[1] The mother has a single pair of mammary glands from which the newborns will nurse until about 3 weeks of age. Pet stores often keep both sexes together, resulting in many people being sold sows which are already pregnant. 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. Facultatea Business si Turism. 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. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. The normal pregnancy period of a woman is 40 weeks. Pregnancy is hard work for a female guinea pig. However, there are some signs you can watch for at home. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'pocketpetcentral_com-netboard-2','ezslot_18',122,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-netboard-2-0');Well, not too many similarities are shared by guinea pigs and humans in their pregnancy. 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. The larger the size of the litter, the shorter the time they could stay inside in the same area where a smaller litter could stay longer. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Get an experienced vet to check the sex of all your other guinea pigs. Unless you are a qualified veterinarian, the only other way to know is to go to someone who is an actual veterinarian.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'pocketpetcentral_com-portrait-1','ezslot_20',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-portrait-1-0'); Some people may think that knowing how far along the pregnancy is, could not yield any benefit. Again, lets go step-by-step with this too. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. 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. If you are thinking that your few weeks old female guinea pigs cannot be pregnant, youre wrong! But make sure your handling of her is minimal. Laber-Laird & Flecknell. Other adverse effects include a loss of appetite out of fear, which could also result in fatal effects. To Avoid Stress, You Need to Take Several Measures Obviously. 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 there is not an out-of-hours vet in your area, discuss this with your vet to come up with a plan. Things to RememberAbout Guinea Pig Pregnancy and Breeding, Terms and Conditions for Pocket pet central, Keeping them in the rooms of your home where loud noises cant be heard, Guinea pigs tend to get stressed when they do not have a pattern in their food, drinking, and outdoor timings. While your sow might bear from one to six pups or even more, the average litter size is 3. Try to find a vet who specializes in rodents and other small animals, rather than just a generic vet. X Establish a daily routine with set times and stick to it, to provide consistency. I told my mom and took her to the vet, and they said she was pregnant. This could increase her stress and affect her eating and drinking habits. For example, carrots contain lots of oxalate. But what I was certain about, is that no other guinea pig should face the same fate. ", needed available in a clear, concise manner, super simple, and now I feel confident in my unexpected blessing. 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. So how about the baby guinea pigs? 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! Sows that reach adulthood without a prior pregnancy may not be able to deliver their young normally. 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. A baby guinea pig is called a pup. Cavy . 2 Observe her eating habits. Finally, feed your guinea pig high quality hay and pellets throughout its pregnancy. Outdoor time, again, with your availability to monitor. If you are concerned about the mother or have serious health worries about one of the pups contact a vet immediately, however. She died along with the litter. Males mature a little slower on average, but not by much. Excess vitamin C is passed in the urine so cant be over-dosed, but other vitamins can build up and create problems. Place it in a sheltered part of the hutch, away from draughts. My guinea pigs continued to grow (4-5 months when I got them early May, so the new ones are 8 months old now) - to like perfectly normal guinea pigs. At birth the pups should weigh roughly 2 to 3 oz. Also called as parturition in scientific terms, the birth, of course, is the part where the litter is delivered. The more the number of baby guinea pigs, the shorter is the period of pregnancy. While your sow might bear from one to six pups or even more, the average litter size is 3. Guinea pigs, even when not pregnant, are vulnerable to mood swings. After the surgery, keep your pet quiet and separated from other guinea pigs while recovering. Increased fiber intake can prevent hair thinning, which is common in the last stage of pregnancy. They will have been eating solids from a few days old so will cope without their mothers milk at this age. The period of time between getting pregnant and the birth is called the gestation period. This is because sows who are too young are at a greater risk of vitamin deficiencies during pregnancy. This may cause dizzy spells, especially . Female guinea pigs begin a new estrous cycle shortly after giving birth. Copyright 2023 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. 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. So I am morally obligated to answer it. Please confirm that you are a health care professional. Keep the two in separate cages until one of them is fixed. 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 wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Have a visiting vet every once in a while. 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!. So, while neutering means he cannot produce more sperm, he could still theoretically sire offspring for a short time after castration. The ultrasound, is a non-invasive procedure and can confirm the pregnancy. Breeding often reduces the lifespan of female guinea pigs. But when she is, you have no choice but to give nothing less than the perfect. I am to have more of a informative conversation with my vet on Monday. A pregnant sow will begin to drink and eat more as the pregnancy advances. So having their cagemates with them could be a good choice. Next, check your guinea pig's weight, since her weight will almost double during pregnancy. 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. % of people told us that this article helped them. The vet may try to manipulate the piglet into a position where the mother can pass it. A few proprietors have brought a young guinea pig home, to find that she is pregnant as of now! Maturing guinea pigs. By gently running your hand on your guinea pig, you can feel bumps and lumps, which could be because of one of two reasons. Another sign is a hike in food intake. This article has been viewed 447,279 times. % of people told us that this article helped them. Last Updated: November 26, 2022 no im not breeding i thought my guinea pig was a boy but he was actually a she and now shes pregnant . Left untreated, both the mother and the pups will die. However, a caesarean surgery may be required. This is the period when young guinea pigs will develop bonds with humans and learn to accept being held. Make any changes as early as possible in the pregnancy, when the stress will have less of an effect on the sow. To learn more about what to expect during the pregnancy, read on! Newborn guinea pigs weigh about 3.5 ounces (100 g). In addition, you may want to increase your guinea pig's fiber intake. Post the number on a piece of paper next to the guinea pigs hutch/cage. A local breeder may also be willing to help. So do not be surprised if a young little guinea pig you just brought home is already pregnant! Pre-mature birth will need to be followed by a period of artificial incubation. Anywhere between 59-72 days. Use for phrases ", all. That's right, in many cases guinea pigs are pregnant for less than two months before they give birth to their litter. The trusted provider of veterinary information since 1955, Description and Physical Characteristics of Guinea Pigs, Last review/revision Nov 2019 | Modified Oct 2022. Then, the ultrasound probe is placed on skin and emits a high-frequency sound that is inaudible to human ears. 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. It will be too stressful for her. ", Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow, Aiutare un Porcellino d'India in Gravidanza, s'occuper d'un cochon d'Inde durant la priode de gestation. If you cannot check on the sow because of work etc. Because guinea pigs have a high infant mortality rate. Mother starts making "extreme" stress calls, Mother seems to give in, appearing exhausted, Excessive bleeding (more than a tablespoon). And the babies? Do not crowd the mother have only one person in the room, but another on standby to make calls if necessary. Just because they can get pregnant again, doesnt mean that it wont have adverse effects on their well being, not just physically but also emotionally. But still, to be on the safer side, having boundaries to the free space she runs is advised. They are born precocial, which means they already have teeth and fur, and from their earliest moments they can see, hear, and move about. Last Updated: September 18, 2022 We do not control or have responsibility for the content of any third-party site. References They interact to convey everything they feel, with distinct voices and physical gestures, irrespective of the nature of the emotion. For obvious reasons, your guinea pig needs extra nutrition when she is pregnant. If there is a likelihood any of the pups are born with this condition you must decide what action you will take. Doing otherwise can cause pregnancy complications or miscarriage. Then I followed the steps that say how to take, "My guinea pig was acting strange. Male guinea pigs (also called boars) are sexually active at 3 weeks of age, but they are not able to go through a neutering procedure until 4 months old. Publisher: Pergamon. This article made the information I, "This helped a lot. Use OR to account for alternate terms What most people don't know is that the number of babies affects the length of the pregnancy. 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. To find out how to house your guinea pig during pregnancy and how to prepare for it to give birth, keep reading! 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