guinea pigs baby
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How to Care For Baby Guinea Pigs
Special Cage Requirements for Pregnant Mothers and Babies
Pregnancy can be really exhausting and stressful for the expecting mother. It is a good idea to move her to her own cage once she has become obviously pregnant or is showing signs of stress. No matter what, make sure there are no males present in the birthing cage as the mother will become fertile almost immediately following birth.
Most guinea pig cages are built with adult sized guinea pigs in mind. Babies are small enough to escape through the standard 1.5in x 1.5in grids in the average C&C cage. An escaped guinea pig baby is at risk or injury or even death. As the pigs get larger there will also be a risk of strangulation or injury if they stick their heads through the holes in the grid and get stuck. To prevent this you will want to line the interior cage walls (starting from the floor level) with about a foot of either cardboard or coroplast all around or you can double layer the cage grids and place a layer of cardboard in between. This extra layer can later be removed once the guinea pigs are large enough that there is no chance their heads will fit through the bars. Usually at around four to six months of age.
Right After Birth
Weigh each baby as well as the mother every day. Why is this? By weighing your guinea pigs you can spot health problems before they become serious. Sometimes one of the babies in the litter will experience what is called “failure to thrive” – essentially not growing as well as the others. Sometimes this is caused by just not getting enough milk. You can solve this problem by giving the smaller baby extra time alone with the mother.
Mothers can also have serious complications (infections, etc) after the birth of their litter.These conditions will likely require early intervention by a veterinarian to prevent them from becoming life threatening. Any kind of odd fluctuation in weight is a good early indicator.
Good sample weights here.
Can I Handle the Babies?
Yes, your scent will not cause the mother to abandon the babies.
Special Food Requirements
Look for alfalfa based pellets – these are great for growing babies and pregnant mothers. Check the nutrition labeling for adequate levels of vitamin C. As always avoid animal products, unnecessary sugars and fats, as well as seeds and nuts. Oxbow is generally a good reliable high quality brand.
What to Do If the Mother Dies or Refuses to Nurse?
You will then need to hand feed the guinea pig babies yourself. You will want a small needless syringe for this as well as a product like OxBow Critical Care. If you cannot get critical care try soaking pellets in water and then pureeing into a liquid product. Adding a little bit of something sweet can encourage the babies to eat it – think baby food aisle at the grocery store, something like squash, carrots, or applesauce. Feed in small amounts every couple hours. Also hand feed the babies water at this time as well. Just be sure not to be too aggressive with your feeding as the babies can either choke or inhale the food.
Don’t forget – No animal products. This means no cow’s milk!
Keep portion of normal guinea pig food out so the babies can snack a little as they become able. This will help transition them from a dependency on you and your syringe.
Important – After feeding use a warm wet wash cloth to wipe each baby’s genitals a few times. This is a signal to the baby to pass waste.
When Do I Need to Separate the Males and Females?
Ideally at three weeks. If a male puppy is not thriving, go ahead and leave him with the mother for another week. The male puppies can then be moved into a cage with the father provided he is not dangerously unwelcoming.
Photo by the_beekeeper001
Photo by wstryder
Photo by wstryder
Photo by iLoveButter
