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Orphaned Guinea Pig

21 13:46:05

Question
Dear Pat,

My guinea pig just passed away this morning. Basically, we got CreamPuff about 1.5 month ago at petsmart, and about 2 weeks after all, we found out that she is pregnant. She gave birth to 4 babies; unfortunately, only two of them survive. The other two died right after birth. After birth, she is still fine, but I do notice that the last two days, she refuse to eat, become lethargic, and having watering eyes. I thought that she just tired after delivering her babies. However, this morning I rush her to the vet, and she died on the way there.

I was told to handfeed the babies guinea pig with evaporation milk diluted with water 1:1 ratio. I am wondering when can they start to eat solid food. FYI, i also have another female guinea pig, since we bought CreamPuff and her at the same time, should I allow those new born stay in the same cage with her? Will she eat those babies? I am really worry about it since it is my first time raising guinea pig, and it turn out in the very unfortunate way.

Answer
Teensy Weensy
Teensy Weensy  

Teensy Weensy\'s dinner
Teensy Weensy's dinner  
You don't mention the age of the baby. Most babies can survive on their own if they can make it to two weeks of age. Rather than evaporated milk I would suggest getting a formula made to nurse kittens. It's formulated more like mother's milk and doesn't have the high fat content. It's easier for the baby to digest.

The trick to hand feeding a baby guinea pig is NOT to try to force liquid into them. You can get a syringe at the drug store that's made for giving human babies oral medication. There's no needle on it, just a pointed tip at the end. Just barely drop the milk a drop at a time into the side of the mouth. Don't lie her on her back. Animals don't nurse that way. They nurse on their feet. So hold the baby in the natural position.

By all means put the little one in with the grown pig. She will take care of it. It may take awhile for her to warm up to it, but sometimes they just take over as though they gave birth to the babies themselves. Baby cavies begin to drink from the water bottles within a few days of birth. They try to nibble at the pellets within a week or so.

Here's a picture of a baby we hand raised after the mom wouldn't nurse her. My husband did the hand feeding during the day. She was very tiny and couldn't fight her way to the nipples to get her share. She survived and grew to be a beautiful Himalayan.