Be aware that young guinea pigs will begin to eat more as they grow anyway. 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.
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. Rough handling may cause miscarriage. The ultrasound, is a non-invasive procedure and can confirm the pregnancy. The ultrasound will also be able to confirm how many pups there are, and how many of them are alive.
Pet shops are notoriously bad for sexing guinea pigs and may have mis-sexed one of your guinea pigs. Get an experienced vet to check the sex of all your other guinea pigs. 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 your pregnant guinea pig does not meet the age requirements, talk to your vet about a pregnancy plan. For young guinea pigs, this may include supplementing her diet with Critical Care of a similar product. For older guinea pigs, this may include her carrying out her pregnancy and birth housed at the vets, as she is more likely to need intervention. This is because sows who are too young are at a greater risk of vitamin deficiencies during pregnancy. Sows who are too old are at a greater risk of the pelvis not being ’elastic’ enough to expand during the birthing process
If there is a likelihood any of the pups are born with this condition you must decide what action you will take. If you are not prepared to care for them yourself, a more experienced guinea pig owner may be willing to take them or you may make the decision to have them put down. 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. These pups may die within a few days of birth, or may live for several years. 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.
Reduce exposure to loud noises or bright lights. Keep her away from direct sunlight. Establish a daily routine with set times and stick to it, to provide consistency Make any changes as early as possible in the pregnancy, when the stress will have less of an effect on the sow. Reduce handling to minimal levels. During the last two weeks of pregnancy, do not handle the sow. Instead, coax her onto a towel or into a box.
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. If the sow becomes uninterested in food contact your veterinarian immediately. The vet will assess the guinea pig’s condition. They may prescribe treatment that includes injections of dextrose solutions, steroids and calcium, which may or may not be effective. Loss of appetite can also be a symptom of pregnancy toxemia.
The sow should gradually put on weight. How much depends on the size of the litter, but her weight should never begin fall. If you have any concerns, do not hesitate to get to a vet.
Do not bath the sow during pregnancy. It will be too stressful for her.
The temperature outside or in a garage/shed usually becomes too cold at night for a pregnant guinea pig. Pregnant guinea pigs should be kept inside. Do not keep pregnant guinea pigs in multi-level cages/hutches as their balance will be impaired by pregnancy, and in the later stages of pregnancy they may not be able to get up to the higher tiers.
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 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. Remove any other pregnant sows. The placenta contains hormones which can trigger contractions. If the other sow eats it, their own pregnancy may be induced.
Keeping a clean hutch will prevent a build-up of ammonia from urine. Ammonia irritates the lungs of pigs and will predispose the pregnant mother to lung infections.
You should also provide a box, like a small shoe box on its side. Place it in a sheltered part of the hutch, away from draughts. Note that she may chew the cardboard, so have extra boxes or use a wicker or thick-plastic box. Having somewhere to hide will reduce stress.
Selective feeding is where the guinea pig chooses the tastier bits of food over less tasty – but often more nutritious – foods. This causes mineral deficiency. 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.
If the water bottle is usually placed high-up, provide a second water bottle lower down so that the sow does not have to stretch if she does not want to. Clean the water bottle weekly to prevent the build-up of algae and bacteria. Wash out the water bottle with a gentle dish soap every few days.
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.
Never offer the same vegetable two days running. This prevents an excess of one particular mineral that might be contained in that vegetable. For example, carrots contain lots of oxalate. If your pet has too much of this, it can build up in urine and cause bladder stones.
Never provide a multi-vitamin. Excess vitamin C is passed in the urine so can’t be over-dosed, but other vitamins can build up and create problems. Do not rely on foods that list added Vitamin C as an ingredient. Vitamin C is highly unstable and breaks down within 8 weeks of the manufacturing date. 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. Never use a water-soluble tablet. They become ineffective quickly and may put the sow off the water, leading to dehydration which could be fatal during pregnancy.
Fruits should usually be given sparingly to guinea pigs because the acid can give them mouth ulcers. However, toxemia is in part a lack of sugar, so keeping sugar levels high is important.
Emergency phone number for the vet. Post the number on a piece of paper next to the guinea pig’s hutch/cage. If you need it, you don’t want to have to hunt around for it. Phone number for the out-of-hours vet. If there is not an out-of-hours vet in your area, discuss this with your vet to come up with a plan. They may be willing to attend themselves, or you may have to contact an experienced breeder. Critical Care or a similar product as it is likely you will need it for at least one pup. A clean towel.
If you cannot check on the sow because of work etc. ask a friend or neighbour to check on her. A local breeder may also be willing to help.
Do not hold the mother. Do not crowd the mother — have only one person in the room, but another on standby to make calls if necessary. Do not intervene or touch the pups unless you need to. There is no need to remove other sows, they may even help with the pups.
Mother strains for 15 minutes without producing a pup. Total labor is over one hour. Mother starts making “extreme” stress calls Mother seems to give in, appearing exhausted Mother salivates/foams at mouth Excessive bleeding (more than a tablespoon) The vet may try to manipulate the piglet into a position where the mother can pass it. However, a caesarean surgery may be required.
Whilst a pup becoming stuck in the birth canal or born breech is common, never intervene yourself. Only a skilled and experienced veterinarian should attempt to manipulate the position of pups before they are born.
When you are sure the birth is over, you can assist the sow in cleaning by removing any stained bedding.
If any of the pups is definitely alive, but is not alert or able to see or walk then contact your vet immediately. The pups do not require a heat lamp or heating pad. They should be kept at the same comfortable temperature as the adults.
If you are concerned about the mother or have serious health worries about one of the pups contact a vet immediately, however.
At birth the pups should weigh roughly 2½ to 3½ oz.
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.
The pups will likely lose weight for the first three days, but after this it should pick up again. If the weight does not pick up, or a pup does not improve with additional feeding, consult the vet. The mother’s weight will vary for a few days whilst she re-adjusts but should settle within five days. If it declines every day or continues to change after 5 days, consult the vet.
The pups will be able to eat solid food from day one, and the mother will introduce them to new food herself.
Introduce the male pups to the father and any other boars you have. Make the introductions gradual as the adults will be a lot larger and could do them serious harm. Whilst brothers will be fine to be housed together throughout their lives, they may never get on well enough will other boars to be permanently housed with them.
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. If you are not certain that the pups are weaned at 21 days, the males should be removed anyway to prevent pregnancy. They will have been eating solids from a few days old so will cope without their mother’s milk at this age.
Just because they are the pups of a familiar guinea pig, this does not mean that they will be accepted immediately.
It is entirely possible for a male pup to impregnate its mother or sisters. Pet stores often keep both sexes together, resulting in many people being sold sows which are already pregnant.
Guinea pigs should be split into same-sex groups at 3 weeks old. 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.
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. So, while neutering means he cannot produce more sperm, he could still theoretically sire offspring for a short time after castration As a general rule, guinea pigs do not respond well to anaesthetic so if it is possible, separating the sexes is a safer option.
