guinea pig pregnancy stages week by weekguinea pig pregnancy stages week by week

guinea pig pregnancy stages week by week29 Mar guinea pig pregnancy stages week by week

She may carry several pups, between one and six, and they're carried in the womb for 58 73 days. 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. We want to provide you with all the information for your furry little pals! Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Cavy . But still, to be on the safer side, having boundaries to the free space she runs is advised. 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. I guess it is not too difficult to believe that hormone levels go crazy during pregnancy irrespective of which animal it is. 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. If there is a likelihood any of the pups are born with this condition you must decide what action you will take. Also called as parturition in scientific terms, the birth, of course, is the part where the litter is delivered. Female guinea pigs (sows) typically mature sexually at 2 months of age (55 to 70 days). Symptoms include refusal to eat, lethargy, and rapid weight loss. Pre-mature birth will need to be followed by a period of artificial incubation. We might have made some serious mistakes out of ignorance. Birth can sometimes be more complicated because of several medical reasons. We do not control or have responsibility for the content of any third-party site. Research source So you may think that grooming them with regular attention, or even more during pregnancy, is needed. If there are any signs that the pregnant sow is not getting on with another guinea pig, do not hesitate to remove the other guinea pig, but leave the pregnant sow in the hutch/cage she is in. The ultrasound, is a non-invasive procedure and can confirm the pregnancy. As weeks go by, the mother's belly will become tighter and bulkier. If pregnant, your guinea pig may have a single piglet or up to 3-4. Just because they are the pups of a familiar guinea pig, this does not mean that they will be accepted immediately. It goes without saying that they need emotional stability during pregnancy when they are drowning in fluctuating hormone levels. "Just found out our rescued pig was pregnant even after two exams and one ultrasound. Shortly after giving birth, guinea pigs begin a fresh estrous cycle that lasts only about half a day. 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. So obviously he didnt provide the level of care needed for a pregnant guinea pig. This article received 14 testimonials and 88% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. So, it is vital that you know which stage of pregnancy your guinea pig is. So when they mate with a female, they mark the female with their urine!if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'pocketpetcentral_com-narrow-sky-2','ezslot_16',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pocketpetcentral_com-narrow-sky-2-0'); Since every individual has a separate scent profile, other males would not approach the urinated female! Do not handle her all the time like before. The Merck Veterinary Manual was first published in 1955 as a service to the community. Whilst a pup becoming stuck in the birth canal or born breech is common, never intervene yourself. Not always is it ensured that the mother will deliver her litter by natural means. So they recover pretty quickly. Neutering is advised only after the age of 4 months. 2 Observe her eating habits. Pocketpetcentral.com 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. In general, veterinarians do not recommend that individual pet owners attempt to breed guinea pigs. We had no idea of when Theo would have become pregnant, so we just counted the days from when we brought her home. So how long are guinea pigs pregnant? Since they no longer eat just for them, but also for the baby piggies inside, they eat more than the usual amount. If you need it, you dont want to have to hunt around for it. If you are a woman reading this I bet that you are thinking thank god there aint anything like that in humans!. Do not intervene or touch the pups unless you need to. 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. Approved. But compromising on the perfection of those necessities wont cause much immediate trouble when she is not pregnant. Female guinea pigs (sows) typically mature sexually at 2 months of age (55 to 70 days). They may prescribe treatment that includes injections of dextrose solutions, steroids and calcium, which may or may not be effective. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. Rodent and rabbit medicine. Avoid putting any pressure on her body. Has She Interacted With an Unneutered Male? Sows that reach adulthood without a prior pregnancy may not be able to deliver their young normally. If the other sow eats it, their own pregnancy may be induced. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Laber-Laird, Swindle, & Flecknell. Because guinea pigs have a high infant mortality rate. What a surprise this was. At what age can guinea pigs mate? Reduce handling to a minimum and don't handle her within two weeks of the birth. The pups will likely lose weight for the first three days, but after this it should pick up again. Try to find a vet who specializes in rodents and other small animals, rather than just a generic vet. Handbook of Rodent and Rabbit Medicine. Males are territorial. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. Here, we investigated the effects of parental age, parity, and . Our professionals are qualified to care for your guinea pig. This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Another weird yet interesting way to find out pregnancy in guinea pigs is their smell! 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. But that does not mean that you should not give them access to outdoors. However, both males and females can mature and be fertile even earlier. Pregnant guinea pigs should be kept inside. Maybe in the woods, they can take care of themselves. This prevents an excess of one particular mineral that might be contained in that vegetable. You should be able to implement it. Use to remove results with certain terms This refers to the time between your guinea pig becoming pregnant and its offspring being born. The female doubles in weight and hence gets bigger in size too during pregnancy. Pregnancy is risky for female guinea pigs, particularly for those older than 8 months and younger than 3 months and sows over the age of 2 years who have already had 2 litters. Wash out the water bottle with a gentle dish soap every few days. Recovery from neutering could take as long as 6 weeks. Do not crowd the mother have only one person in the room, but another on standby to make calls if necessary. What is the one thing that could get a guinea pig pregnant? Yeah, sounds weird, but it actually works with several other animals too. Feed your guinea pig alfalfa hay instead of timothy hay so that she gets more protein and calcium. References Enjoy! Pregnancy for guinea pigs or guinea pig gestation period can last anywhere from 59 days to 72 days, though the average is 65 days. The average period of pregnancy is approximately 65 days. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. The vet may try to manipulate the piglet into a position where the mother can pass it. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. This article has been viewed 447,279 times. Also see professional content regarding management of guinea pigs Guinea Pigs Guinea pigs, like chinchillas, are hystricognath rodents. 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. 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. By using our site, you agree to our. They will have been eating solids from a few days old so will cope without their mothers milk at this age. Another sign is a hike in food intake. Mother strains for 15 minutes without producing a pup. Make sure hay is freely available at all times, and provide in a large ball the guinea pig can burrow in. Starting from how to know if your guinea pig is pregnant, to how to care for a pregnant guinea pig, to all characteristics of the gestation period, to the birth of the litter, I will lead you through every little detail of guinea pig pregnancy in the upcoming sections of this post! What is the Best Bedding for Guinea Pigs? And believe me, you would not want to live with the guilt if something goes wrong. The more the number of baby guinea pigs, the shorter is the period of pregnancy. The period of time between getting pregnant and the birth is called the gestation period. 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. Guinea pigs go through four or five estrus cycles every year. An ultrasound scan can visualize exactly what the bumps are and confirm a pregnancy. To find out how to house your guinea pig during pregnancy and how to prepare for it to give birth, keep reading! There is a high maternal mortality rate for guinea pigs (about 20%) as they are vulnerable to complications and illnesses such as toxemia. For young guinea pigs, this may include supplementing her diet with Critical Care of a similar product. The other? Other adverse effects include a loss of appetite out of fear, which could also result in fatal effects. Female guinea pigs can become pregnant as early as two months of age. 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. 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. I would start looking up local guinea pig rescues so they can take some babies and help getting all the pigs fixed before she gets pregnant again (this can happen very fast after she gives birth). The pups do not require a heat lamp or heating pad. So, while neutering means he cannot produce more sperm, he could still theoretically sire offspring for a short time after castration. The temperature outside or in a garage/shed usually becomes too cold at night for a pregnant guinea pig. 4. The optimal maintenance of guinea pig colonies, commercially and in research settings, relies on robust informed breeding programs, however, breeding data on specialized inbred strains are limited. One, it could be your baby guinea pigs. My guinea pig is a female American guinea pig. Of course, all these are high school zoology concepts. Laber-Laird & Flecknell. 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. Publisher: Pergamon, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/07\/Care-for-a-Pregnant-Guinea-Pig-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Care-for-a-Pregnant-Guinea-Pig-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/07\/Care-for-a-Pregnant-Guinea-Pig-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid711031-v4-728px-Care-for-a-Pregnant-Guinea-Pig-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"