Pamnock I have an emergency!!!!Please answer fast LIfe or Death

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dmmcnair

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Pam apparently our guinea pig waspregnant. She gave birth to two babies, one dead the otherbarely hanging on. She won't feed it. I don't knowwhat to do!!! I wasn't prepared....apparently Susan, who died, was aboy!!!! Help!!!
 
dmmcnair,

A supplement will be needed if she does orphan the babies. In thecabinet now, baby oatmeal, if you have it until you can get a propersupplement tomorrow or from Pamnock's advice? You might try a search onthe web for a cavy forum. I'll contact Pamnock now and tell her aboutyour post.

* * * * * * * *


This is from a book in my collection, "The Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents"

* * * * * *
GUINEA PIGS:

If the sow abandons the young before they are a week old, or if theyoung are weaned early, mortality may be high. Problems with earchewing and trampling are reduced if the young and sow are removed to anursery before or soon after birth.

Because the young will begin eating solid food during the first fewdays postpartum, hand rearing is not difficult as with the atricialspecies, e.g., rats, mice, and rabbits. One should not attempt toforce-feed newborn orphaned guinea pigs during the first few hours oflife because the neonates will not be hungry until 12 to 24 hours ofage. Young guinea pigs can attach to nipples on Day 1 and during thefirst week, more time is spent nursing in the light. The sow remainsimmobile during the first few minutes of nursing.

* * * * * *

-Carolyn
 
More from the book mentioned above:

* * * * * * * * * *

Auditory signals and other cues may elicit licking by the sow. Duringthe first few days, the neonates may feed guinea pig chow softened withwater or cow's milk. Young that do not receive sow's milk during thefirst 3 or 4 days of life often do not survive. If given theopportunity, the young will nurse mothers other than their own, oftento the detriment of their smaller cagemates. Milk supply does notincrease with demand. Neonates imprint with specific feeds within a fewdays, and this impression of what is food and not food persistsstubbornly into adulthood.

Guinea pig milk contains approximately 4% fat, 8% protein, and 3%lactose. Milk production peaks between days 5 and 8, then ceases atapproximately 18-30 days, and the young are weaned at 14-28 days orbetween 1500 and 200 grams.

The Biology of Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents, Fourth Edition by John E. Harkness and Joseph E. Wagner

* * * * * * * * *

-Carolyn
 
Thanks Ladies,

I'm not real hopeful for the baby. It just laysthere. I am assuming the babies were born this morning and Ididn't see them in Madi's house. :?The baby is justlaying there....barely moving at all. Madi is at this momentlaying on the baby. I don't want to separate them yet, asMadi might come around. It is so hard to make any kind ofdecision when I don't know when they were born!!!

I am so upset, at myself, at the pet store. Either Susan wasa boy, or Madi was pregnant when I got her. No I don't thinkcavies are pregnant that long, but I'm not sure.

Well anyway, thanks. We will see. I will let you all know the outcome.

Dawn
 


Dear Dawn,

I'm not giving up hope on the little one yet. If she had them duringthe night or this morning, it might not be time yet for the baby toeat. 12 to 24 hours it said it takes. You might be able to attach thebaby onto the Mother's nipple tomorrow morning. Just see how it goes.If that doesn't work, you can contact a vet or a rehabber and look upthe page on the net that Pamnock suggested and go from there.

The best you can do at this point is to protect the baby fromthe sow crushing it, try to keep them both comfortable and calm, andsee what the morning brings.

Keep us posted. I'll say a prayer.

:)

-Carolyn
 
We'll keep hoping for the best. Caviesreach sexual maturity at an early age (sows as early as 4 weeks, andboars later at about 10 weeks). Cavies have a long gestationof approximately 70 days.

Pam
 
Well....the baby just passed away.

It is, as I'm typing this laying on my desk...I know, why don't I buryit...I just keep hoping for a miracle, even though, logically, I knowthat is not going to happen.

I was doing some research online and found that the baby probably wouldnot have survived no matter what I did, because it was just layingthere the site said it was already dying, and there would be nothing tobe done. Either she had them prematurely, or in my ignoranceI hurt them when handling Madi.

Apparently Madi knew, that's why she wasn't doing anything.She is fine, but seems depressed...she is actually letting me pet herand hold her, that tells me she's depressed. First herboyfriend dies and then her babies...I feel rotten. My hubbysays I didn't know, but I should have. I took the pet store'sword that both were girls. I should have sexedthem. Yes I am beating myself up. I did the samewhen my dog gave birth and lost a pup because I had to leave for anappointment.

Carolyn,

Thank you for your kind words, I just wish that there had been something I could do. You are such a great person.

Pam,

Thank you too. You are such a great person too. I know that Ican count on ya'll for advise and words of encouragement.

I don't know if I will get her another friend. I might, but Iwill have to be extra careful about sexing. I'm not sure if Iwill breed her, on purpose this time. Now that she has beenbred, she can breed with little difficulty again, but I just don't knowif I can do this...they were beautiful. The daddy, Susan washis name, was black and white; and Madi is brown and white; the babieswere tri-colored. They aren't like kits, they have all theirhair and their eyes are open and they can eat solid food the day afterthey are born. At least if I do decide to breed Madi, I willbe better informed, and I will know when she got pregnant....Kindamakes me think harder about breeding the Flemish Giants...Although Ithink that buns are more easily watched and it is easier to know whenthey got pregnant...If I'd just known she was pregnant...I didn't eversee them mate!

My hubby just doesn't understand...he doesn't get as attached to thebuns and cavies like I do...Sad thing is the cavies were my son'sidea. I didn't want them....but look who's caring for them.

Anyway, I gotta bury the baby and check on Madi. Thanks again. :)

Dawn


 
This is such a sad story. I'm verysorry that you had to go through all of this. This was notyour fault...not anyone's. I'm just so sorry thishappened. Poor Madi. I have comfort knowing thatshe has you to help her feel better soon. Both of you takecare.

-Carrie
 
I was saddened this morning to see the news thatthe other little one died :( Please don't blame yourself inthinking that handling Madi did damage to the kits -- normal handlingwill not hurt mama or the babies. In most cases, a geneticabnormality is the cause of death in newborns, and the baby most likelyhad organ defects.

I am so sorry for the loss,

Pam
 
Dawn,

I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your babies. I've bredand raised Guinea Pigs since 1982 and this is so sad to hear.

I don't know how many Guinea Pigs you have, but if you ever haveanother litter you can pick the pups up right away and the Mother willnever reject them or harm them. In fact it is true they willnurse each others babies.

I keep more than one sow together at a time while they are expecting as the sows help each other out with the pups.

Again I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. I do agree if thepup wasn't moving very much I doubt youcould havesaved it. I know how helpless that makes you feel, but reallyyou did the best you could.

Annette
 
Thanks for all the kind words. Madi isdoing her weird hiding and moving her house to the water bottle for adrink again. She started doing that when Susan died (goshshould I call him something different since he was actually aboy?) I thought she went a little wacky because hedied! I guess it was a combination of that plus beingpregnant.

I know there isn't anything I could do for the baby, but you know, itwas a baby. My hubby had to take them this morning to disposeof the babies far away. If we had buring them anywhere closethe dogs would have dug them up :(.

I'm still wondering about getting another friend for Madi. Iam building Ella and Ozzy new cages (again) and I am thinking aboutbuilding Madi a nice enclosure and putting her in the same room as Ellaand Ozzy.

Thanks again. We are still sad, but feeling better.I'm sure the babies are romping and squeaking in piggy heaven.

Dawn
 
Oh, Dawn,

I just picked up this post. To think that youdidn't expect them and the surprise would've been 'inconvenient' as youweren't prepared for two more babies, but you opened up your heart andhome to them and loved them. I'm sosorry. Once you love another, no matter how longyou had them, it's always hard to say 'good-bye'.

My thoughts are with you and yours.



-Carolyn

angels.jpg




 
Carolyn, that was so sweet it brought tears to myeyes. But rest assured they are tears of gratitude. It does myheart good that I can come on here and share my woes and have peopleunderstand and empathize with me. My friends and my hubbyreally don't understand how I could have fallen in love with my rabbitsand the guinea pigs. What can I say, if I could the whole 50acres would be full of animals! Horses, donkeys, dogs, cats,buns, guinea pigs....

I sure hope my father-in-law doesn't put exotics

(antelopes and such)on the property...I'll name them and that will be the end of it!

Thanks toeveryone!!!

Dawn
 
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