(Find Out Now), Can A Father Guinea Pig Be With The Babies? However, too much calcium is dangerous for an adult guinea pig. Copyright 2021 - 2023 Guinea Pig Den | Jennifer Franklin Media LLCThis site does not constitute pet medical advice, please consult a licensed veterinarian in your area for pet medical advice. We placed an additional water bottle in the cage so that it was low enough for the babies to reach it. If a guinea pig mother cannot nurse her babies due to illness or death, keep the orphans with as many pet guinea pigs as possible. Just simply focusing on your guinea pigs and trying to chat with them every day can go a long way. One reason why a guinea pig mother might eat one of her pups is that she is extremely malnourished. Guinea pigs are cute and quite intelligent pets. Guinea pigs can be aggressive towards each other if they are not adequately trained. Clements, M. and Kelly, J. At first your guinea pig baby may seem afraid when you pick him up. This is where they learn how to bond and behave in a herd. For instance, most rats eat their babies. The standard litter can range from one to six little pups, with an avg. When I'm not writing, I enjoy kickboxing and work as an animal trainer. Guinea Pigs do best when living with at least one similar companion, and pets that live without another Guinea pig sometimes become lonely and depressed. i am so excited!!! Many others survive but have problems.Additionally, theres thousands (if not tens of thousands) of piggies without good homes now. Spaying a female guinea pig can be a risky procedure that not all veterinarians are willing to attempt. How To Prevent a New Mother from Eating Her Babies? Although piggies are so cute, you cant always be there to have a staring contest with them. Cute Guinea Pig Names 200 Unique Names To Choose From, Cow Names Over 400 Amazing Names For Your Cattle, Giving your litter the best start begins before your sow is even pregnant make sure she has a clean bill of health from a vet before she is mated, and buy a. A great way to get help raising your first litter successfully, and in recognising potential problems quickly, is by enlisting the support of a mentor. However, if its weak it might put up little resistance and be eaten entirely. However, taking some precautions can bring you peace of mind that your sow wont need to eat her babies. Caring for a guinea pig can be challenging if you are unsure whether it is missing its baby. From the moment they are born they are unusually mature and capable of looking after themselves. Guinea pigs are social animals and may begin to experience depression-like symptoms when alone for too long. Even then, they must be handled very gently. An inexperienced sow might accidentally damage her young with her teeth whilst trying to clean them up after the birth. A healthy pup will resist and move away from the mother, alerting her of her mistake. Bellinger, S. A. et al, An ecologically relevant guinea pig model of fetal behavior, Behavioral Brain Research, 2015. Why would a pet guinea pig eat its own babies? (Find Out Now), 10 Reliable Cage Liners for Guinea Pigs (What You Need to Know), Do Guinea Pigs Hibernate? But most people think of it as being around four weeks old, when they reach sexual maturity. If they are isolated, they may become lonely and sad. Any sudden movement or noise can scare them. It can be difficult to tell the difference between male and female guinea pigs under three weeks of age. You can certainly handle a little, because it wont make their mother reject them. A typical guinea pig pup weighs between 60 and 115 grams and measures close to 3 to 5 inches long. Lake Shore Veterinary Hospital offers the following helpful advice: If you touch her belly a couple of centimeters ahead of the anus, you will be able to feel that the pelvic bones have spread apart. It's so rewarding to help pets look and feel their best. While it is a hard thing to think about, it can happen. The gestation period is about 59 to 72 days or about two months. I thought they would be born helpless and look like baby rats or hamsters with no fur and their eyes closed. 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. Guinea pigs have a good sense of hearing, so they will potentially even be able to hear you coming from down the hall. We kept a close eye on Theo as her due date approached. These colorful, chore charts will help you keep track of when to feed your fuzz butts, clean their cages, and much more. The body temperature of a guinea pig is between 101104 F (3840 C), so its ideal ambient air temperature is similar to that of humans, approximately 6575 F (1824 C). We read that the bedding needs to be changed daily. Put him back with his mother if he becomes vocal or squirmy. And of course, when you run a finger over the area, you wont feel a penis! Guinea pigs are fragile animals at any age but especially during their early days of life. Wheek: The shrill noise a guinea pig or other small rodent makes. If you have an affectionate male guinea pig, you can introduce the babies when they are in the same cage. An adult female guinea pig will never harm or eat newborn babies. Although guinea pigs occasionally sneeze, frequent sneezing is a sign of pneumonia, especially in response to climate change. They have small bodies and big eyes. https://www.npvet.co.nz/pets/animal-info-pets/bird-rabbit-turtle-articles/care-pregnant-guinea-pigs/, Guinea lynx :: Reproduction. A baby guinea pig is called a pup. They use them to form social bonds and initiate mating, attract the attention of herd members over great distances, communicate sadness, and sound the alarm. I'm currently a pet groomer, and I love it. Do guinea pigs remember their parents? When separated from their parents, they often experience anxiety and depression. If separated from their parents, they may become anxious and depressed. Baby guinea pigs are capable of digesting solid food very soon after birth (within hours). The surprising truth is that it happens more often than youd think. In the next section weve assembled some of the most commonly asked questions our readers have about their baby guinea pigs. This can happen if the guinea pig is not being fed enough timothy hay, pellets, vitamin C supplements, etc. Guinea pig babies can walk, see, and hear, as soon as they are born, and most start nibbling on solid foods within a few days. They can impregnate mom and sisters! It is rare, but it does happen. Do Guinea Pigs Like Stuffed Animals? It is famously difficult to sex baby rodents, so the easiest way to be sure which of your pups are girls and which are boys is to ask a more experienced mentor, or a vet, to help you. Likely she has forgotten all about them, and is instead planning to to escape and start her next litter. We used fleece bedding which we spot cleaned throughout the day by removing poop and leftover food. An average sized pup measures around 3 to 5 inches at birth, and very cylindrical roughly the size of a tangerine in fact! Expect to pay around $10 to $40 on average, though this can vary depending on factors such as age and coloring. In some cases, guinea pigs may lick or try to groom you as a sign of affection. The Best Pet Health & Care Advice from Real Vets | PetMD. Once all the serious aspects of baby guinea pig care are in hand, you can turn your mind to more fun tasks, like picking their names. Coming up with a cute guinea pig name is a lot of fun, but can be tough. If you bring home your baby guinea pig at seven weeks old, youll find all the information you need to raise them in our guide to guinea pigs as pets. The sow eating her pups may be starving. Although they are able to conceive year-round, springtime is the peak window for baby guineas appearing on the scene. Although pet guinea pigs eating their pups is a very rare incident, it does happen sometimes. Pneumonia can occur with torticollis and can be fatal. The litter size ranges from 1 to 8 pups, but a litter of 2 to 4 is more common.A female can give birth to up to 5 litters per year. The importance of understanding whether or not guinea pigs miss their babies cannot be overstated. Usually, the mother will eat the baby right after it's born. (And How? Additionally, when her babies are born she may eat them in order to prevent them from taking up the little space she has. But, theres some things you can do to help your fur baby return to a comfortable atmosphere, and to prevent this from happening again in the future. View our privacy policy and our disclosure policy for more information. Also, they should have unlimited amounts of timothy hay and water all the time. Male guinea pigs (boars) usually mature sexually and can mate as young as 2-3 months of age. In fact, loneliness reduces the life expectancy of a guinea pig. Yet, sometimes, guinea pigs can eat their babies. Yes, guinea pigs miss their owners. https://www.petmd.com/exotic/conditions/reproductive/c_ex_gp_pregnancy_toxemia, Why do animals sometimes kill their babies? We know that guinea pigs typically stay with their baby for about three weeks. Squeaks, Scales and Tails is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC an affiliate advertising program. The first twenty four hours are when the babies are at greatest risk for being eaten, so remain close during this period. If youre not looking for a specific breed or sex of guinea pig, rescuing one from a shelter is a great way to meet your new pet. No. Give the orphaned puppy the same amount of water and evaporated guinea pig milk. Female guinea pigs take care of the hardest part as much as possible. Guinea pig pregnancy seems short to us, but in fact it lasts a remarkably long time for their size. This is why you should do everything in your power to make your female piggy feel at ease. of 2-4. If you keep a male guinea pig with the mother and babies, introduce them slowly, so there is no aggression between the two adults. Significantly, this is the age when pups will start to reach sexual maturity. Pups from small litters are usually bigger than pups from large litters. The sow needs this time to focus on nursing her living babies, and you need to create an environment that will allow her to do this. In our research, we could not find a definitive age when guinea pigs are declared adults; however, they reach sexual maturity by four weeks of age. But, give them time to bond with their mother so they can nurse. If your guinea pig becomes acquainted with someone they don't trust, they may become quiet or hide when that person is nearby. Baby guinea pig care - The Guinea Pig Manual. It can be a little surprising to witness, but its completely normal and nothing to be alarmed about. i've been keeping this a secret for over a week now!! Having a guinea pig as a pet is a wonderful experience. (Find Out Now). AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE (And yes, its one of the more gruesome animal interactions in the wild.). What Are Common Health Problems in Guinea Pigs? Whereas there are over 13 Guinea Pig breeds, English, Abyssinian, and Peruvian Guinea Pigs are the most well-liked. All rights reserved. Its also the age of the youngest baby guinea pigs in pet stores. But, when a pet parent has makes an intentional choice to breed, its really not worth the risk in most cases. Pet owners know that keeping a guinea pig as a pet is a wonderful experience. When properly fed, you dont have to worry that she will eat her babies. The pups will learn a lot from how to form social bonds, to which foods are safe to eat from the adults they live with. Popcorning is an incredibly descriptive term to describe the frenzied bursts of energetic jumping, bumping and hopping about that guinea pigs engage in. If one or two guinea pig pups seem to suddenly vanish from their cage, it doesnt necessarily mean theyve been eaten. Caring for baby guinea pigs can be a rewarding experience if you know what to expect. (Find Out Now), Filial Cannibalism (and 7 Reasons Why Some Animal Moms Dine On Their Babies). How do I know when my guinea pig is ready to give birth? Make sure your pig has a lot of food. Bathing them, if its something you plan to try, should wait until they are at least eight weeks old. If the mother is experiencing starvation , she may eat her offspring as an ultimate last resort. It can therefore be tempting to pick up and cuddle the little babies right away! However, you should err on the side of caution. Hi there! Here are some of our top baby guinea pig name lists to help you feel inspired! Male guinea pigs are more likely to harm their babies but they shouldnt eat them. But, fruit should only be given as an occasional treat. If you carefully run a finger over the area, you should be able to feel the shaft of their penis under the skin. Common diseases in domestic guinea pigs include respiratory infections, diarrhea, itching, and boils due to infection (often the neck, throat, or external scratches). An adult guinea pig will never deliberately harm or eat a newborn guinea pig. You can do a few things to help your guinea pig cope when youre not around. The next thing you need to take care of is that make sure that their cages are heavy, comfortable, and not escapable. So, its possible for their mother (especially if shes inexperienced with babies) to kill them with too much force. And within a few hours nursing should be established. Dwyer, C.M., et al, The effect of maternal undernutrition on the growth and development of the guinea pig placenta, Journal of Developmental Physiology, 1992. Lets take a closer look at this exciting topic. They will weigh as much as 2 kilos; most reside between 5 and 6 years, however some notably wholesome pets can reside 10 years or longer. Female cavies are called sows and males are called boars. Give herenough food as she needs nourishment, so never have her food bowl empty. A mix of alfalfa and timothy hay could keep the mother full and prevent this from happening. How Can I Prevent Guinea Pigs From Eating Their Babies? Also, male guinea pig may kill the babies if he doesn't recognize them as his own offspring. Continue to give milk to puppies for 21 days even when they start eating solid food. Guinea pigs eat their babies not because they want to kill them for food but for other reasons. This is pretty rare. In order to have a peaceful pregnancy and birth, there are some things that you can do: Many people underestimate how much space a guinea pig needs, along with other types of rodents. When your guinea pig is pregnant they need more food than usual, and its surprisingly easy to give them less than what they need. Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? When Do Guinea Pigs Stop Growing and How Big Do They Get? This can be very misleading especially when it comes to motherhood as many animals eat their offspring in certain circumstances. Keep in mind that guinea pigs are not the best choice to raise other female guinea pigs babies. A male guinea pig eats the babies only by a strange occurrence. Every few hours for the first few days, you should hand-feed the baby guinea pig: mesh pellets or supplement powder, and if you have grown guinea pigs, also add a fecal . To most people, guinea pigs are cute pets, and having just one will suffice. If the litter is too large, the mama . A guinea pig baby can show mating behaviors at about three to four weeks of age.
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