Is it worth it?

[Ellespigs]

They are a lovely vets, but they have acknowledged that they do not see many guinea pigs. I would not let them operate on the pigs, but they seem to do fine on the check ups... although I'm not so sure now!

 

[lissie]

Why can't you put a divider in the cage now? She's very likely not pregnant yet. Is it worth the risk keeping them together knowing you can save her from another pregnancy?

If your vet is not specialized in guinea pigs, please find a new vet. I don't know if any of the vets on the lists are near you. Check them out. At least call them for consult.
(broken link removed)

 

[Ellespigs]

Because she is definitely only 3 weeks pregnant at the most, the seller I bought them from said she put the pair together for a week before I bought them so she is already pregnant, like the vet said. And I can slightly feel lumps in her tummy, she's quite thin (she was when I got her) so maybe that is why I can feel so much at this stage.. I don't know.

He is getting neutered next week at a more experienced vets and it's cheaper there too!

 

[CavyMama]

Okay, let's get a few things straight here --

1. Guinea pigs do not eat their babies. Hamsters might. Rats might but guinea pigs do not. Whoever was told a story about that was misinformed. Guinea pigs gestation is long and the babies come out with eyes open, fully furred and ready to eat. They are not like rat, hamster or mice babies that are furless, helpless babies when first born.

2. The fact that you don't know for sure that the sow is or isn't pregnant should be enough of a reason to separate them. You said you don't want to breed them but if you keep them together and she isn't pregnant, that's exactly what you are doing. You said yourself that the vet only looked and felt her but no x-ray or ultrasound to confirm. You also said that the vet doesn't have much experience with guinea pigs. That should speak volumes right there.

3. You said you don't want to separate them because you feel bad about doing it. I'm sorry but that's not a good enough reason not to. Put your feelings about it aside and put your sow's personal health in the forefront. Separate them until you know for sure that she is or isn't pregnant.

 

[xanima]

I am really and completly against having guinea pigs living alone.
But you should really seperate them. If she is at the most 3 weeks pregnant it is quite impossible to feel anything! I had a pregnant sow several years ago and I could feel something on the 35 day. At that point the size of kidney beans. (However: people lie, that the seller says they only lived together for a week there doesn´t necesserly mean a lot).
How old ore they by the way?

 

[Ellespigs]

1. I already said I meant kill them, which from someone's story on here is clear that they do do this but in cases of neglect. I just wanted to know if there were any cases people had heard of were this happened. I know all about it being linked with hamsters after owning many in my life.

2. I don't know how many more times I have to say that she IS pregnant, the vet is not stupid. They are recommended because they're really good. And she an only be 3 weeks at the most so thy do not need to be separated yet.

Gees this thread was started because I wanted to know if it was safe to neuter guinea pigs BECAUSE my sow is pregnant and I don't want anymore pregnancies. If I thought for one second that she wasn't he would not be housed with her. I wasn't asking your opinions on whether to separate them now or not, even the person I bought them off who has owned pigs for 15 years has advised me they only need to be separated in 5 weeks time.


They are 11 months old. Which is why I want the sow not to have anymore pregnancies as this is apparently her third litter. I'm sure the person I bought them off wouldn't lie, especially knowing I would buy her pregnant or not.

 

[SqueakyPig]

I'm confused - first you say the vets admitted that they weren't experienced with guinea pigs, then you wrote that they are "recommended because they're really good". A really good vet will do an ultra sound or a x-ray to determine pregnancies, not just feel their stomach.
Pregnant or not, you need to separate them. 1. If she is not pregnant you have saved her from a third pregnancy. 2. If she is pregnant and you don't remove the male, your guinea pig will be bred back to back. This is dangerous for the sows health and babies: she could develop toxaemia or have still born babies.
For neutering your boar, you will have to wait 3 weeks or more until you can introduce him to your female. I would do this after she has had the babies (if your sow is pregnant). Although, an easier option is to house the male with any male babies your sow may have, then have the girls in a separate cage.

 

[Jesse]

Firstly people lie for many reasons, I know this through experience, I rescued some piggies and i thought the lady was very genuine she likewise had owned guinea pigs and rabbit for a long time. When I took them to vets, the vets said they were both older than woman had told me ( whether the woman at the rescue made a mistake or lied, I don't know) people may lie about things to get rid of the guinea pigs quickly.
Second you should of found a exotic pet vets or a vets that you are sure is experienced with guinea pigs before you actually got them, just because they are a recommended vets does not mean they're experienced with guinea pigs. Vets can get stuff wrong especially ones that are more used to dealing with cats and dogs.
Also putting a grid divider will mean that they are not completely separated, they can still smell, hear each other so they won't be lonely.
No one hear is trying to have a rant at you, simply trying to help and inform you and give advice
Good luck to you and I hope the pregnancy is successful

 

[madelineelaine]

I want to remind the OP that the people on here care immensely about guinea pigs and we all just want the best for the sow in question. There is a chance she is NOT pregnant right now, guinea pigs go into heat every two weeks and yes she may have been in heat while with the male but that doesn't mean she is 100% for sure pregnant. Nothing is ever 100% certain and at two weeks, with only palpations, it is IMPOSSIBLE to be sure she is pregnant. Unless this vet took an ultrasound, or an x ray (which won't show anything until bones calcify at 6 weeks) you can not know that she is pregnant. For this reason, the male should be separated. There must be somewhere you can put him. On the other hand, they may have been together for longer and maybe the vet can tell she is pregnant. That would mean she is further along and closer to delivery than expected, putting her at risk of back to back pregnancy because your timing is off. 6 weeks is too long to have them together.

I understand the person you got them from has had guinea pigs for a long time, but many of the people who have replied to this thread have had cavies for several years as well. Many of them have lots of experience with pregnancy, and some even run rescues. They are extremely knowledgeable and have your guinea pigs best interest at heart.

Back to your original question, wait and see if she is pregnant. If she is, seperate mom and dad and the babies according to gender. IF she isn't (which is a possibility) then neuter dad and put them back together.

I know you don't want to stress them out by seperating them, but really the stress of pregnancy and back to back breeding is far worse than being alone for a month.

 

[CavyMama]

They are a lovely vets, but they have acknowledged that they do not see many guinea pigs. I would not let them operate on the pigs, but they seem to do fine on the check ups... although I'm not so sure now!

Okay, this is your key right here. They said they do not see many guinea pigs. They may be "lovely" but lack of experience with guinea pigs is enough of a clue to say, "Okay, maybe they aren't the ones to ask". You even said you weren't sure now about even doing check ups.

2. I don't know how many more times I have to say that she IS pregnant, the vet is not stupid. They are recommended because they're really good. And she an only be 3 weeks at the most so thy do not need to be separated yet.

We know the vet isn't stupid. No one has said that. But inexperienced with guinea pigs is the issue. The vet might come highly recommended -- for cats & dogs but the vet even said they didn't see many pigs. The truth of the matter is, vets don't get a whole lots of training with exotics. Unless they are a specialized exotics vet that did specified training for it, they really are not informed enough about them to make any kind of judgment call about pregnancy -- especially if they don't do anything more invasive than looking and feeling the pig.

Gees this thread was started because I wanted to know if it was safe to neuter guinea pigs BECAUSE my sow is pregnant and I don't want anymore pregnancies. If I thought for one second that she wasn't he would not be housed with her.

I'm not sure why you would wonder if it was safe to neuter a male pig because the female was pregnant. I'm not seeing your logic here. Why wouldn't it be safe? He isn't the one who is pregnant.

The truth is, you don't know for 100% sure that she IS pregnant. You are going off the opinion of a vet who admitted they don't see a lot of pigs and who did not perform any kind of real test to confirm that she either is or isn't pregnant. You say you don't want any more pregnancies but by keeping them together, without knowing for sure if she is pregnant or not, that's what you are setting yourself up for if she isn't.

I wasn't asking your opinions on whether to separate them now or not, even the person I bought them off who has owned pigs for 15 years has advised me they only need to be separated in 5 weeks time.

Someone doing something for a long time, doesn't necessarily make them an expert at it. If someone does something incorrectly for 15 years, all they are an expert at, is how to do that thing incorrectly.

They are 11 months old. Which is why I want the sow not to have anymore pregnancies as this is apparently her third litter. I'm sure the person I bought them off wouldn't lie, especially knowing I would buy her pregnant or not.

What makes you so sure they wouldn't lie?

 

[soccerchickgrp5]

Well my rescue fixed them for free... The shelter can too

 

[guinealover701]

I have been wondering the same thing. I called a vet and they said it will be less likely to be dead if you got the male nuetered. And the nueting is around $100-$200! I am now gonna have to get another male that is chill-axed and hope that they will go a long,Because I can't pay that much to get him nuetered.

 

[Starthecavy123]

Yes it is worth it becausw as you said it is cruel to let the female keep getting pregnent. And they do better in pairs and I think splitting them now would also be mean. There are a lot of risks as with any animal if they breed to many times. Its also much easier to neuter a male gp than it is to spay a female gp. And there are higher risks when spaying the female than neutering a male.