Due to the early sexual maturity of the guinea pigs and the difficulty of distinguishing between males and females, it is not uncommon to discover that the guinea pig you just adopted is pregnant. Therefore, in this article by Animal Expert, we will give all the necessary information about the care of pregnant guinea pigs. We will discuss the most appropriate conditions for your environment, as well as the correct diet, the risks and in addition, we will provide you with some notes on delivery time. Read!
First, you should check if your guinea pig has any pregnancy symptoms. If you do not know if you have reached sexual maturity or if you have been in contact with a man, you may suspect pregnancy if you notice any of the following signs:
- You should definitely consult your veterinarian.
- Thanks to an ultrasound.
- It is possible to confirm the gestation of the guinea pig and know the number of chickens that the female guinea pig is pregnant.
- Can vary from 1 to 6 chickens.
- The veterinarian will be in charge of providing information on the care of the guinea pig and resolving any doubts.
- The gestation of these rodents has an average duration of 68 days.
- While during this period your guinea pig will lead an almost normal life.
- You should consider some important aspects.
- Which we will discuss in the following topics.
Once the symptoms of the gestation of the cuy are confirmed, one of the first precautions with the gestation of the cuy will be to adapt the diet, a diet adapted to any cuy includes, according to proportion, the following foods:
After examining the diet that all guinea pigs need, how do you adapt it to guinea pig gestation? Feeding a pregnant guinea pig should include the following changes:
Learn more about good fruits and vegetables for guinea pigs on our YouTube channel:
In addition to a balanced diet, it is also important to follow the following precautions:
These are the main care of a pregnant guinea pig, in the case of a healthy female. In the next topic we will see the risks that may arise.
As mentioned above, guinea pigs reach sexual maturity very quickly, with about 2 to 4 months (it should also be noted that their life expectancy is 5 years on average). From 10 months, the bones of the pelvis come together. A first delivery at this time may prove impossible, as the rigid genital canal will prevent the offspring from leaving, requiring a C-section and the risks of this operation. Therefore, if you do not know the age of your guinea pig or if you have given birth or not before, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian. Between 4 and 7 months will be the safest time for a first pregnancy.
On the other hand, among the treatments for a pregnant guinea pig we must know the main disease that may occur during this period, toxemia, which is a very serious and fatal metabolic disorder, if not detected at an early stage. . It occurs in females a few weeks before delivery and up to a week later, is characterized by immobility, anorexia and hypersalivation (bave) and, in blood tests, hypoglycaemia, although there are times when the pig suddenly appears dead, without presenting symptomatology. There are also some risk factors, such as obesity or age.
Caring for a pregnant guinea pig also includes the time of delivery. One of the biggest doubts of any pregnancy is when such an event will begin. Although the pregnancy of guinea pigs is known to last about two months, it is impossible to know when the exact day of delivery will be. In addition, in guinea pigs, it is not easy to detect symptoms that indicate an imminent birth, since there is no change in their behavior, the only change may be your pelvic bone. If you place your finger on the genitals of your piglet, you will notice a bone. If you notice that this bone is split in two, with a separation of about 1 centimeter, you can predict that the birth will take place in the next few days (approximately 10). It should be borne in mind that this sign is not an exact measure, that it is not easy to notice, and that there are guinea pigs that can present this separation for a long time without the actual onset of delivery.
Once the delivery begins, the guinea pig will be calm and her offspring will be born quickly. So, if you’re wondering how long a guinea pig was born, keep in mind that, in general, the whole process usually takes between 10 minutes and half an hour and should never last more than an hour.
Childbirth usually doesn’t require any special care on your part, as it’s usually a quick and simple process, which your guinea pig will do alone and quietly. It should not intervene, except for certain complications, such as:
Placenta expulsion indicates the end of delivery. It is quite normal for pigs to eat them, just as it is normal for them to ingest amniotic bags and umbilical cords. The chicks are born with the ability to feed themselves, in addition to breast milk, they will be able to eat the same as this, so it is necessary to continue with a balanced diet, retaining the hay of alfalfa that provides them the necessary calcium. for their growth. Despite this independence, they have to breastfeed throughout the first month. After that, it is important to separate men and women to avoid further pregnancies, both maternal and juvenile.
Finally, even knowing all the care of a pregnant guinea pig, the gestation process poses a risk, not forgetting the ethical issues that must permeate the breeding of guinea pigs in a society where so many of these animals are abandoned and therefore need a home. . As a responsible caregiver, you should consider sterilization.
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