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[abbiegeorge]

Hello my name is abbie. My daughter wanted guinea pigs for her room so we got her one and her brother one. She is 5 and he is 3.
Well we didnt realize we had one male and one female and now we babies on the way. her nipples have gotten huge and i can not feel her pelvic bones. Her vulva looks swollen also. How long after that would she give birth? I am assuming any day now?:?::?::?:
The GPs names are strawberry and bobo(squeakers). We didnt name them the kids did lol.
Thanks in advanced

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Welcome to the forum.

First, separate mom and dad NOW. She can get pregnant again within minutes of giving birth and back to back pregnancies are difficult for both mom and pups.

You'll have to get dad neutered or mom spayed before they can live together again. The cage needs to be baby proofed before they are born. You'll need to line the cage in such a way that they can't stick their heads through the bars and get stuck, or escape.

How big is their cage? You'll need plenty of space to prevent the pups ears from being nibbled. You'll need to sex the babies and separate any boys when they are about 3 weeks old. There is plenty of information on this site to help you determine which is which.

Again, separate mom and dad NOW.

 

[bpatters]

Agreed on the separation. He must NOT be in the cage when she gives birth.

Here's some info: https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...inea-pig-is-pregnant-And-how-far-along-is-she

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Rosiethecutepig]

Welcome! Cute piggy names!

 

[abbiegeorge]

I separated them this morning. my daughter isnt to excited about her girl being in our living room but i figured it was best bc she would want to play and hold the babies when they got here and i read that they cant really be held the first couple days to a week. anything else i should know? We are going to take them to a vet as soon as they are here. I called the vet today she said she didnt want her brought in bc we didnt know how soon labor was coming and didnt want to stress out mama pig. thank you for the separation advice.

 

[abbiegeorge]

Also i tried feeling for her pelvic bones and couldnt find them (i know i prob sound dumb) so im wondering if that means it will be soon.

 

[Soecara]

You can hold baby guinea pigs as soon as mum is finished drying them off, however it should only be for very short periods of time. They need to bond with their mother and will become distressed if separated from her.

I would also advise against letting your daughter "hold them" rather have her sit down (ideally on the floor not on a chair, so if the pup runs off her lap it doesn't fall) and place them on a towel on her lap so she can pat them. This is just because baby guinea pigs can be very wriggly and difficult to keep hold of, but also they are very fragile as they are so small.

Personally I find feeling for pelvic bones completely useless, it just stresses both you and the guinea pig out and tells you nothing helpful. I had a sow who had her pelvic bones separated over 2 fingers (4cm) apart for 2 weeks before she gave birth.

Any male pups need to be separated from all girls at 3 weeks of age, this is because some time around 3.5-4 weeks they become sexually mature and capable of impregnating a sow. To sex young guinea pigs the easiest way is to feel for a firm line under the skin just above the genitalia, male guinea pigs have a bone in their penis so they will have this line, female guinea pigs do not have a bone in that area so there is no firm line. Don't worry too much if it isn't obvious at first, by the time they are 3 weeks old it will be much easier to tell.

 

[bpatters]

If the pups are running around and the mom is eating/pooping/drinking/peeing normally, there's really no reason for a vet visit. If you think something abnormal is going on, post back here and someone will review the situation for you.

 

[Smileandnod]

anything else i should know?

I believe it may have been mentioned before, but please make sure the mother's cage is big enough for her and babies. Please check cage sizing here on the forum...or let us know what size/type cage and we can make suggestions. You don't want mom chewing off the babies ears.

Also babyproof the cage so that the babies can't get stuck or escape.

And it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway just for emphasis, that the small children should not be encouraged to handle any of the guinea pigs, especially the babies without them sitting down and you being the primary one doing the holding. An unintentional squeeze or drop can severely injure or kill a guinea pig, especially a baby who moves quickly and unpredictably. The sad stories are numerous.

Do not allow the female and male to have time together even for supervised play until either he is neutered or she is spayed.

Good luck. I hope all goes well.

 

[abbiegeorge]

If the pups are running around and the mom is eating/pooping/drinking/peeing normally, there's really no reason for a vet visit. If you think something abnormal is going on, post back here and someone will review the situation for you.

alright thank you.

 

[abbiegeorge]

Both cages are pretty big. they are big enough for the chinchillas that we own (they are in a different cage obvi.) Im not sure on the measurments of the cages though we have had them for years. I think i am going to have to get a bigger house though she is almost too wide for the one she has in her cage. She spends most of her time in her house or on my lap she always wants held idk if its because we held her all the time before realizign she was pregnant or what. Also is it normal for her to pee on herself? Everytime she wants out she is always wet. Just want to make sure she is okay. I have no idea how far along she is. I felt the baby/babies move today and i thought i was hearing them also. I almost had to be mama wasnt making any noise.

 

[Smileandnod]

Both cages are pretty big. they are big enough for the chinchillas that we own (they are in a different cage obvi.) Im not sure on the measurments of the cages though we have had them for years. I think i am going to have to get a bigger house though she is almost too wide for the one she has in her cage. She spends most of her time in her house or on my lap she always wants held idk if its because we held her all the time before realizign she was pregnant or what. Also is it normal for her to pee on herself? Everytime she wants out she is always wet. Just want to make sure she is okay. I have no idea how far along she is. I felt the baby/babies move today and i thought i was hearing them also. I almost had to be mama wasnt making any noise.

Just be sure that if it is a multi level chinchilla cage that you are aware of guinea pigs' different needs.

Guinea pigs need enough space on a single level because they aren't climbers. You can have an upper level, but because guinea pigs do not have good depth perception they could be injured from falls with ramps and separate levels that do not have walled sides. So many chinchilla cages are unfortunately not suitable for guinea pigs.

You can quickly (and inexpensively!) construct a safe and suitable guinea pig cage from grids or closet shelving. Post pictures of your current cages and we can make suggestions for safety.

As far as her being "wet"...what absorbent material is she housed on? If it is fleece, what are you using as the absorbent material? If she is staying mostly in one area, you need to make sure it is changed out frequently so it is clean & dry. Maybe cover other areas of the cage (such as her hay pile) to encourage her to move so that she isn't soiling in just one area.

 

[abbiegeorge]

they cage we have her in isnt a multilevel its more like a rabbit cage we used it for our chins before we bonded them sorry about that. and shes using fleece i have a bedding under it but shee doesnt like the feel of aspen bedding she wont walk on it so thats why the fleece is there. her food and water are on the oposite side of her cage and her hay is beside her house so she would have to get out of it. she gets out of it but not a whole lot shed rather kay there so idk if thats normal or if thats a sign she may have the babies soon.

 

[abbiegeorge]

pic is what my male is in. female is in something like that but bigger

 

[abbiegeorge]

We took out the orange piece in ours and got a different hay thing bc they didnt use the ladder thing and i didnt like the hay feeder we got them metal ones

 

[Smileandnod]

I would check to see if the fleece is wicking. If the urine is puddling on top of the fleece before soaking in that is probably why she is wet.

To baby proof the cage, get rid of a metal hay rack and just start putting down a large pile of hay. This is the safest way. You can easily do a search about tragic consequences of babies getting stuck in hay racks.

And...I know you're not going to be happy about it, but my bet is even though your cage seems "big enough", it's not going to be enough room for a mom with babies. Trust me, you don't want a stressed out mother. I have a rescue who was unfortunately the result of a mom in a rabbit cage. The owners thought it was big enough...her ears are in shreds because the stressed mom chewed them and her siblings. Painful, and sadly preventable.

 

[Smileandnod]

they cage we have her in isnt a multilevel its more like a rabbit cage we used it for our chins before we bonded them sorry about that. and shes using fleece i have a bedding under it but shee doesnt like the feel of aspen bedding she wont walk on it so thats why the fleece is there. her food and water are on the oposite side of her cage and her hay is beside her house so she would have to get out of it. she gets out of it but not a whole lot shed rather kay there so idk if thats normal or if thats a sign she may have the babies soon.

Yeah, this cage is not even big enough for your single male pig. Just looked up the dimensions 29"L X 17.5"W X 22.5"H. That is just slightly bigger than a 1 x 2 grid c&c cage which is small for a temporary medical cage and is not suitable for a full time enclosure.

Please get both your male and female a bigger enclosure that meets the minimum requirements for size. Again, you can quickly, easily, and inexpensively construct a suitable cage out of grids or closet shelving.