Pregnancy worries

Question
Hi, i'm a little worried about my guinea pig's pregnancy. She's due to have babies during the easter holidays so i can keep an eye on her. The reason for my worry is that im not exactly sure when she fell pregnant but i think it was before she turned 8 months, so really i just want to know should i get anything ready or prepare for anything when the babies arrive. I know that you shouldn't interfere during birth but i just wabt to make sure she's going to alright.  

Answer
Hello Grace,

Just keep a close eye on her and do everything you can to be there when she delivers. Don't leave her side unless you absolutely have to. If you have a large rubbermaid tub, that's a good temp home that can travel to any room of the house easily if your regular cage is too big for easy transport. With her being a possible risk you need to be nearby in case she needs help if at all possible. I'll send you a Baby Emergency Care sheet a friend made up for me and our friends a while back that tells how to take care of pups if they need you to care for them for some reason. Chances are, your girl will be fine. In labs they breed them safely for the first time up to 15 months, so she should be ok. With our pets it's best to err on the side of caution than to risk their lives and they be one of the ones whose pelvic bones harden early. I wish you luck. If you need anymore help, or something isn't clear feel free to contact me again. Best wishes for safe delivery and a healthy litter.

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*Baby emergency kit list and instructions for new breeders.*
                  (Thank you Darlene for this wonderful information)

I am posting this so people will have this infomation before any trouble with your sow's and new babies happen.  Hopefully, we can save a few more babies by giving this information.  Print this off and keep it handy until your piggy is big and you know it's getting close to time to deliver.  Or, get the kit now and keep the instructions with it.

When you do notice, (if you are up at the time the mother has her babies), the first baby coming out, it should only take about 30 - 45 min. to deliver the rest.  Over one hour and your piggy could be in trouble.  One and a half hours and it is getting very dangerous for your mother piggy and babies.  Bring them to the vets immediately.

If you notice a baby stuck for more than 10 minutes, get it to a vet.  Some piggies will have more blood than others.  But, you should not see lots of blood before the first pig is born, nor lots of blood after.  If you do, get them to the vets.  

When the mother sow has her babies, if possible check on the babies and be sure they are staying warm.  (We know that they like to have them at night when we are sleeping.  LOL)  The first 5 hours or so they are at the most risk and babies need to be monitored closely.  Exspecially when there is more than 3 babies or babies that are born premature.  Babies that don't stand up within a few minutes of birth could also be in trouble.  Touch them and feel them to see if they are warm.  They should feel like very warm bath water.  No, this will not upset mommy pig.  Pig's are pretty good at not getting to upset with you handling babies.  Check the feet for warmth also.  Their feet usually get cold first.  If they feel even just a little warm, and not almost hot like bath water, you need to get them warm.

More babies die of hypothermia than starvation.  Warmth is the most important factor for survival.  If they are cold they will not eat.  

You will see healthy babies snuggling together keeping each other warm.  They should be up and and on their feet in a few minutes after mommy cleans them off when they are born.  If you notice one in the corner of the cage or not standing up, you need to check him.  If you notice one that is alive and mommy hasn't cleaned him off you will have to check him.  

Don't panick if you have a still birth (babie born dead).  It is very common in guinea pigs to have still births.  It does not mean that the mother or other babies will not be healthy.  There seems to more of a danger of still births in mother's who have more than 4 babies.  If you have a still birth, simply remove it from the cage with paper towel.

If the babies are warm, monitor them to make sure they stay together.  That is how they keep warm.  They use the buddy system for warmth.  If you have one baby, it should stay cuddled to mommy for warmth.  Generally they do stay with their mother's anyway.  But I have had one pig who wondered all over the cage instead of staying with the babies.

Monitor them to be sure that mommy is feeding them and cleaning them within the first few hours.  If she is tending them all, you are pretty much home free.  But, keep an eye on them.  It's not the time to go off shopping or doing errands yet.  There is still a chance that a baby will be pushed away, or that it will wonder into the corner of the cage all by it's self.  After about 5 hours after birth, they should be ok with periodic checks.

You can hand rear babies easily.  But it will require feedings from you every 2 - 3 hours for a few days.  Yes, even at night.

Now, for the emergency kit you should have on hand for babies in trouble:

Clean towels.  You can wash them, if you are squeamish about reusing them, use older towels you can sacrifice.
Lizard or Iguana Heat Rock, Heating Pad, or some sort of heat source.  Even a small heater will work.  I have even used a desk lamp with sucess before.
Baby Kitten Formula, please don't try to feed them the mush, they usually don't like it and they can choke on it when they are weak.
face clothes, you will have to sacrifice these unless you wash them.  4 or 5 should be good.  You probably won't use them.  But keep them handy.
Eye dropper.  Syringes are not good to feed baby formula because it is easy for them to get to much and choke on it.  It could get inhaled and actually drown them.
Container for the mixed baby formula.  
Spoon for mixing baby formula.
Small cat carrier, plastic box with hole cut in, or container to place babies if you need to keep them warm.
If you notice that a baby is not being cleaned you will have to take a wash cloth and dampen it with warm water and wash it yourself.  Make sure the wash cloth is not to wet.  You might even still see a sack on them, just pinch it and remove it.  It's rolls off rather easy.  Be sure to clean their notrils.  You want to be sure they can breath.  If the baby seems rather weak, rub it some more with the wash cloth.  Not hard, just gently wipe him.  This seems to stimulate them and revive them a bit. Be sure you are holding them securly in a towel on your belly for warmth, or like I do, under my shirt.

Any baby that you feel that is not warm enough, you need to get them warm.  Don't let them go more than 10 minutes without getting them to a warm spot.  I use a heat rock under a towel and plug it in.  I place the towel in a box  (plastic is best) or a cat carrier.  The carrier works well because you can cover the cord with the towel and string the end out of the cage door so piggies are not able to chew on it.  If you use a plastic box,  you may have to tape the cord or cut a hole in it for the cord so the piggies can not chew it.  You can also hold the piggy under your shirt to keep it warm while you are setting it up, or have a helper to hold the baby.  You can also use a heating pad, but be sure it isn't to hot and you put plenty of padding on top to keep piggies from getting to hot or burnt.  I have also used a desk lamp.  Place above the box about 15 inches away.  Feel with your hand to be sure it is delivering enough heat.  Or you can use a small heater.  But be sure it is not to close and that the towels they are on do not feel hot.  I find that the heat rock works the best and has the right amount of heat under one layer of towel.

Once you have the baby warm, you can make the formula.  Use the side of the can for directions making sure you do not make up more than 1/2 cup at a time.  If you can figure out how to make just a few teaspoons, that would be great.  Use warm water or warm the formula in the container in a bowl of hot water.  Don't microwave, it get's to hot and changes the composition of the formula some.  Be sure the formula doesn't get to hot.  It only needs to feel a little warm.  Use the dropper and squeeze it to fill it up.  

Take the baby carefully in your lap with a towel wrapped around them.  Try to get the baby to face you so you can be careful and watch to be sure he doesn't choke on the formula.  Carefully place the dropper end to the baby.  Most piggies will readily suckle.  With some you have to place a little formula on your finger and touch their mouths and get a taste in before they will eat.  The baby should suckle at this point.  If not, have patience and try a few more times.  Some babies are slower learners and it just takes them a bit to figure out you are trying to feed them.  Only feed them if they feel warm.  They will not eat if they are cold.  If they are cold leave them in the box with the heat source until they start to feel warm.  Don't squeeze the dropper.  Allow them to suckle it out.  It helps them not to inhale formula.

In the first feeding they will take just a small amount.  Usually less than 2 ml.  Which is about 1 inch on a dropper.  If they take more, that is fine too.

After feeding, take a warm damp cloth and rub their belly and butt area.  Be sure you get all the poop out.  It may take a few stroke gently with the damp cloth.  Do this everytime you are finished feeding them.

Feed them every 3 hours at a minimum.  They may be hungry before that and wheek for food from you.  You only have to do this for 5 - 7 days.  Unless it's premie you may have to go a few days longer than that.  The time in between feedings will gradually lengthen has the pups get a few days older.  Babies will often get you trained and try to get you to feed them longer.  But the danger is over.  You should have pellets and fresh veggies available on the day they are born.  If you find your piggie is not eating, he may need a piggie teacher to teach him.  If you don't have one, you will have to be patient with him.

When you hand rear a pup, I find that the pup bonds with you very well.  So at least your hard work will pay off in a loving piggy who thinks you are mom.

If there are any questions, feel free to email me or instant message on Yahoo.  I am a night owl and am up usually until 3 a.m. most nights.

If anyone else has any clarifications, or other information out there that would help our new grandma's and grandpa's to be, please feel free to add to this.  I am not an expert.  This is what works for me.  Other's may have suggestions, or have experience in how to do something better.  Most of my experience with babies is saving the wild species of animals and rats.  Although, I found it to work with piggies too.

Please remember that if you breed, you take the chance of losing your babies and or your mother.  Most breeders realize the risk.  If you want to keep your piggy and don't want to risk them, please do not breed on purpose.  We all do understand about ooops piggers.  We know the males can be quite a studly bunch and very quick.

Good luck to all you expecting litters.  May you never need this infomation!

Darlene
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-kkat
www.geocities.com/abyssinianguineapigs