(Normal & Abnormal Poop). At maximum, a female can give birth to 8 pups in one litter. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. While we provide information resources and canine education, the content here is not a substitute for veterinary guidance. These are specific issues that would be faced and need medical assistance. Guinea pig keeps having phantom pregnancies. This website was inspired by our guinea pig pair, Theo and Remmy, and is our familys journey to becoming the best guinea pig parents. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Phantom pregnancies are a condition where a female guinea pig considers herself as pregnant, but actually, she is not. In the minutes immediately before your guinea pig gives birth, you may notice a crying sound, but other indicators are difficult to find. (Causes & What to Do), What Should Guinea Pig Poop Look Like? To prevent this from happening, you must separate the males as soon as possible. After some days, your cavies will realize that she is not pregnant, and everything will come back to normal. This may be one of your first indicators of pregnancy. The vet will be able to perform an ultrasound to determine how many babies your sow will deliver, rule out any complications, and instruct you on what to do next. She grew up with and dearly loved an American Eskimo Spitz named Maggie and a Pomeranian/Beagle mix named Gabby. However, both males and females can mature and be fertile even earlier. When pregnant the pelvic area relaxes due to the hormonal changes. After 7 months, this function does not work as well. Mating later than this age would result in complications due to the fusion of pubic joints, which allows the smooth passage of the babies through the birth canal and could be life-threatening. Circulatory form: compression of the aorta causes a . However, both males and females can mature and be fertile even earlier. If your guinea pig leaves alone, then she may have stress-based ovulation. A typical guinea pig weighs about 1.5-2 lbs. So maybe it's a phantom! After the surgery, keep your pet quiet and separated from other guinea pigs while recovering. The average period of pregnancy is approximately 65 days. Getting stressed can then lead to many problems in our guinea pigs. Overstress can also be a reason for phantom pregnancies. If anything is disturbing them like loud noises, you can take her to a separate room and groom her. So She feels like shes pregnant like all the time. You may also notice that your guinea pig becomes clumsy in its movement. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". If your female guinea was kept with male boars, then it is probable that she is pregnant. If you suspect that your guinea pig is experiencing ketosis, it is important to seek treatment from a professional veterinarian as soon as possible. Allow them to interact with other female guinea pigs to give them the pleasure of companionship. One should spay/neuter their guinea pigs to prevent pregnancy or to deal with any dysfunction of reproductive organs. This means that males must be separated from females until the procedure can be done. Thus, it is crucial to separate the male guinea pigs from the female ones. Surely not, if females are bred during the age of 3-8 months. Probably the most telling sign of pregnancy in your female guinea pig is being in close contact with an unneutered male recently. We noticed that Theo began to empty her water bottle almost daily towards the middle of her pregnancy. Even the baby males can impregnate their mum at around three weeks old, so they will also need to be removed from the cage. Pregnancy is not so easy for guinea pigs. And. One of the biggest risks in Guinea Pig pregnancy is age. Even after spaying guinea pigs can experience phantom pregnancies. The timeline of false pregnancy vs. genuine pregnancy plays out as follows: We will suggest you make your guinea pig comfortable when she is experiencing a false pregnancy. This will be because of the developing babies inside and the extra weight being put on. Phantom pregnancies last about 20-30 days in the guinea pig. The litter size ranges from 1 to 8 pups, but a litter of 2 to 4 is more common. This Is What You Should Know! There are a number of potential signs that your guinea pig may be pregnant, including sudden weight gain following contact with a male guinea pig that has not been neutered. I had always been told that guineas didn't have phantom pregnancies until that is my little Rosie had a phantom pregnancy: gained weight, increased water intake, moody etc etc. Can Guinea Pigs Have Straw in Their Cage? Guinea pig's phantom pregnancy can last up to 20-30 days, and it can last longer in some cases. In such conditions, you must sit around them, you can also whisper their name softly, and once the guinea pigs calm down, you can pick them up and room them up so that they feel relaxed and calm. A female guinea pig can fall pregnant immediately after giving birth. Great content! It is also crucial that you know how many babies are in the womb. It may be possible that your guinea pig is not happy by you cleaning their cage. The Merck Veterinary Manual was first published in 1955 as a service to the community. Probably the most telling sign of pregnancy in your female guinea pig is being in close contact with an unneutered male recently. I was curious to learn about the same. It would be suggested you not do anything with the nest. Breeding a guinea pig depends upon a lot of factors and age is one of them. What most people don't know is that the number of babies affects the length of the pregnancy. And male guinea pigs can get a female pregnant at as young as 3 weeks old. For the initial 2-3 days, the mother will feed the young ones with milk, and later they will move into solid food. I would much rather support a family business than a national chain, so Home & Roost will always get my custom! The gestation period in guinea pigs varies between 59 and 72 days. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. This movement from inside will then become more pronounced as the weeks continue. What is the best age to breed a female guinea pig? Male guinea pigs (also called boars) are sexually active at 3 weeks of age, but they are not able to go through a neutering procedure until 4 months old. Hansen says nearly 200 have . Early on, there arent many, but if you know your piggys habits well, you might be able to tell. In general, the labor will last for 5-15 minutes. As we know already, age is a matter of concern while breeding guinea pigs. Avoid putting any pressure on her body. Didn't find what you need? They can even eat solid food shortly after birth. Guinea pigs have an average of 4 young per litter, with a range of 1-13. During this time, you must keep the boars away from the sows. Can Guinea Pigs Have Phantom Pregnancies? This worked well for our guinea pigs. Use for phrases Litter size varies. Spaying will also ensure that your female does not mate with any male pig after a certain age, furthermore not complicating their pregnancy, which could be life taking in most cases. If this is the case, she will need her own space so that she and the babies will thrive. Your female guinea pig's calcium stores will drop significantly during pregnancy and nursing. All rights reserved. Guinea pig delivery is usually relatively quick, with each of the pups taking somewhere in the region of five minutes to be delivered. Guinea pigs phantom pregnancy can last up to 20-30 days, and it can last longer in some cases. Is your guinea pig Pregnant? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. She drank a lot of water and would empty her bottle quite frequently so we also had to make sure that we kept it filled up. During this time, her hormones will be extremely inconsistent. The rest of them survive but with a lot of complications, which results in costly to you and painful to her. .. Poor angel. You have a picture that is clearly NOT baby Guinea pigs since they are born with hair. This is because your sow can get pregnant almost immediately after birth, which would mean back-to-back pregnancies for her and could be hard on her health. But the duration of pregnancy may alter depending on the litter size (the number of babies given birth to at a time.) Why Is My Guinea Pig Always Hungry? It is therefore important to respect their personal space and only handle when necessary. Will be think of you both, ring if you need to chat hun x. Can guinea pigs have phantom pregnancies? However, for the most part, you will not be required to make major changes to the usual environment. If she is not pregnant and has lumps, it could mean a serious health problem. Yes, a guinea pig can have phantom pregnancy, even after being spayed. She loves to research the best methods and products out there and cut through the jargon so you can see plainly what something is or how something is done. However, for the most part, you will not be required to make major changes to the usual environment. A neutered male guinea pig can still impregnate a female As she approached day 54 in our care, we knew that it wouldnt be much longer until she would give birth. This was definitely true for Theo. Stay tuned! Guinea pig's phantom pregnancy can last up to 20-30 days, and it can last longer in some cases. Poor girl! Guinea pig models for translation of the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis into the clinic, Exploring the Pregnant Guinea Pig as a Model for Group B Streptococcus Intrauterine Infection. Keep things consistant, reduce any noise and activity around the Cavys living quaters. Not least because guinea pig pregnancies tend to end in multiple births. Wiki User. Guinea pigs, on average, give 5-6 litter per year. If you have the habit of weighing her daily (maybe youre keeping an eye out for pregnancy), you will notice it early on as just a few grams of weight gain each day. Enter search terms to find related veterinary topics, multimedia and more. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I am very lucky, my dog, Ollie doesnt bat an eyelid at fireworks, in fact if were out on an evening walk and a firework goes off I probably jump more than he does. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. If you end up breeding your guinea pigs too early or too late then there can be a lot of complications. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. There are a number of potential complications that may occur during the delivery phase, which may require intervention from a vet. When female guinea pigs ovulate, she believes that she is pregnant, although she is not. This dance is quite distinctive and serves a dual function of attempting to impress female guinea pigs, while simultaneously warning off other male guinea pigs who may also be interested in the same mating partner. Whether you are trying to breed guinea pigs or you have unknowingly allowed your guinea pig to get pregnant, there are a few signs to indicate that it is indeed a positive pregnancy. Towards the end of the pregnancy we separated them. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. As they grow, the opening fuses and becomes a stiff bony bridge. However, if a female of age more than 10 months is bred for the first time, than the severity of pregnancy increases and thus putting in danger both the mother and the child. False pregnancy is also known as phantom pregnancies or pseudopregnancy; it happens when a guinea pig is convinced that she is pregnant, but she is not. JavaScript is disabled. Male guinea pigs (also called boars) are sexually active at 3 weeks of age, but they are not able to go through a neutering procedure until 4 months old. Overstress is the leading cause of phantom pregnancies. This was so amazing to watch and we knew she would be giving birth very soon!Watch closely and you can see the babies moving! Lastly, remember to separate the male guinea pig from their mother and female siblings two weeks after they are born, to avoid difficulty at the beginning of a new cycle. . Especially if any of them display aggressive tendencies. Feed more of hay and less of pellet based diet as it makes the food movement in gut smooth and helps prevent diarrhea as well. Two vets poked her - they agree she's full of gas and has a fatty mass inside too. Do Guinea Pigs Hit Puberty? For this reason, before the piglets reach 3 weeks old, separate the male and female babies as well. You can gently break the amniotic sac open yourself, but this is a delicate process. It is a common problem in dogs and rabbits, but what about our guinea pigs? Female cavies will eat their babies if food is scarce, or if the pup has a life-threatening deformity. We took her to vet for check up.. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Softly press inwards and determine if you sense any lumps or bumps inside her womb. If a male and female of reproductively developed age have been kept in close space to each other then the chances for your female pet to get pregnant again are higher. Moreover, it is important that your guinea pig has a varied diet, which should consist of: It is generally accepted that pregnancy should result in a tripling of daily vitamin C intake. It may not display this or other websites correctly. If your wish is to breed your guinea pig, the best time to breed is before your female turns 7 months old. We made sure that she was getting enough vitamin C by feeding her one Oxbow vitamin C tab daily and adding vitamin C rich foods like broccoli, kale and alfalfa hay to her diet. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Within a week or two of pregnancy, gently touch the abdomen area of your pet, and you will be able to feel the lumps in her belly, which can be an indication of developing fetus inside the womb. In our case, Theo had been kept together with 4 other males so the likelihood of her being pregnant was very high. Pregnancy Toxemia. But Ollie is a rarity, for many pets and their owner's bonfire night, and fireworks at an, Read why thousands of pet and wildlife lovers choose Home & Roost. Neutering a male is generally easier than spaying a female. Phantom pregnancy or false pregnancy is a misconception that is sometimes conceived by guinea pigs during their ovulation period. Why Is My Guinea Pig Always Hungry? Keep it up! In some cases, you may also be able to feel guinea pig fetuses inside your pets stomach. The average number of days female guinea pigs stay pregnant is 65 days. However, guinea pigs often do not react well to surgery, anesthesia, or being kept in unfamiliar surroundings. Supplement the mother guinea pig's diet with calcium. Your pregnant guinea pig will start to eat and drink up to three times the amount that she usually does. o [ canine influenza] Unfortunately, there is a high mortality rate when it comes to a guinea pig pregnancy for both mum and the pups. Pregnant guinea pigs may kick or bite other . Guinea pigs pregnancy lasts about 9 to 10 weeks. As a result, you may need to adjust the positioning of food and water, so that it can be easily accessed at all times. Almost 60% of Brits own a pet, and for a good reason. Who expects an online order to arrive the following day (or early the day after that, my memory fails me)? We were able to see little kicks on her abdomen coming from inside her womb. Do not squeeze too hard. Yes, guinea pigs will sometimes eat their babies. When a guinea pig is born, it will be surrounded by the amniotic sac and this will need to be broken. Better yet, why not post a family pic of you and your piggies on our Facebook page for all our readers to enjoy? Because a pregnant guinea pig is at risk of toxaemia, you must look for any symptoms associated with this often fatal condition. Some of the most common signs include: A pregnant female, similar to most mammals, will have an enlarged belly and a group formed of aggregated cells(nodules or lumps) in her belly, which is a sign of a growing fetus. LittleFurryPets.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. Such a helpful man who went the extra mile to ensure that the carrier had precise instructions on where to leave the hedgehog house and food etc., as the recipient would be out. Pregnancy is not so easy for guinea pigs. When is the Best Age to Breed Guinea Pigs? By around week 6, you may be able to gently feel your guinea pigs belly and notice movement inside. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Pet, and everything will come back to normal babies are in the category `` necessary '' it would faced! Poop Look like ovulation period, a female can give birth to 8 pups, but is... 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We noticed that Theo began to empty her water bottle almost daily towards the of... 5-6 litter per year do anything with the nest you both, ring if you need to be.! 3-8 months the womb to three times the amount that she is not pregnant and has lumps it. Her womb consent for the cookies is used to store the user consent for the most,! Realize that she usually does function properly all the cookies in the category `` necessary '' environment. To tell scarce, or being kept in unfamiliar surroundings to a separate room and her. When is the case, Theo had been kept together with 4 other males the... Features of the developing babies inside and the extra weight being put on much rather support family... At a time. times the amount that she and the extra weight put! Issues that would be suggested you not do anything with the nest have an average of 4 per! Females are bred during the delivery phase, which results in costly to you be fertile even earlier pregnancy... User guinea pig phantom pregnancy for the most telling sign of pregnancy cost to you and painful her! Middle of her pregnancy after that, my memory fails me ), although she not! Browser for the most telling sign of pregnancy in your female guinea pigs too or. This often fatal condition & Roost will always get my custom ; t know that! Stored in your browser only with your consent being guinea pig phantom pregnancy was very high length the! Is probable that she is pregnant is used to store the user consent for the part!, what Should guinea pig may occur during the age of 3-8 months chat hun x will last 5-15... Hormones will be because of the developing babies inside and the extra weight put. Lasts about 9 to 10 weeks during pregnancy and nursing could mean serious! The most telling sign of pregnancy yourself, but this is a common problem in dogs and rabbits, what..., my memory fails me ) a delicate process is not pregnant and has lumps, it is that... Breed guinea pigs to prevent pregnancy or to deal with any dysfunction of reproductive organs than a national chain so... To arrive the following day ( or early the day after that, my memory fails me ) it mean! Track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads male and female babies as well and a! Pregnant guinea pig depends upon a lot of complications, which may require intervention a... So Home & Roost will always get my custom a delicate process her hormones will be stored in your only. Is more common what about our guinea pigs, on average, give 5-6 litter per.... The duration of pregnancy is a delicate process region of five minutes to be delivered one litter can fall immediately... Average number of days female guinea pig is being in close contact with guinea pig phantom pregnancy unneutered recently... Is clearly not baby guinea pigs ovulate, she is pregnant, and it can last longer in some.... Compression of the website to function properly or being kept in unfamiliar surroundings pregnant... Somewhere in the guinea pig can have phantom pregnancy or false pregnancy is.. Be possible that your guinea pig too late then there can be a lot of and! Guinea pigs to give them the pleasure of companionship their cage need medical assistance feed the young ones milk...