Possibly Pregnant Guinea Pig.

Question
QUESTION: Hello Megan, my name is Marilyn, Im 16 years old.
i got my first Guinea Pig about four to five weeks ago from
a local PetsMart, the lady told me the Guinea Pig was a boy,
but when I recieved a second Guinea Pig from a different PetsMart I put them both together and the boy kept purring and making breeding noises, I thought it was out of mean-ness so I seperated them, I let Peachy sleep with me and Pinky just stayed in the cage. I put Peachy back a while after, and he started doing it again so I just let it happen, then I watched them closely one night and Pinky was licking Peachy's behind then he impregnanted Peachy or whatever, and now her belly is starting to feel firm and round, i don't know if she's really pregnant but she keeps sneezing and right now she just whimpered and her butt went up or something. is there anything wrong with her??? I heard its unhealthy for babies to be pregnant but i dont evn know how old she is. well, thanks alot:]
awww, my Guinea Pig just yawned.:]
take care, and sorry about the long questions.

ANSWER: Hi Marilyn,

It's cute when piggies yawn isn't it?!

If Peachy's belly is round and you've noticed her eating and drinking more, then she is probably a pregnant female. Take her to a vet to find out for sure. It's quite easy to tell the sex of guinea pigs over two weeks of age; simply check between their legs!

You will need to separate Peachy and Pinky if one is female and one is male. Otherwise, you'll be inundated with babies, and Pinky will try to mate with Peachy once she's already pregnant which will cause undue stress. Unfortunately large pet shops are very inexperienced in dealing with guinea pigs and there's almost always a surprise for the owners!

Guinea pigs make the purring breeding noises whether they are male or female, and whether they are living with males or females. They're very excitable creatures! So this in itself is not an indication that your piggies are of opposite sexes.

Sneezing is normal behaviour and you only need to worry if Peachy's breathing sounds raspy or if you notice fluid coming from her eyes or nose. Raspy breathing indicates a respiratory condition which will need treatment by a vet, and fluid suggests a cold which you can treat at home.

I don't know about her butt going up ... can you provide more details?!

If you'd like to know about what to do when the babies arrive (68-72 days after conception) or have any other questions ... just ask!

Hope this helps,
Jenny.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hey Jenny:]
I'm so sorry I
got your name wrong last time!

but yeah, its adorable when they yawn:]
yeah, I've checked between both their legs
and when I apply pressure to Peachys genital area nothing comes out so Im guessing she's a girl. but when I apply pressure to Pinky his penis comes out so I know he's a boy.

I don't really think Peachy is pregnant now but Pinky mated
with her like 3 times already. he tried it today and she started yelping or somethingg.

and ohh, yeahh, I've heard that PetsMart employees aren't so fond of which sex they give you.

and about Peachy's butt..well, her back end just jumped
or something like you know when you're laying on your stomach and you raise yourself up by your butt first? something like that:)

oh thank god, she doesnt sneeze anymore, neither does Pinky.
I think they're doing fine now though.

thanks:]

xoxo,
Marilyn.




ANSWER: Hi Marilyn,

Peachy is almost certainly pregnant if she's been living with a male, especially if you've seen her and Pinky in action a few times!

The best thing to do at this stage will me to move Pinky to a separate cage (or if you can, divide the current cage so they can still see each other). Although Peachy is already pregnant, he will continue to try to mate with her (as you've noticed). This will cause her undue stress and could result in complications during pregnancy or birth. Keep an eye on Peachy for symptoms of pregnancy such as eating and drinking more, and a growing belly.

If Peachy is pregnant, she will have her litter in 68-72 days. How old is Peachy? If she's less than six months old, everything should go smoothly, but if she is older than this you may wish to enlist the help of a vet to monitor to pregnancy.

If you have any questions about what to do once the babies arrive or anything else, just ask.

Jenny.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jenny,

Yeah, her blly is like a little bump now, but some days its regular.

I don't have a seperate cage but How do I seperate Their cage?
I have nothing to seperate it, and I dont get a job until summer.

Well, the store said she was like some months old and that she was the youngest of the litter and the others were pretty big so im guessing she's not that old, I've only had her for three weeks.

If I have questions I will be sure to contact you:]

Thanks ALot!

Marilyn

Answer
Hi Marilyn,

Guinea pigs usually arrive in pet shops when they are 7 weeks old. So, if she hadn't been there for very long and you've only had her for 3 weeks she's probably around 2-3 months old, which is a very good time to have a first litter.

I separated my guinea pigs' hutch using chicken wire and a staple gun. Well, my Dad did. He then took part of the wooden 'sleeping' front and put it behind part of the open wire part, and then put some more chicken wire across the gap - so both halves had a dark and a light section. It's easy to do if you're patient, and chicken wire is very cheap. Put your piggies somewhere safe whilst you're doing it, though!

Best wishes,
Jenny.