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Placing a male with your female guinea pig is the first step towards having a litter of babies. After they’ve been together for a while, you may wonder if your wife is pregnant. But how do you know?
Below are guidelines on how to tell if your Guinea pig is pregnant. In addition, learn how to care for your pregnant guinea pig, how long the pregnancy will last and how to have a normal litter. Get all the information you need to take the best care of your furry mother-to-be.
When are guinea pigs sexually mature?
Male and Female Guinea Pigs become sexually mature at different times. Male guinea pigs become sexually mature after three months, while female guinea pigs are sexually mature after two months.
It is important to know when a guinea pig is sexually mature. This gives an owner the option to separate male and female guinea pigs they do not wish to breed.
What are the signs that a guinea pig is pregnant?
An increased appetite is a sign that a female guinea pig is pregnant. She increases her food intake to feed the baby guinea pigs growing inside her. As females progress in their pregnancy, she can eat three times as much as she ate when she was not pregnant.
Weight gain is another indication that a guinea pig is pregnant. You can monitor your guinea pig’s weight by placing her on a small kitchen scale. If the scale has a flat top, cover it with a light cloth to help the guinea pig feel more secure standing there. Keep your hand on your pet so there is no risk of it falling. Record her weight every week to see if there is a gradual increase.
A quick way to check your guinea pig’s size is to look down on her as she moves around the cage. The sides of a pregnant guinea pig will bend outward. They will continue to stretch out as her pregnancy progresses. If you are having trouble seeing changes, compare your potentially pregnant woman with another woman who is not pregnant. The sides of the pregnant female will curve out much further than the non-pregnant guinea pig.
If you want to capture your pet’s pregnancy, take a picture of her every day. That way you can check your collection of photos after she has her babies to see how much she has changed during the pregnancy.
Keep a close eye on your pet’s movements. A pregnant guinea pig may walk or run a little clumsily to handle the new weight on her body. You may see her jumping or avoiding popcorn. This becomes all the more evident if she was a very active woman before she was pregnant.
If your guinea pig allows you to touch her, use your fingers to gently examine her sides and abdomen. Avoid putting pressure on her body. If you feel lumps under your fingers, it is a sign that the female is pregnant. If you feel movement in addition to the lumpiness, it is a clear sign that she is pregnant. Keep in mind that not all pregnant guinea pigs like to be touched. So if she runs away, hides or… growls in your hands entering the cage, immediately move them away.
A change in behavior is another indication of pregnancy. A woman expecting babies may not be as playful or sociable as she was before pregnancy. She feels tired and focuses her energy on feeding her babies instead of playing and running around.
A vet can determine whether a guinea pig is pregnant. A vet will do a quick physical exam and listen to the guinea pig’s abdomen with a stethoscope. An owner can even get some input from the vet on how far along in the pregnancy she is.
How long is the gestational age?
The gestational age of a guinea pig is from 59 to 72 days. It is difficult for an owner to determine the exact number of days a guinea pig will be pregnant. But it’s helpful to know the pregnancy range for this pet when making an estimate.
Taking care of a guinea pig during pregnancy: what to consider?
Pregnancy can be a stressful time for a guinea pig. One way to care for her during this time is to place her cage in a quiet area. Consider placing her cage in a room away from the most active part of the house. Being in a quiet environment can help a pregnant guinea pig keep her stress levels low.
Many owners wonder if they should keep other guinea pigs in the cage with a pregnant one. The decision depends on the behavior of the female.
If a pregnant guinea pig seems short-tempered or irritated with a male or other females in the cage, it’s best to separate them for a while. If you want to separate her from other guinea pigs, leave the pregnant guinea pig in her familiar environment. Placing her in a new cage will likely put her under more stress.
if different guinea pigs seem to push the female in the cage or otherwise harass her, go ahead and get them out of the cage.
Give the pregnant guinea pig some more food than normal. As mentioned before, pregnant guinea pigs need more food as they go into labor. Leafy greens, as well as a steady supply of hay, are both essential for a pregnant woman. Make sure you also give her fresh water every day. She is going to drink more water during her pregnancy so it should be available at all times.
You may be tempted to pick up a pregnant guinea pig. After all, she’s just so cute! But it’s best to avoid picking her up. Because of her growing body, she will feel especially vulnerable when held. So, unless absolutely necessary, keep your pregnant guinea pig in her cage. But be sure to keep talking and petting her during her pregnancy. She will appreciate the reassurance.
What is the typical litter size?
There is no reliable way for an owner to determine how many guinea pigs a female will have. In general, guinea pigs give birth to two to four babies per litter, but they can have up to eight.
If a guinea pig has eight or more babies, it is almost certain that not all of them will survive. With so many babies competing for milk, not all fry will get enough food from their mothers.
Are Newborn Baby Guinea Pigs Helpless?
Some animals are born blind and deaf, leaving them completely dependent on their mother as newborns. Alternatively, baby guinea pigs are born with their eyes and ears open. They even have fur as a newborn!
Baby guinea pigs have small claws and can move quite a bit. However, they usually stay close to their mothers as they breastfeed for the first few weeks of their lives.
How should I care for baby guinea pigs?
Well, the mother guinea pig does most of the work for the first six weeks of a baby’s life. She takes care of them for at least three weeks. As they approach six weeks of ag
e,
they begin to eat solid foods.
An owner should keep the cage as clean as possible without disturbing the mother and her babies. Cleaning a small portion of the cage at a time is the best way to do the job.
Avoid picking up any of the babies until they are at least four weeks old. The body of a baby guinea pig is very fragile. So picking one up before it’s a month old puts you at risk for injury.
In addition, an owner should continue to provide the mother with leafy greens and hay, along with traditional guinea pig pellets. The mother needs to regain her strength after carrying her babies, giving birth and breastfeeding.
Once she starts weaning her young, make sure there is enough hay and leafy greens for everyone to try out their chewing skills.
Next one: 7 Best Places to Adopt Guinea Pigs
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