Keeping male and female guinea pigs together is the first step in breeding. After they have been together for a while, you may wonder if your woman is pregnant.
Below is a guide on how to determine if a guinea pig is pregnant. Also, learn how to care for a pregnant guinea pig, the gestation period, and the average amount of eggs. Get all the information you need to take care of your hairy friend.
When Do Guinea Pigs Reach Sexual Maturity?
Male and female guinea pigs reach sexual maturity at different times. Guinea pigs reach sexual maturity at three months of age, while female guinea pigs reach sexual maturity at two months of age.
It is important to know when guinea pigs reach sexual maturity. This allows owners to separate male and female guinea pigs that they do not want to breed.
What are the Signs of Pregnancy in Guinea Pigs?
Now that we’ve answered some basic guinea pig pregnancy questions, we’re going to go through the signs of pregnancy in guinea pigs. Early on, there aren’t many, but if you know your piggy’s habits well, you might be able to tell.
Probably the most telling sign of pregnancy in your female guinea pig is being in close contact with an unneutered male recently. 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. This means that males must be separated from females until the procedure can be done. You'd better prepare two large wooden small animal cages for them.
Eating More and Drinking More
Of course, weight gain happens when your guinea pig eats more. This may be one of your first indicators of pregnancy. If you give your piggy a varied diet of pellets, fruits, and veggies, she may favor the vitamin C-rich ones while pregnant, as they need more of this nutrient during this time.
A large appetite in female guinea pigs is a sign of pregnancy. She is increasing her food intake to support the baby guinea pigs growing inside her. As a woman's pregnancy progresses, she may eat three times the amount of food she would have eaten when she was not pregnant.
Another sign of pregnancy is drinking more water. You may notice that you have to refill the water bottle more often than usual, and this could mean little ones are on the way.
Take care that your guinea pig doesn’t eat too much and gain too much weight during pregnancy. Toxaemia is common in guinea pig pregnancies, and overweight sows are more at risk. This can happen in first and second pregnancies.
Gain Weight
Weight gain is another sign of pregnancy in guinea pigs. You can monitor your guinea pig's weight by keeping it on a small kitchen scale. If the top of the scale is flat, place a thin cloth over the top so the guinea pig feels safe to stand there. Hold onto your pet to prevent it from falling. Record his weight every week to see if it increases gradually.
A quick way to check your guinea pig's size is to look down at her as she moves around the cage. A pregnant guinea pig's sides will curve outward. They will continue to grow as her pregnancy progresses. If you don't see any changes, compare the woman you might be pregnant with to another woman who isn't pregnant. Pregnant females tend to have more bent sides than non-pregnant guinea pigs.
If you want to document your pet's pregnancy, take a picture of it every day. In this way, you can see your collection of photos when she gives birth to see how she has changed during pregnancy.
Pay attention to your pet's every move. A pregnant guinea pig may walk or run a little awkwardly to get used to the new weight on her. You can see him jumping or avoiding popcorn. This will be more obvious if she was a very active woman before pregnancy.
You can Feel the Baby by Touching Its Stomach
If your guinea pig allows you to touch him, use your fingers to lightly probe his sides and belly. Avoid putting any pressure on his body. If you feel a lump under your finger, it is a sign that the woman is pregnant.
If she feels movement in addition to the tone, it is a clear sign that she is pregnant. Remember, not all pregnant guinea pigs want to touch. So if she runs, hides, or gnaws on your hands that enter the cage, remove them immediately.
A change in behavior is another sign of pregnancy. Pregnant women may not be as playful or social as they were before pregnancy. She was tired and was concentrating on feeding the baby instead of playing.
A veterinarian can give a definitive answer as to whether a guinea pig is pregnant. The veterinarian will do a quick physical examination and listen to the guinea pig's abdomen with a stethoscope. The owner can also get some information on the timing of her pregnancy from the vet.
Keep in mind that a boar can get a female (also known as a sow) pregnant even after being neutered. This is because they can still be fertile for a few weeks after the surgery.