To feel for fetuses, place the sow on a towel on a firm surface. Guinea pigs are typically considered adults from 6 months to about 5 years of age. This is because sperm can survive in his tubes for this length of time. Enjoy! They will have been eating solids from a few days old so will cope without their mothers milk at this age. Feeling the abdomen needs to be done by a professional because it is easy to mistake the bladder, kidney, or even an enlarged ovary for a foetus. If your guinea pig allows you to touch her, use your fingers to gently examine her sides and stomach. And hand those records to your vert during his weekly visit so that he can comprehend the situation in hand better. You'll need to encourage her into a transport cage through treats or her favourite vegetables/fruit. Maturing guinea pigs. If you need to transport your guinea pig, never pick her up by her stomach as it can harm the unborn guinea pigs and the mother herself. Ultrasounds are non-invasive and do not require sedation. Due to several factors including age, weight, other diseases, nutritive health, etc., females could be inefficient of nourishing and/or delivering the litter. So you may think that grooming them with regular attention, or even more during pregnancy, is needed. So I am morally obligated to answer it. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 324,740 times. The average number of days female guinea pigs stay pregnant is 65 days. If I felt my pregnant guinea pig's belly and caused her a miscarriage, what would the signs be? The boar must be removed by 50 days as he may continue to mount her which can be stressful or painful in later pregnancy, and she could become pregnant again as early as two hours after the birth. When they reach about 6 ounces (170 g), the offspring will stop nursing and eat the same foods as their parents. Stage #2. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'pocketpetcentral_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_13',127,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0');Unlike humans who may experience contractions for hours at a stretch, guinea pigs do not take longer than half an hour for the delivery of their litter. At birth, baby guinea pigs can weigh between 2.1 and 4.2 oz (60 and 120 grams) and have an average size of 3-4 inches (8-10 cm). But when she is, you have no choice but to give nothing less than the perfect. Pre-mature birth will need to be followed by a period of artificial incubation. Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter. Well, they can be described as an epitome of cuteness! o [alopecia OR hair loss ], , BVSc, DVP, DACLAM, DABVP(ECM), The Kenneth S Warren Institute. ", all. This period starts from the first day of the last period before your baby is born. Which Can Include: Being vigilant about their activities is vital to their well-being. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'pocketpetcentral_com-narrow-sky-1','ezslot_15',130,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-narrow-sky-1-0');The lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) can be a helpful natural contraceptive in case of humans for a brief period after the birth of a child. This site is run by Anna, Niklas and Jesper - three curious, caring and animal-loving people. Not all guinea pigs are capable of handling the stress of a pregnancy. If the other sow eats it, their own pregnancy may be induced. ", care of my guinea pig and I am so sure that she is healthy and will have my little baby friends soon! They eat solid food right after being born, unlike human babies. But consult with your vet first, just to be on the safer side. Selective feeding is where the guinea pig chooses the tastier bits of food over less tasty but often more nutritious foods. Guinea pigs are brilliantly expressive creatures. Again, it could also be because of fat. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Cavy . What a surprise this was. Toxemia is the result of a metabolic imbalance, which causes the guinea pig to become gravely ill. Calcium deficiency often displays similar symptoms, but it is the result of a calcium imbalance, whereas toxemia happens due to internal complications associated with impaired blood supply to the uterus. However, if your sow is not yet mature and is less than 6-8 months of age, she will still be growing and thus weight gain may not be indicative of pregnancy. Alfalfa hay is great for pregnant, nursing and young guinea pigs but the calcium content is too high for normal guinea pigs as a build-up of calcium can cause bladder stones. A small, clean cage with towels for bedding works well. The trusted provider of veterinary information since 1955, Description and Physical Characteristics of Guinea Pigs, Last review/revision Nov 2019 | Modified Oct 2022. X All animals, for example, tend to eat more when it's cold, when they're having a growth spurt, and when they're suffering from certain illnesses. When your guinea pigs reach 16 weeks of age, it is the time that they mature significantly. Reduce her exposure to loud noises or bright lights, including direct sunlight. If several fetuses are present, you will feel several bumps spaced across her tummy, each of a similar size. Do not bath the sow during pregnancy. Enjoy! The whole pregnancy period. However, with the proper care, this risk can be significantly reduced and your pregnant guinea pig can be kept in good health. Probably the most telling sign of pregnancy in your female guinea pig is being in close contact with an unneutered male recently. Even though the birthing can be handled by yourself, it is better to leave it to licensed veterinarians to avoid last minute complications. If you are changing the feed, make a gradual change providing a bit of both to start with as otherwise she may not eat the feed at all. Only a skilled and experienced veterinarian should attempt to manipulate the position of pups before they are born. Remember guinea pigs are social animals and should be kept in groups, so if you own both a boar and a sow make sure to provide company of the same sex for both of them. By this time, your pet's pelvic bones will have widened enough to make way for the pups . It goes without saying that they need emotional stability during pregnancy when they are drowning in fluctuating hormone levels. "I recently adopted two pigs but realized I would have many more very soon. Adults are no longer growing but still require macro-nutrients like fiber and protein, as well as micro-nutrients like the vitamins and minerals that are found in a timothy hay-based, uniform fortified food. Between 1 and 8 guinea pig babies with 4 being the most common number of guinea pigs per litter. Though this window usually falls between 2-3 months old, some can even be mature after only a single month. So, even a male who was neutered only a few weeks before could cause pregnancy in females. Also called as parturition in scientific terms, the birth, of course, is the part where the litter is delivered. How Can You Know How Far Along Your Guinea Pigs Pregnancy is? :)", understand just in case for the future as well, thanks so much for the info. However, do not assume that your guinea pig is pregnant based on just how much she is eating or drinking. Guinea pigs are certainly cute. If you are a woman reading this I bet that you are thinking thank god there aint anything like that in humans!. Clean the water bottle weekly to prevent the build-up of algae and bacteria. The intercourse with an unneutered male guinea pig causes pregnancy in a female obviously. How many babies do guinea pigs get per litter? Introduce the male pups to the father and any other boars you have. But as blissful as it is for a mother to give birth to children, it is also stressful and painful.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'pocketpetcentral_com-box-4','ezslot_3',104,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-box-4-0'); So, as your guinea pigs are part of your family, you should take care of them just as well as you would take care of a pregnant sister or wife or mother! The ultrasound will also be able to confirm how many pups there are, and how many of them are alive. Your pregnant sow will also need more vitamin C after 4 weeks, about twice as much, so incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C into her diet. Right. You may think a little touch or petting couldnt hurt. Guinea pigs go through four or five estrus cycles every year. Their physical and mental well-being are directly linked to their emotional state. A baby guinea pig is called a pup. The mothers lactation period lasts for about two or three weeks. So be sure to consult fair- minded veterinarians, and a second opinion could never hurt. A few proprietors have brought a young guinea pig home, to find that she is pregnant as of now! How Can You Know if Your Guinea Pig is Pregnant? You need to understand that your guinea pig cannot bear the pain of her pregnancy when she gets handled by you. So, it is vital that you know which stage of pregnancy your guinea pig is. Female guinea pigs can become pregnant as early as two months of age. There will come a time when you'll be able to clearly see the babies moving inside the mother, and even the different parts of their anatomy. Here, we investigated the effects of parental age, parity, and . Discovered how versatile a. o [ canine influenza] ?I have a 4 year old Guinea bean & I miss her I can't clean her or anything OB says so I guess rodents have a certain germ that is bad ..? Quite a shock, since we thought. This article has been viewed 324,740 times. I really enjoyed that it was stressed that the babies don't need to be with dad at, "I love guinea pigs, and when I get one, and then another one, they will probably mate. We took her to vet for check up.. They can begin breeding as young as two months in some cases. Yes, its to know whether she interacted with an unneutered male in recent days.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'pocketpetcentral_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_19',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Even though a male guinea pig over three weeks of age is capable of causing pregnancy in a female, neutering is advised only after the age of 4 months. I love animals! Enter search terms to find related veterinary topics, multimedia and more. However, both males and females can mature and be fertile even earlier. If you are concerned about the mother or have serious health worries about one of the pups contact a vet immediately, however. Then the male started trying to jump over the female. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Males are territorial. In other words, you will be provided with a visual of your guinea pig's abdomen and the doctor can then confirm or disconfirm a pregnancy. The placenta contains hormones which can trigger contractions. All rights reserved. If they do survive the first week they have a shorter than normal life expectancy and will require large amounts of medical care throughout their lives. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7c\/Tell-if-Your-Guinea-Pig-Is-Pregnant-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Tell-if-Your-Guinea-Pig-Is-Pregnant-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7c\/Tell-if-Your-Guinea-Pig-Is-Pregnant-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid666376-v4-728px-Tell-if-Your-Guinea-Pig-Is-Pregnant-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"