Difference between revisions of "Care for a Pregnant Guinea Pig"
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| − | Pregnancy is hard work for a female guinea pig. She may carry several pups, between one and six, and they're carried in the womb for 58 – 73 days.<ref>Handbook of Rodent and Rabbit Medicine. Laber-Laird, Swindle, & Flecknell. Publisher: Pergamon</ref>. There is a high maternal mortality rate for guinea pigs (about 20%) as they are vulnerable to complications and illnesses such as toxemia. Whilst guinea pigs should never be bred intentionally, coming home from the pet store with a guinea pig who is already pregnant is a common story. However, with the proper care this risk can be significantly reduced and your pregnant guinea pig can be kept in good health. | + | Pregnancy is hard work for a female guinea pig. She may carry several pups, between one and six, and they're carried in the womb for 58 – 73 days.<ref name="rf1">Handbook of Rodent and Rabbit Medicine. Laber-Laird, Swindle, & Flecknell. Publisher: Pergamon</ref>. There is a high maternal mortality rate for guinea pigs (about 20%) as they are vulnerable to complications and illnesses such as toxemia. Whilst guinea pigs should never be bred intentionally, coming home from the pet store with a guinea pig who is already pregnant is a common story. However, with the proper care this risk can be significantly reduced and your pregnant guinea pig can be kept in good health. |
[[Category:Guinea Pig Reproductive Health]] | [[Category:Guinea Pig Reproductive Health]] | ||
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*Be very careful if you need to hold or handle a pregnant guinea pig. Only hold her if absolutely necessary. Doing otherwise can cause pregnancy complications or miscarriage. | *Be very careful if you need to hold or handle a pregnant guinea pig. Only hold her if absolutely necessary. Doing otherwise can cause pregnancy complications or miscarriage. | ||
*A female may accidentally injure the babies by squashing them and babies are prone to escaping cages, so check up on them regularly. | *A female may accidentally injure the babies by squashing them and babies are prone to escaping cages, so check up on them regularly. | ||
| − | *Females can become pregnant immediately after giving birth so make sure that there are no males nearby.<ref>http://www.guinealynx.info/breeding.html</ref> Back-to-back pregnancies are nearly always fatal. | + | *Females can become pregnant immediately after giving birth so make sure that there are no males nearby.<ref name="rf2">http://www.guinealynx.info/breeding.html</ref> Back-to-back pregnancies are nearly always fatal. |
| − | *The guinea pig may die during or after pregnancy due to complications during pregnancy or birth, or from toxemia after birth. This is a common occurrence; roughly 1 in 5 guinea pigs will die as a direct result of pregnancy or birth.<ref | + | *The guinea pig may die during or after pregnancy due to complications during pregnancy or birth, or from toxemia after birth. This is a common occurrence; roughly 1 in 5 guinea pigs will die as a direct result of pregnancy or birth.<ref name="rf2" /> |
== Related Articles == | == Related Articles == | ||
