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Pregnancy Guinea Pig pregnant for too long? (with pictures)

Tomoko

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Hello :)

One of my teddy guinea pigs "Blackfoot" is pregnant since a bit too long i guess? I don't know the exact date she got pregnant. I was at the vet (she's very guinea pig experienced and has many herself) about 10 days ago, there she did an x-ray, did alot of touching and said "They should come within the next 7 days." So now it's been 10 days since she said that, Blackfoot is still very normal, she only lies down a bit more since a few days than usual, but she eats and drinks alot, and when she hears food she just gets as excited as the non-pregnant piggies :)

I attached some pictures of her and her tummy. (Don't worry i dont take her out at all to keep her calm, just did that yesterday and Blackfoot is very tame when doing that). Her nipples show alot since about 10 days aswell, however no signs of milk. I'm not sure her pelvis bone sare seperated since i dont know how to find that out, but yesterday a head of one of the babies was just about 1cm away from her vulva. Does it mean birth is close?


One of the pictures is a bit out of focus, but you still see how big she is. And yeah she likes to lie down in the potty zone for some reason.
(I tried attaching pictures but then they would be way too small, so i uploaded them and just add the links):

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Thank you in advance :)
 

Tomoko

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Forgot to add that she's expecting 3 babies and they're all alive and "kicking" :)
 

Tomoko

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Here the pictures in attached small format:
 

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Soecara

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She looks like she isn't far off giving birth. The babies will come when they are ready (just like human babies). As long as they are still moving and she doesn't seem like she is in pain don't worry.

To check her pelvic bones feel about 1 cm or so above her vulva on her stomach, it is easier if you have another sow to compare who isn't pregnant.
 

Tomoko

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She looks like she isn't far off giving birth. The babies will come when they are ready (just like human babies). As long as they are still moving and she doesn't seem like she is in pain don't worry.

To check her pelvic bones feel about 1 cm or so above her vulva on her stomach, it is easier if you have another sow to compare who isn't pregnant.

Thank you Soecara :)

But could you help me checking the pelvic bones? Because i have absolutely no idea what i should feel. - 1cm above her vulva i felt a babies head last night, moving and seeming to try to bite me :) Does that mean its seperated? My vet told me i could try squeezing milk out of her teats but i dont want to discomfort her since i have no idea how to "milk".
 

Tomoko

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I'd be also very thankful for answers to some other questions i have concerning the babies - i checked the forum but couldnt find answers to everything:

- My vet told me that i shouldn't use shredded wood when the babies are there because it can get stuck to their fur. I don't see why that would be bad, my guinea pigs often have that, and when they do i pick it off if they cant reach it.

- I often see people here writing they "had to" open the sac after birth because the mom didnt. Is that true or did those members just freak out and acted too quickly? I cant imagine any animal forgetting to open the sac with the baby in it. I'm often not home and a very busy person, so i will obviously miss the birth (unless its hopefully tonight). Should i worry?

- I also read about alot of people on here talking about problems their pregnant guinea pig had before birth (heavy breathing, acting sick and lethargic)
Mine are completly active, even the pregnant teddy (here from the thread) is still jumping around when theres food, and she also talk and interacts alot with ther piggies. So i guess i dont have to expect problems.

- How would i notice if a baby wont come out or might be dead inside her womb? After how much time should i call my vet and say theres a problem with giving birth, what is the typical intervall between the birth of each baby?


I'm new to guinea pigs and just got them in february after i had to take care of my girlfriends guinea pigs while she was on vacation with her mom. I usually get all the info and read alot, but i didnt find anything that could answer me those questions.

Thanks in advance! :)
 

NursePiggy

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Here the pictures in attached small format:

OMG! Soooo sweet! Your babies are going to be adorable!!! Will you offer them up for adoption or keep them? You are a very good expectant Papa lol
 

Hhbean

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Just bumping this up so somebody with experience with pregnant piggies will hopefully see it! By the way she is adorable!
 

NormaS

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Guinea pigs usually give birth at night, so usually you won't see the birth. Instinct usually takes over and they open the sac by themselves. It is true that one in five sows can have problems during delivery. I don't know the typical interval between births so I cannot help you there. Maybe [MENTION=13820]bpatters[/MENTION] is online and can help.
 

bpatters

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Wow, lot of misconceptions here...

Guinea pigs don't necessarily give birth at night. They do usually give birth when it's quiet and they're undisturbed, but even that's not always the case.

I wouldn't say people "often" have to open the sac because the sow didn't. I've been on here for more than four years, and I've seen that less than half a dozen times. But you'll know if that's the case, because the pup will be fully encased in a sac, and the mom will be paying no attention to it. You should slit the sac with clean scissors, wipe the pup's nose, and then see if the mom will take care of it. She'll probably eat the sac, which she's supposed to do.

If there's a baby still in the womb, she should be trying to expel it. If she's making grunting noises and obviously having contractions but nothing is happening, there may be a baby too large to deliver. However, it can take a little while for a pup to come out, so don't panic if the pup isn't born immediately.

Shredded wood shouldn't be a problem. She'll lick the pups dry fairly quickly, and you can pick off any shavings that remain on them.

As far as feeling the pelvic bones, leave the sow on her stomach in the cage. Put your index finger between her back legs and feel just above her private parts. You should be able to feel the bones. After they've separated a half inch to an inch, the pups should soon come. Here's a picture of what you're looking for: https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1816328&highlight=pelvic+bones#1816328.

Also, read https://www.guinealynx.info/reproduction.html and https://www.guinealynx.info/labor.html -- there's some good information in there.
 

Pawesomepet

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Shredded wood will get stuck on pups while she's trying to clean them and could make it quite difficult and its a lot messier for her during birth but many people use them. But I don't see a problem if you'd want to use them she should clean them right off.

Your piggie may give birth when you are not around or sleeping.

You want to watch for excessive bleeding in the vaginal area that could be from numerous things my girl started bleeding excessively out of the vaginal area two days after giving birth. We looked everywhere but could not find an emergency vet nearby as a long trip would've stressed her out and killed her we finally got ahold of my exotics vet she told us what to do and got us booked ASAP the next morning in hopes that Bandit would make it (she was that bad it nearly killed her)! Vet did an X-ray and nothing showed up so she said during birth something (can't remember what she said) in her uterus ripped so she gave her a shot to contract it kept her over night and she was on medicine for the next two weeks and it was a LONG two weeks she couldn't feed babies because of the medicine so I had to hand feed babies!
 
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PiggyLove1

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I know this is about you, but I think my guinea pig may have been missexed. I got him/her from Petsmart, just because since they don't treat the animals well, I want to help them. I have seen Flynn mounting him/her, but I ignored it because I think they're both males. I think. But he/she is always eating, but only certain foods. Him/her is kind of picky recently and him/her sides are puffing out... so yeah. Also him/her nipples are crusty and everywhere else he/she is bony, like her shoulders and hips. I'm really worried about him/her like if he/she's sick or something if not pregnant. It would help if you or someone else replied since you seem to know about this stuff!!!
 

PiggieGuinea

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Piggylove, take it to the vet ASAP. Sounds serious if its bony. The vet an sex it foe you too.
 

UchihaMickey

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cute piggy and good luck with the delivery c: Hope all goes well~~
 

Tomoko

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Thanks alot to bpatters, NormaS and Pawesomepet! Now i'm more calm about this.

So i tried to do the pelvic bone thing and i'm not able to, everytime i touch anything at the behind of her body, even if i do it slowly or try to get her used to it she jumps up like shes popcorning and sometimes bites me (not hard, just to tell me to stop.) Is that normal?

Also a nice update: I hear the babies teeth chattering inside her womb :) Is that a good sign?


Thanks everyone, and here pics of her from today while getting food and relaxing :) -

Picture No.1 - Her from behind with the black & white sow whos also pregnant, but only with 2 babies and still 2 weeks to go
Picture No.2 - Her getting excited for food together with my female brown rex teddy whos just 3 months old :)
Picture No.3 - Her from above, you clearly see how big the babies already are - I hope she wont have problems delivering
Picture No.4 - After eating she's relaxing, and as always puts her little paws infront, maybe to say hello to the camera, shes def. a model :)
Picture No.5 - Her relaxing infrot of one of the houses, sticking her feet out to the sides, she does that alot since yesterday. There you also see why her name is Blackfoot :)
 

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NormaS

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If you can hear the babies teeth she is within a week of giving birth! Good luck and post pigtures as soon as the babies are born!
 

Tomoko

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NormaS, thanks for the info! But thats so confusing. As i wrote, my vet who knows alot about guinea pigs too said 10 days ago after an x-ray and feeling the pigs tummy that she will get the babies within the next 7 days. Now we are at day 11 and i first heard the teeth chattering today. - And i cant check her pelvic bones because she jumps away and makes the "annoyed sound" whenever i try :)
 

NormaS

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Well, it is a guess at best. Pregnancies last between 59-72 days with an average of 65 days. As you see that's a 13 days range so she can be at the end of those 13 days. I guess she will be giving birth in the next few days.
 

Tomoko

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Yes i hope so. Hopefully tonight, its 01:15 am here and last time i checked was 2 hours ago, now lights are out and i hope she feels calm and safe to get her babies. I will check in 2 hours when i go to bed :)
 
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