The guinea pigs won't need to make a nest to give birth. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. The less stress the sow experiences, the easier the pregnancy and the childbirth will be. Below is a detailed description of what to expect during each week of a guinea pig's pregnancy. Guinea pigs reach sexual maturity very early, around 2-4 months of age. Do not intervene or touch the pups unless you need to. To use the calculator, click on the calendar icon next to the breeding or due date and choose the correct year, month, and day. The sow should gradually put on weight. Females will typically reach full sexual maturity at approximately 4 to 6 weeks of age. Thats because those tiny, adorable feet are just so tiny! Sows who are too old are at a greater risk of the pelvis not being 'elastic' enough to expand during the birthing process. Guinea pig newborns are fully covered with hair, have open eyes and ears and have teeth present. Pregnant guinea pigs should be kept inside. They interact with voices and gestures to show you everything they feel. Guinea pig pregnancy is relatively short, lasting only between 59 and 72 days. 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. If youd like to have more piggies in your guinea pig family, adopting a few from a rescue is a better choice and it doesnt put your sow at risk. Near the end restrain yourself from picking the animal up. Potential Pregnancy Problems. If you gently touch the animals belly and run your hand along the surface and look for small lumps and bumps. Laber-Laird, Swindle, & Flecknell. Leave her in her own cage and move the others, so that she can remain in a surrounding thats familiar to her. As a guinea pig lover myself, I created a list of cute and funny gifts for guinea pig lovers that will surely be appreciated by the receiving party. In time, it will be a bit harder for them to move, but this is of little or no significance. If the sow becomes uninterested in food contact your veterinarian immediately. They are able to see, hear and move around once they are born. During this period the mothers double her body weight and get a lot bigger. Do not crowd the mother have only one person in the room, but another on standby to make calls if necessary. The cavy is eating and/or drinking more than usual. This causes mineral deficiency. Just because they are the pups of a familiar guinea pig, this does not mean that they will be accepted immediately. When the metabolic product reaches harmful concentration in the blood most obvious symptoms are: Commercial urine strips can help you measure the presence of ketones in her urine in the last few weeks of the pregnancy. Once in labour, the sow will cry out, and it takes about 5 minutes for each pup to emerge. Thats because they dont want other males to approach her. A female guinea pig can fall pregnant immediately after giving birth. New Plymouth Vet Group. So it is not good practice by caring breeders. Fruits should usually be given sparingly to guinea pigs because the acid can give them mouth ulcers. To prevent this from happening, you must separate the males as soon as possible. Having somewhere to hide will reduce stress. Setting up a guinea pig cage is not so easy. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. Guinea pigs are pregnant for 58-73 days. A local breeder may also be willing to help. As the pregnancy develops, carefully check the guinea pig twice a week for signs of illness, like crusty eyes or a patchy coat. Duration of guinea pig pregnancy depends on the number of pups: the larger the litter the shorter the pregnancy. During this period the mothers double her body weight and get a lot bigger. Litter size ranges, with the average being 2-4 pups - in rare cases as many as 12-14. From this time on, they have a continuous estrus every 16-18 days. Never offer the same vegetable two days running. it may also be necessary to separate your pregnant guinea pig from any other guinea pigs you have. Male piglets must be separated by four weeks old or breeding between littermates may occur. 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. However, a caesarean surgery may be required. Any apparent change of behavior in means of lethargy, anorexia, or depression can be a sign of sickness. Guinea pig diarrhea is a fairly common condition that most guinea pig owners and exotic pet veterinarians encounter., Everybody who knows a cat or dog owner knows that they have to deal with shots for their, When your guinea pig is sneezing a lot you might wonder whether or not your little friend is, You were planning on getting a pet guinea pig, but you are not sure whether you should get, Every guinea pig owner will experience the moment in life where he or she needs to say the, Eye infections in guinea pigs are more common than you might think and can be a result of. Guinea pigs are pregnant for 59-72 days. Enjoy! Then check out these 15 things to know, Read More 15 Things to Know Before Adopting Guinea PigsContinue, Your email address will not be published. Sometimes its the uterus lacking contractions; sometimes its a pup ending up stuck in the birth canal. Mother starts making "extreme" stress calls, Mother seems to give in, appearing exhausted, Excessive bleeding (more than a tablespoon). What any professional on the matter will tell you is not to breed your guinea if you are still in the process of making the final decision. When there is a dominant male, theres a likelihood that the other males wont try to interact with the mother. Publisher: Pergamon. The gestation period in guinea pigs varies between 59 and 72 days. Answer by Guinea P lover! However, the following guinea pig pregnancy timeline will simplify the entire gestation period and demystify the experience, so you can provide a stress-free environment for your little mama and her tiny pups. (Complete Setup), Do Guinea Pigs Eat Carrots? Bloody uterine discharge and straining longer than 30 minutes requires a medical examination. Small litters do not cause the belly to enlarge significantly, and will not be as noticeable. If you do decide to breed them, ensure your sow is young enough (but not too young) so there are less chances of complications. Research source Guinea pigs can especially sexually mature early for animals. guinea pigs concerned are given unlimited access to plenty of fresh, green meadow hay to keep them occupied - this will often stop the problem. This article has been viewed 326,562 times. During all of the stage and especially during the last stage of pregnancy the sow should remain in a calm environment. If the female approves of the male, she will signal her acceptance to mate with loud squeaks. Wash out the water bottle with a gentle dish soap every few days. Support wikiHow by What most people don't know is that the number of babies affects the length of the pregnancy. A cesarian section surgery will likely be necessary. If she has given birth before, she likely will double her weight by the time she gives birth, so you can approximate how far along she is by weighing her. So, if you're collecting items in preparation for the guinea pig babies, you may have only two months to get it all done! Guinea Pig Site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. My guinea pig is pregnant, and I'm worried she might be sick. The majority of guinea pigs give birth during daylight. Pregnancy is hard work for a female guinea pig. Selective feeding is where the guinea pig chooses the tastier bits of food over less tasty but often more nutritious foods. Flaunt your baby bump in style in 'belfies' or bump selfies. Doing so can lead to pregnancy. At the end of the process, the placenta emerges and the mother eats it as well. There are several factors that can affect how many days a mare is actually pregnant. A sow can birth up to 5 litters per year, though miscarriages and stillbirths are common. [1] A typical pregnancy in horses can last for 320 to 380 days, but generally lasts around 11 months. Neutered boars should be kept separate from sows for four weeks after surgery. This is because sperm can survive in his tubes for this length of time. Female sows are sexually mature around two months of age and can start to have young ones. Avoid over-feeding Loud squeals are a sign that she accepted him. Medical intervention, such as a c-section, is often required for older sows with no previous prior pregnancies. At birth the pups should weigh roughly 2 to 3 oz. Are you wondering if your guinea pig is pregnant? Post the number on a piece of paper next to the guinea pigs hutch/cage. You should also provide a box, like a small shoe box on its side. Reduce exposure to loud noises or bright lights. 8 weeks after birth the guinea pig pups double their size by adding 3-4 inches (8-10 cm). Whether it was planned or not, this post will inform you on what to expect during guinea pig pregnancy, the potential problems, and post-natal care. Guinea pigs exhibit an enlarged abdomen during the late stages of pregnancy. Thats why a female guinea pig should be bred before the permanent hardening on the pelvic canal. I know there are so many groups out there that don't and its okay. Make any changes as early as possible in the pregnancy, when the stress will have less of an effect on the sow. Many females who survive experience complications, which are painful to the sow and costly to the pet parent. My guinea pig's quite fat, but when we went to the vet, she wasn't pregnant. To prevent high stress levels, which can lead to disease, keep your guinea pig away from direct sunlight. Pregnant guinea pigs get visually larger in the abdominal area. Though it may sound hard to believe, the fact is, its true! (The Surprising Answer! Vitamin C supplements should be given orally at a regiment of 10 mg a day. The gestation period in guinea pigs could be anywhere between 59-72 days. Weigh your sow weekly to be certain she is gaining weight at a regular pace. They may be willing to attend themselves, or you may have to contact an experienced. Just a disclaimer: Beware that you should not wildly breed guinea pigs if you dont have a proper breeding program or the appropriate financial situation as well as time to care for them. Boys will try and mate with their mum at . What a surprise this was. Rough handling may cause miscarriage. Female guinea pigs usually have a smooth swelling over their genital area. Keeping a clean hutch will prevent a build-up of ammonia from urine. If you cannot check on the sow because of work etc. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Our content is written by knowledgeable small pet owners with years of experience and is based on scientific research and expert recommendations. The age of the sow plays a huge row in making the decision. A pregnant sow will begin to drink and eat more as the pregnancy advances. Lethal guinea pigs are white in colour (not albino) are born blind, usually in both eyes, have crooked or deformed teeth, are often also deaf and often suffer from internal deformities particularly to the digestive organs. The gestation period in guinea pigs varies between 59 and 72 days. If you were unaware of it before, guinea pigs mate early and often which means different genders should be separated when kept as pets. "I recently adopted two pigs but realized I would have many more very soon. The guinea pig may die during or after pregnancy due to complications during pregnancy or birth, or from toxemia after birth. The onset is generally sudden and progress rather quicker than you are reporting. Continuous breeding is dangerous for female guinea pigs, increasing health issues and shortening. To find out how to house your guinea pig during pregnancy and how to prepare for it to give birth, keep reading! How can I tell? Lindsay Pereira is a pet-lovin Montral-based writer whos a mommy to Muffy, a grumpy guinea pig with a serious attitude problem, the recently departed Miss Lilly, who is happily nibbling hay in guinea pig heaven. Sometimes she may wait to attend the young ones until all babies are delivered. Remove any other pregnant sows. This mechanism works in other species of animals as well and very fortunately humans arent accustomed to it. Usually, the occurrence is 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after giving birth. If you are concerned about the mother or have serious health worries about one of the pups contact a vet immediately, however. Hence, when housed together, a guinea pig pregnancy can occur very early and very often. However, both males and females can mature and be fertile even earlier. Typically, breeding reduces the lifespan of female cavies. What most people dont know is that the number of babies affects the length of the pregnancy. Male guinea pigs as young as 3 weeks old can impregnate a female, and a female guinea pig as young as a month old, can get pregnant. Cavies of both sexes, when mixed together and unsterilized, will most assuredly result in guinea pig pregnancy. Discovered how versatile a. Her body will be positioned in a down-squat on all four legs. Sometimes even surgery must be performed to save the mothers life. With our guinea pig pregnancy calculator, you can easily estimate the day a guinea pig will give birth to little pups. What Does a Baby Guinea Pig Look Like? 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