of guess how far along she is by the signs listed in that thread I referred you to.

 

[julifhy]

I had two pregnant sows recently.Their stomachs weren’t so big so I thought they’re in their early stage of pregnancy,but I was wrong.They gave birth 2 weeks later.I don’t know if this helps you,but this is my 8 month old,3 days before giving birth to 3 tiny babies.

It is helpful! Thanks!
That picture is how Coco currently looks like. She gained a lot of weight over the past couple of days. I can also hear baby's / babies' teeth gnashing now, so I'm guessing she's going to have them soon if I'm not wrong. Do you have any tips on taking care of pregnant and baby guinea pigs?

 

[peanny77]

When my sows were pregnant,I fed them exactly what guinea pups need:alfalfa hay,alfalfa pellets and lots of veggies (they were both over 6 mths old). But your pig is a baby too,right? Correct me if I’m wrong, pregnant sows under 6 months old are prone to scurvy so give her extra vit c (in her veggies or crushed tablets,NOT in her water).I suggest that you give her more nutrients,too.Try NOT to handle her as much as possible because this can cause a miscarriage.If you HAVE to take her out for cleaning the cage,weigh her,... then coax her into a cardboard box. Her cage should be in a quiet place so that she won’t be stressed.
Have you felt her pelvic bones separating? If you have,she’s going to give birth soon. A guinea pig birth often lasts around 30 mins. If she doesn’t have signs of complications,let her do what nature tells her to. IMPORTANT: Write down an emergency vet’s number and stick it on the cage,in case of complications!

Edited by bpatters: You don't need to avoid handling her until the late stages of pregnancy. A very pregnant pig is uncomfortable, and would rather not be handled. But until she begins to look uncomfortable, you can continue to hold her. That will not cause her to miscarry.

 

[peanny77]

Edited by bpatters: You don't need to avoid handling her until the late stages of pregnancy. A very pregnant pig is uncomfortable, and would rather not be handled. But until she begins to look uncomfortable, you can continue to hold her. That will not cause her to miscarry.

Thank you @bpatters, but I think Coco is in her late stage of pregnancy,as @julifhy said he/she/they could hear the pup’s teeth gnashing and she looks like my 8 month old.That’s why I advised @julifhy to reduce handling!

 

[bpatters]

@peanny77, where do you see anything about the teeth gnashing?

I'll admit it's early and I haven't had my coffee yet, but I don't see it.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

@peanny77, where do you see anything about the teeth gnashing?

I'll admit it's early and I haven't had my coffee yet, but I don't see it.

That picture is how Coco currently looks like. She gained a lot of weight over the past couple of days. I can also hear baby's / babies' teeth gnashing now, so I'm guessing she's going to have them soon if I'm not wrong. Do you have any tips on taking care of pregnant and baby guinea pigs?



It's early. Do what I do and just drink the pot. Day goes better that way LOL

 

[bpatters]

She'll likely have them when you're not looking. But watch her for any signs of distress, like a lengthy labor, that might indicate that she needs an exotic vet quickly.

Other than that, just give them all very high quality pellets (the only ones we recommend here are Oxbow or KMS Hayloft), high quality hay, good veggies (be sure to include green peppers or other produce high in vitamin C), extra calcium (alfalfa hay OR pellets, not both, or some high calcium veggies).

 

[julifhy]

@peanny77 @bpatters
I was holding her yesterday and I think I heard teeth gnashing. I definitely felt and saw the pups moving in her belly. She was gaining 0.02 lbs each day since this Wednesday, but today she gained 0.04 lbs! She is now 1.62 lbs. I’m giving her red bell peppers, cilantro, parsley, and celery as well as Timothy hay and Oxbow Essential young guinea pig food. She’s spent almost the whole day eating and drinking, if I’m not wrong, that is normal, right? I pick her up by coaxing her into a couch/bed she has in her cage and then I pick that up. I haven’t felt her pelvic bones yet. I’ll do that later today.

I also contacted the person I got her from, asking about her age, but I have not received a response yet.