Follow-Up on Pregnant Pig

Question
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guinea-Pigs-1574/2008/6/Birthing-Questions-1.htm

A link to our previous correspondence.

Wow, a month and a half has passed.
Unfortunatly my guinea was caught pretty much at the end of the time, the way things always seem to go.  Seemed like I had to wait decades!!  But, as with everything, patience paid off, and finally Shae gave birth!  I believe it was closer to 5pm this afternoon, as when I woke up and found them(I work midnights) they were still in the sack with only their heads showing, and mum sitting on the other side of the cage.  I cleaned them off and put them with mum, and she began to clean them. Everything seems to be going well now.

A photo of the pups - http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l106/xmyxbadxhabitx/guineas07162.jpg

Now questions :)

1.  Shae still seems a bit nervous of the babies, sometimes she's sitting on the other side of the cage from them.  I've seen her running away from the babies, and occasionally she'll kick out at the babies and do something which causes them to cry.  Haven't figured out what she's doing, as she stops when I move to check.  As this is her first litter, is this normal?  Should I be worried that she's not caring for the pups properly?  Is there anything I could/should be doing to help her out?

2.  Her "piggy place" is swollen.  I cleaned her haunches up  after she gave birth, and she didn't seem this swollen then.  She's still spotting, I know that is normal, but I cannot find anything as to her genitals being swollen.  I understand that giving birth would traumatize the area, but worry it may be a symptom that something went wrong.  Is this something I should take her to the vet about asap, or should I give her a bit of time.  The swelling is the only thing that may be a symptom.  

3.  I know that determining the gender of the babies is hit and miss at this size, but I was wondering if you had picked up any good tips as to how to do it.  I want to keep a female, but don't know if either of them is!  I've looked, and can't really tell.  I'm pretty sure that one of them is a male, as I think I can feel his penis.  The other one seems to have the same shape, but I can't feel the penis as I can on the other.  I hope there's a tip you can give me, I don't want to wait anymore, lol!

Thanks for all the help you've given me so far.  Here's a photo of the babies, if you'd like to see, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Answer
Hi Jeni,

Congratulations - those babies are adorable! It was all I could do not to say "awwww" very loudly, which would have been bad as I'm at work and I don't think they'd appreciate me checking my personal emails during office hours!

Unfortunately, Shae's behaviour towards the pups is not a good sign. Ordinarily, the mother would break the sacs as each individual baby came out, and clean them up herself. It's probably because she's a new Mum - especially if she hasn't ever witnessed another sow taking care of babies. But it sounds as though she's going to need a helping hand with motherhood.

I would discourage you from touching the babies again for a while. It could be that they've taken on your scent as you handled them too early. Though of course, you had no choice as they needed cleaning up! Try rubbing the mother's litter on them, so that they smell like her. And watch from a distance. If she's feeding them, then although not ideal, the pups will be okay. Obviously they'd much prefer to be snuggled up to her all the time - and won't like being kicked - but if she's feeding them then at least she realise they're her responsibility.

Put some extra food in the cage. While the piggies will suckle from Mum until two or three weeks of age, they will also be able to eat solid food straight away, and will need hay for their digestion, just like Mum does. Putting some extra hay in the cage will also give them a place to snuggle up in when Mum is hiding from them. And make sure that the water bottle is low enough for them to reach, too.

You probably won't be able to tell the sex of the guinea pigs for sure until they're two weeks old, and if one is a boy, you'll need to separate him between three and four weeks of age (once he's stopped suckling and before he reaches sexual maturity). Although many people say it's unreliable, I found the X and Y method very accurate in both the litters my guinea pigs had. The females have a sort of Y shape, and the males have an X shape (ie - there's an extra gap between the lines, where the penis develops). You will notice a bump starting to grow, and you'll notice the behaviour of the males change as they reach sexual maturity - lots of rumbling! By three weeks of age you will be certain who's what.

As for the swelling, I'd recommend giving her a day or two. If it doesn't go down, take her to a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet. It could be that there's still the afterbirth for her to pass, or that complications occured during the pregnancy which is why she didn't break the sacs around the babies completely (but thank goodness she got their heads out!). It will be best for her to have a professional examination, to ensure her health and put your mind at rest.

Hope this helps and if you have any other questions, just ask!

Jenny.