A female is fertile for about 6 to 11 hours, most often during night hours. But I am only writing about this because it was actually asked by someone online! They may prescribe treatment that includes injections of dextrose solutions, steroids and calcium, which may or may not be effective. If any of the pups is definitely alive, but is not alert or able to see or walk then contact your vet immediately. Giving them their favorite toys and treats. ask a friend or neighbour to check on her. The minute you are sure your guinea pig is pregnant, make sure you get it to your vets attention. We had no idea of when Theo would have become pregnant, so we just counted the days from when we brought her home. have company. This causes mineral deficiency. Place it in a sheltered part of the hutch, away from draughts. They interact to convey everything they feel, with distinct voices and physical gestures, irrespective of the nature of the emotion. Neutered boars should be kept separate from sows for four weeks after surgery. This is going to be all the more obvious if she was a very active female before she was pregnant. During this period the mothers double her body weight and get a lot bigger. So it is well over 3 months since the operation. Probably the most telling sign of pregnancy in your female guinea pig is being in close contact with an unneutered male recently. The placenta contains hormones which can trigger contractions. Newborn guinea pigs weigh about 3.5 ounces (100 g). Has She Interacted With an Unneutered Male? Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Absolutely pregnant. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'pocketpetcentral_com-leader-4','ezslot_12',120,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-leader-4-0');For how long is a guinea pig pregnant? Avoid over-feeding Whilst guinea pigs should never be bred intentionally, coming home from the pet store with a guinea pig who is already pregnant is a common story. In long-haired breeds, it gets even worse. 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. You should also provide a box, like a small shoe box on its side. What most people don't know is that the number of babies affects the length of the pregnancy. Laber-Laird, Swindle, & Flecknell. That's right, in many cases guinea pigs are pregnant for less than two months before they give birth to their litter. Guinea pigs, even when not pregnant, are vulnerable to mood swings. Because yeah, more the number, more the time to nourish them, sounds logical. We might have made some serious mistakes out of ignorance. The estrous cycle length is 16 days. If you are not certain that the pups are weaned at 21 days, the males should be removed anyway to prevent pregnancy. Neutering a male is generally easier than spaying a female. ?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 ..? However, guinea pigs often do not react well to surgery, anesthesia, or being kept in unfamiliar surroundings. 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. For young guinea pigs, this may include supplementing her diet with Critical Care of a similar product. Again, it could also be because of fat. I have had her for three years and she has never been around any males but my family and I think she is pregnant because she has a pear shape and she isn't fat. Female guinea pigs (sows) typically mature sexually at 2 months of age (55 to 70 days). However, with the proper care, this risk can be significantly reduced and your pregnant guinea pig can be kept in good health. Guinea Pig Foot Spurs {Everything You Need To Know Here}, Basic QuestionsAbout Guinea Pig Pregnancy. Excess vitamin C is passed in the urine so cant be over-dosed, but other vitamins can build up and create problems. Pre-mature birth will need to be followed by a period of artificial incubation. But to a pregnant guinea pig, it does! Avoid making changes to a pregnant sow's cage, like removing toys or putting the cage in a totally new location. Use your dominant hand to feel her belly. Pregnancy for guinea pigs or guinea pig gestation period can last anywhere from 59 days to 72 days, though the average is 65 days. If your guinea pig allows you to touch her, use your fingers to gently examine her sides and stomach. You may think a little touch or petting couldnt hurt. Yeah, tests are very very important to take appropriate care of your pregnant guinea pig. Guinea pigs are typically considered adults from 6 months to about 5 years of age. Be aware that young guinea pigs will begin to eat more as they grow anyway. What a surprise this was. Loss of appetite can also be a symptom of pregnancy toxemia. You vet may also be able to hear the piglets' heartbeats in the sow's abdomen. [1] The towels should be changed at least twice a day. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. The sow should gradually put on weight. Guinea pigs are important animal models for human disease, and both outbred and inbred lines are utilized in biomedical research. When your guinea pigs reach 16 weeks of age, it is the time that they mature significantly. Laber-Laird & Flecknell. 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. Guinea pig's pregnancy: final stage. If pregnant, your guinea pig may have a single piglet or up to 3-4. How Can You Know How Far Along Your Guinea Pigs Pregnancy is? Pet stores also often house both sexes together, and some breeders do not separate the sexes early enough so it is possible the sow was already pregnant when you bought her. If they do mate, I will now. Once the pups are weaned, the mother should not require vitamin supplements anymore, unless you gave them to her as part of her regular diet anyway. Guinea pigs reach sexual maturity early in their life- as early as six weeks!if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'pocketpetcentral_com-leader-1','ezslot_6',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-leader-1-0'); So, remember that when you are wondering about the probable pregnancy of your guinea pigs. Reduce handling to a minimum and don't handle her within two weeks of the birth. ", care of my guinea pig and I am so sure that she is healthy and will have my little baby friends soon! Diseases such as toxemia are caused easily in pregnant females. A good idea is to weigh your female guinea pig regularly (perhaps weekly) and to record the weight. This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Grooming requires a lot of handling. So obviously he didnt provide the level of care needed for a pregnant guinea pig. If the food has been stored for a while at the retail outlet, the chances are the vitamin C content is already negligible by the time you open the bag. I guess it is not too difficult to believe that hormone levels go crazy during pregnancy irrespective of which animal it is. If you have any concerns regarding your guinea pig's health or well-being, contact us today at 407-286 . This article has 20 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. She could also become pregnancy just two hours after she gives birth. 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. It is not recommended to breed guinea pigs. Get an experienced vet to check the sex of all your other guinea pigs. But when pregnant, the mother needs to enrich herself for the pain she is about to endure and should provide nutrition for her babies. Research source At this stage, you have to feed your developing guinea pigs with pellets specially formulated for them. Introduce the male pups to the father and any other boars you have. The average number of days female guinea pigs stay pregnant is 65 days. Sows who are too old are at a greater risk of the pelvis not being 'elastic' enough to expand during the birthing process. Please confirm that you are a health care professional. But that should be done only when you are present to monitor. I told my mom and took her to the vet, and they said she was pregnant. We do not control or have responsibility for the content of any third-party site. 8 weeks after birth the guinea pig pups double their size by adding 3-4 inches (8-10 cm). Discovered how versatile a. Is it OK to leave the non-pregnant girl with the pups? A guinea pig's pregnancy lasts about 9 or 10 weeks. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 447,279 times. unlocking this expert answer. I am to have more of a informative conversation with my vet on Monday. Small litters do not cause the belly to enlarge significantly, and will not be as noticeable. All guinea pigs enjoy burrowing down in hay, but do not nest specifically because of pregnancy. Wait 24 hours after the birth to give additional feeding for one of the pups as it takes this long for some pups to begin feeding at all. If several fetuses are present, you will feel several bumps spaced across her tummy, each of a similar size. Four read more . Not knowing how to care for your furry pal when shes pregnant makes the whole thing scary, while knowing all about it makes the news heartening. Bumps can also indicate ovarian cysts or tumors. Last Updated: September 18, 2022 Females can have estrous or fertile periods at any time of the year, but they are most common in the spring. I did all, "I think that it was great help. Publisher: Pergamon It is not very different from human pregnancy. How many babies do guinea pigs get per litter? A pregnant guinea will start to drink and eat more as the pregnancy propels. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Guinea Pig Pregnancy Stages Week By Week - Pregnancy Nicky Dalere (@NickyDalere) August 29, 2016 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js August 29, 2016 at 01:30AM "I recently adopted two pigs but realized I would have many more very soon. While your sow might bear from one to six pups or even more, the average litter size is 3. Their shapes are very cylindrical-like and can be compared to tangerines in body appearance. Symptoms include refusal to eat, lethargy, and rapid weight loss. The pups will be able to eat solid food from day one, and the mother will introduce them to new food herself. If you feel lumps under your fingers this is a sign the female is pregnant. Enter search terms to find related veterinary topics, multimedia and more. But anywhere in the range of 59 days to 72 days is regarded as normal. This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Be very careful if you need to hold or handle a pregnant guinea pig. Not only does it scare her, but also causes pain due to the pressure put by our arms. This is because sperm can survive in his tubes for this length of time. Most pregnant guinea pigs do not move as actively as their normal days. Individual pet owners should not attempt to breed guinea pigs, according to experts, for two very important reasons: if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'pocketpetcentral_com-leader-3','ezslot_10',129,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-leader-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'pocketpetcentral_com-leader-3','ezslot_11',129,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-leader-3-0_1');.leader-3-multi-129{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Mothers start lactating after about 8 days. Find out the Stages Of Pregnancy By Week. Increased fiber intake can prevent hair thinning, which is common in the last stage of pregnancy. Facultatea Business si Turism. If you suspect that your female guinea pig may be pregnant, then it is best to consult your veterinarian. Do not rely on foods that list added Vitamin C as an ingredient. The female doubles in weight and hence gets bigger in size too during pregnancy. Moreover, neutering does not take immediate effect. Guinea pigs are certainly cute. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Support wikiHow by The normal pregnancy period of a woman is 40 weeks. Only hold her if necessary. Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA(known as MSD outside of the US and Canada) is dedicated to using the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. Make any changes as early as possible in the pregnancy, when the stress will have less of an effect on the sow. Anywhere between 59-72 days. 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. One, it could be your baby guinea pigs. It can be hard to tell when your pregnant guinea pig is going to deliver her babies because unlike dogs and cats, they do not prepare a nest. If you let your guard down after one litter being born, without watching the females interaction with un-neutered males, the mother who just delivered a litter could get knocked up once again! However, both males and females can mature and be fertile even earlier. So they recover pretty quickly. A local breeder may also be willing to help. Once, I had a friend who didnt care about a drastic weight change in his female guinea pig. Approved. Do not handle her all the time like before. So you may think that grooming them with regular attention, or even more during pregnancy, is needed. For obvious reasons, your guinea pig needs extra nutrition when she is pregnant. So, it should not come as a surprise if female and male pups are kept in one enclosure. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. However, both males and females can mature and be fertile even earlier. He is an exotic vet. The pups do not require a heat lamp or heating pad. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Recovery from neutering could take as long as 6 weeks. But doctors these days make the surgery sound like the only choice so that they could fill their pockets. If you are concerned about the mother or have serious health worries about one of the pups contact a vet immediately, however. Not always is it ensured that the mother will deliver her litter by natural means. This allows you to gauge what is normal, so that if she becomes unwell and stops eating, or becomes very thirsty, you will pick up clues early on. Spaying or neutering of pet guinea pigs can be done by a veterinarian experienced in dealing with small animals, but the surgery can be expensive and does carry risks. Females can become pregnant immediately after giving birth so make sure that there are no males nearby. So I am morally obligated to answer it. On average, baby guinea pigs come in litters of 2-4, and weigh 70-115g. So, in this article, let's see how a fetus will change week by week to become a baby. By this time, your pet's pelvic bones will have widened enough to make way for the pups . Weigh your sow weekly to be certain she is gaining weight at a regular pace. My guinea pig's quite fat, but when we went to the vet, she wasn't pregnant. Male guinea pigs can impregnate a female at as young as 3 weeks old and a female guinea pig can become pregnant at as young as 4 weeks old, so don't be doubtful if your guinea pig is pregnant due to age. We want to provide you with all the information for your furry little pals! Breeding a female guinea pig for the first time after she reaches 8 months of age can be very dangerous because of the normal stiffening of the pubic symphysis (a joint of tough fibrous cartilage between the 2 pubic bones of the pelvis) that occurs when the female reaches adulthood. Maybe in the woods, they can take care of themselves. If it is pregnancy, your veterinarian will give you an appraisal of the progress and give you advice on how to care for your piggy. Antreprenoriat BT. Even at such a small size, they have hair and are able to see and run. The ultrasound will also be able to confirm how many pups there are, and how many of them are alive. Clean the water bottle weekly to prevent the build-up of algae and bacteria. 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. If at any point her weight begins to fall or if she begins to show signs of illness, consult a vet immediately. While a female guinea pig is in estrus and he spends time with her overnight, results in her pregnancy. AmberCalzone Well-known Member. The average guinea pig gestation is 59 - 72 days. If there is not an out-of-hours vet in your area, discuss this with your vet to come up with a plan. Handbook of Rodent and Rabbit Medicine. This helped me, "Glad we got educated early. If your pregnant guinea pig does not meet the age requirements, talk to your vet about a pregnancy plan. Then they started to do an unusual sound, which I suspected was a mating call. Not all guinea pigs are capable of handling the stress of a pregnancy. Males born in the same litter are brothers, right? When they reach about 6 ounces (170 g), the offspring will stop nursing and eat the same foods as their parents. They will have been eating solids from a few days old so will cope without their mothers milk at this age. Guinea pig pregnancy, there is a fine line between it sounding scary and it sounding heartening. The female has a short postpartum estrus that will last for only about half a day and, without a dominant male, all of the males will try to mate with the new mother. This is an emergency situation requiring an immediate c-section. 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. There is no need to remove other sows, they may even help with the pups. The ultrasound exam involves involves clipping a small square of fur and applying gel to the exposed skin. Guinea Pig Vomit: Everything You Need To Know. The expected duration of a pregnancy is at least 65 days, but it still relies on the number of offspring she is carrying. If the other sow eats it, their own pregnancy may be induced. But now that they are arrested in your home, you must be ready to step up and take responsibility. Do not cage them. Reduce her exposure to loud noises or bright lights, including direct sunlight. This will keep your guinea pig from slipping. The period of time between getting pregnant and the birth is called the gestation period. The temperature outside or in a garage/shed usually becomes too cold at night for a pregnant guinea pig. A pregnant sow will begin to drink and eat more as the pregnancy advances. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. We took her to vet for check up.. This article has been viewed 324,740 times. So, there are obvious signs that you can look for to identify pregnancy in your guinea pigs. ", Scary after reading all this. Caution: What makes guinea pigs very different from humans in pregnancy is their lactation patterns. If you feel something and you're not certain what it is, then consult your veterinarian. Publisher: Pergamon, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6a\/Tell-if-Your-Guinea-Pig-Is-Pregnant-Step-3-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Tell-if-Your-Guinea-Pig-Is-Pregnant-Step-3-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6a\/Tell-if-Your-Guinea-Pig-Is-Pregnant-Step-3-Version-3.jpg\/aid666376-v4-728px-Tell-if-Your-Guinea-Pig-Is-Pregnant-Step-3-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"