Anyone know how to tell how far along a guinea pig is in gestation?

Question

I rescued a pig that turned up preggers and now I'm trying to figure out when she might give birth.

Answer 1

The female is pregnant (called gestation) for anywhere between about 66 - 72 days - so approx 2 and a half months.The size of the litter can vary from 1 to about 6. The best size you could hope for is about 3 medium sized babies. If the litter is very small - say 1 or 2 babies they will probably be very large and the mother could have problems giving birth to them. If there are a lot of babies, say 6, then they will probably be very small and not very strong, the babies may not thrive.The birth will most likely take place at night or when you're not looking, and be all over by the time you wake up to find little hairy piggies running around. There are not usually complications. The birth will not usually take longer than approx. 30 mins with about 4/5 mins between babies. Bear in mind that the mother will come into season again a few hours after giving birth so make sure you separate the father or any other male pigs that may have access to her. To allow her to become pregant again without at least a good few months rest to regain her optimum health would be irresponsible.Important Note: Don't forget that if you have male babies they are capable of breeding with their mother & sisters at about 4 weeks of age so make sure you separate the males from the females at 4 weeks. For the same reason be careful with the father, don't let him have access to the mother after birth or to the daughters after they are a few weeks old.

The gestation period for Guinea Pigs is 62 to 70 days. The greater the number of babies the mother is carrying, the shorter the pregnancy. Most pregnancy are non problematic. Guinea Pigs are more prone to heat related death in the latter stages of pregnancy. They have been known to abort the fetus's if an alarming incident occurs. If you must pick up a GP who is pregnant, be sure and securely support her hind quarters.

No changes are visible in appearance or behavior during the first four weeks. The last two to three weeks, the mother to be will become quite "plump." This is expected as the babies will comprise more than half of her body weight. You can see the movement of and feel the babies during the last two weeks. If you are positive that the Guinea Pig you are caring for is pregnant, you will want to feed her alfalfa hay instead of Timothy to give her a bit more protein and calcium. It has also been observed that fiber may contribute to preventing hair thinning, a common occurrence in late pregnancy, so the hay becomes very important. In addition, she will twice as much vitamin C to prevent toxemia.
The Birth
Mothers rarely need any help unless they are older and this is their first pregnancy. The hip bones grow closer together with age, unless she gives birth. Any Guinea Pig over six months of age is at great risk if she becomes pregnant. If you have a GP whom you suspect to be pregnant, taking her to a Vet to determine the expected birth date and arranging for a cesarian will save her life. One clue as to the date of the up coming birth is that the babies will be seen moving three weeks prior to their emergence.

The birth process under normal circumstances usually takes place in the daytime and lasts for a maximum of 20 minutes. The first baby should appear after 5 minutes of labor. The time between the birth of each of the babies is between 3 and 5 minutes. Guinea Pigs will usually give birth to 2 to 3 babies. Sometimes only 1 will be born and on the rare occasion a Guinea Pig may have up to 8. If the labor extends longer, be prepared to rush her to the Vet. She could die of exhaustion. She will remain sitting while the babies emerge underneath, head first. She will pull the ambiotic sac with her teeth by reaching between her legs. As the babies appear she will clean them off as they appear. When all have been born, a bit of blood and the placenta will appear. She will eat the latter.
Nesting
The Mother will not build a nest prior to the birth. You will want to separate her from any other GP's to avert any mishap and make sure she has a clean place to take care of her young. Give her some extra soft bedding, certainly not alfalfa hay which is quite scratchy. Care Fresh is very good bedding for young GP's.

emale guinea pigs can be sexually mature as early as 4 weeks old. Gestation is from 59 to 73 days and average litter size is 1-4 but can be as many as 7 or more.

Breeding guinea pigs is not recommended.

Not only is it risky, it is difficult to find homes for the young with responsible and caring people -- your candidates may "disappear" when the time comes to adopt out the babies.

Guinea pig sows are at risk of pregnancy complications because the babies are born large and ready to run. Breeding after 8 months of age can be fatal for a guinea pig who has not had a previous litter due to dystocia. The symphysis (a joint of tough fibrous cartilage which firmly joins the 2 pubic bones) can stiffen upon reaching adulthood and she may not be able to deliver her pups unaided. Sows with dystocia usually need a caesarian section. The survival rate is very poor.

Spaying or neutering guinea pigs also carries risks even when performed by an experienced guinea pig veterinarian. The safest choice is to keep the sexes separate or have only sows or boars.

Should you find yourself with a pregnant guinea pig, read over the advice and links on the Reproduction Section. Since most sows will have an estrus (a time when they can become pregnant) from 2 to 15 hours immediately after giving birth, remove any boar from the cage as the delivery date approaches to prevent back-to-back pregnancies.
Breeding Your Pet Guinea Pig -- Advice For Pet Lovers
Make no mistake: every pregnancy carries significant risks.

When I was first researching guinea pigs to see if they would make a good pet for my daughter, I found only one friend who'd ever had guinea pigs in her home. Her daughter had a single sow she loved and cared for. This sow was bred to a friend's boar. The birth was uneventful, the pups a joy. She bred her a second time with tragic consequences, losing the sow and all the pups and leaving her daughter devastated. Similar stories are repeated over and over again. But the ending is the same. Will the next sad story be yours?

Death is something breeders get used to. One ARBA judge estimates that complications from breeding will kill one in 5 sows (see Cavy Spirit). Guinea pig sows are especially at risk because the babies are born large, fully furred, and ready to run. The mother generally carries several pups and her weight may double, putting stress on her circulation system and other organs. Even with the best care, sows can suffer from dystocia, hypocalcemia, a prolapsed uterus, or pregnancy toxemia.

"What about the pups?"
If you are not concerned for your sow, consider the lives of the pups. If the mother dies, will you have the time to hand rear the pups? Not only is breeding risky, it is difficult to find homes for the young with responsible and caring people -- your candidates may "disappear" when the time comes to adopt out the babies. What if it is a large litter of 6 or 7? Who will care for them? Will you take responsibility for their health and well being? Can you afford the cost of food, shelter and medical care? What if the pigs you breed carry defective genes and your pups are born with congenital problems? Mis-sexing a pair of pigs meant unexpected pups with heart problems (See: SusieQ's story). Do you have space for additional cages? Will they be dumped on a pet store or overburdened rescue? There are far too many guinea pigs and far too few good homes. Given the large number of guinea pigs already needing homes, the responsible pet owner will not add to the population.

Breeders
So you say you're going to be a "responsible breeder"? Read Josephine's "The Responsible Breeder" at Cavy Spirit to see how you compare. Some breeders cannot reconcile the fact that their choice to breed results in the deaths of sows and their young, and finally stop breeding and showing altogether.

"Accidents"
Pet lovers and breeding simply don't mix. But sometimes accidents happen. Two guinea pigs guaranteed to be "of the same sex" are anything but. Your babysitter accidentally mixes your carefully separated animals. Or you buy a pregnant pig from a pet store. Too frequently, pet stores mix sexes and the unwary customer may take home a pregnant female. Perhaps you are fostering a pregnant rescue pig. In any case, you do the best you can, provide good nutrition, separate the sexes and prepare for the birth. Young cavies can have successful pregnancies, but it is never recommended. The advice on this page is here to help those whose pigs are pregnant through no fault of their own.

Our Responsibility
Because guinea pigs rely on us completely for their care and housing, we can control their reproductive lives and make a conscious choice to be a responsible pet owner. We are fortunate that our guinea pigs are not unspayed cats or dogs, free to run through the neighborhood and become pregnant through our inaction. For the health and well-being of your or your child's beloved pet, do not breed.

Answer 2

pregnancy in a guinea pig is around 10 wks, the only only sign i can think of to determine how long she has left is by gently sitting her on a cushion on your knee and placing your hands palm up just under her sides if you can feel any kicking movement than she has about four weeks left to go. Try not to handle her much if she is pregnant as she will want to be left to lay about and the obvious risk to the babies. I would imagine she is also getting a very pearshaped appearance and you can't really go off this for a expected delivery date as her size will depend on the size of the babies or litter although a first litter is usually small in number. Up her vit c until birth to give her and the babies extra. hope this helps.

Answer 3

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND GENERAL DATA FOR GUINEA PIGS

Breeding season no definite season

Estrous cycle 16 ½ days (range of 16 to 19 days)
(time between "heat" cycles)

Estrous duration 6 to 11 hours
(how long in heat each time)

Gestation period 63 days (range of 59 to 72)
Birth weight 70 - 100 grams
Litter size 2 to 5
Weaning weight 150-200 grams (14-21 days)
Male breeding age 3 to 4 months
Female breeding age 2 to 3 months
Adult Male weight 1000 to 1200 grams
Adult female weight 850 to 900 grams
Male reproductive life span 4 years
Female reproductive life span 1.5 to 4 years (4-5 litters)
Body temperature 39.1'C (range of 38.4 to 39.8)
Diploid number 64 (# of Chromosomes)
Respiration rate 90 per minute
Food consumption 6 grams of feed/100 grams of body weight/day
Water consumption 10 ml/100 grams of body weight/day
GI transit time 13-30 hours
Heart rate 280 (range 260 to 400)


www.fau.edu/research/ovs/VetData/guineapig.php

Answer 4

http://theguineapigpalace.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/when-will-my-pregnant-guinea-pig-have.html
This always helps me :)