I have 2 female guinea pigs that both had 3 babies each a few days ago, Ellie is an exellent mother, as she is very patient and gentle with her babies but Maggie wont let hers have any milk, and when her babies try to get milk, she just runs away and when she does let them, they only get to have about 10 seconds then she gets up. is this a serious problem for the babies? and should i put Maggies babies with the other mother?
cathy crosby says:
June 17th, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Congratulations on your new litters! Do the moms get along? Often I will put to moms with new litters together and let them tag team. They can learn from each other and the pups will nurse off of any mom. There are times when one of the moms takes over care of all the pups and the other mom just goes about her day doing what she wants. If the pups get a few days of milk they can do alright but if you have to option to put them with another mom that would probably be a better choice. Also, you might check to see if the reluctant mom is producing any milk. if you pick her up and gently squeeze and roll the teat between your index finger and thumb, you should see a little drop of milk. Also her breasts should be big and puffy. If she's not making milk, there are other things you can try to help. Let me know if you want to try andI can suggest some things she might like.
Bev says:
June 19th, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Thank you for your advice, but the two mothers dont get along at all, they're always fighting so i have to keep them apart. She is producing milk but she just cant seem to settle down with her babies. I have tried them with cows milk but i have heard that it is no good for them. They are eating guinea pig pellets and vegetables, but i am worried that they are not getting the right nutrients from their mothers milk.
cathy crosby says:
June 22nd, 2009 at 01:12 PM
Hi Bev- I've been away from my computer for a few days. I'm sorry I didn't get your response sooner. You can use infant soy formula for humans. Just dilute it the same way as for a baby with warm water. If you place a drop or two in their mouths, they will usually take to it really quickly. Then you just hang a water bottle with the formula in it, on the cage. It isn't bad for momma to drink and they usually help themselves too. MAke sure you provide a lot of loose hay. Usually after about a week they will learn to drink water from the bottle. They don't need a lot of help from mom in most cases. If they look healthy and are running around they're probably fine. If you pick up a baby and it starts chewing and biting at your hand, then that pup is in trouble and needs some help fast. They do that when they are desperate. But like I said, it has been over a week and if your pups seem active and perky, they are most likely fine. I have heard of people taking pups away from mom VERY early (I don't in anyway recommend this). They wean the pups within a week and they go through a period of reduced growth rate, but catch up quickly after they get going on pellets. If yours are eating pellets and veggies you should be already out of the woods. Don't worry...take a deep breath! They will let you know if they are not ok, if you observe their behavior. BTW, aren't guinea pig pups the cutest??? ;)
Bev says:
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:23 AM
thank you for your advice, they seem fine now and are very lively! yep, they are the cutest things ever! I am thinking of getting new homes for the males when they are 4 weeks old (as they mature very quickly) and getting new homes for the females at 5 weeks old. Are these ages ok? or would it be too early to seperate them from their mom at these ages?
cathy crosby says:
June 24th, 2009 at 11:09 AM
Oh that's great! Your time table sounds good to me. The only thing is, do keep an eye on the boys. When they start to do their little rumblestrut (purring and swaying back and forth) it will be time to take them from momma. It can be as early as 3 weeks depending on their maturity, but for sure by 4 weeks. The girls can hang out with mom as long as necessary but generally 4-5 weeks is fine. They really don't need their mothers as long as we (or they) think they do. Also keep an eye on mompig when weaning the pups to make sure she doesnt get mastitis. It would look like an abscess on one side and usually needs an antibiotic from the vet. Glad everyone is healthy. Good luck with them.
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