Baby guinea pig: how to take good care of it?

Baby guinea pig: how to take good care of it?

We always ask ourselves a lot of questions before welcoming a litter of baby guinea pigs. As a general rule, nature is well done, and newborn guinea pigs should not be separated from their mother for at least three weeks, she will provide for them. However, you can help him by following the tips below.

Housing

First, choose the largest possible cage. Guinea pigs appreciate space, and they are sad in the petty crates that are too often found in the store.

The bars of the cage should not be too far apart to present a potential escape hazard. The water bottle should be lowered so that the baby can easily reach and sip on the suction tube of the bottle.

The cage should not be exposed to direct sunlight or near drafts. Cage litter should be cleaned more frequently – at least twice a week, or when it is obvious that it needs cleaning. Dirty cage litter is a potential health hazard, and young pigs are even more susceptible to certain diseases and illnesses.

Guinea pigs are very sensitive to loud noises, so provide a calm environment for your baby guinea pigs, at least for the first few weeks of their life. Constant exposure to loud noise could cause them to become stressed and continued stress could lead to serious health problems. Make sure to provide them with extra shelter in the cage, or a hiding place (igloo, small wooden box, anything will do). This “safe house” will make them feel more secure.

Do not fill a cage with too many toys because there will be too little space available for babies to walk around. Remember, guinea pigs appreciate space. The toys will simply encourage them to exercise their sporting expertise.

Additionally, “hamster wheels” are not recommended for guinea pigs as they could injure themselves with their tiny legs. They are not as agile as hamsters and mice.

You can put large plastic balls (make sure they are not toxic), the size of a tennis ball, it will get them very excited. Provided that this cannot block the passages in the cage.

The baby guinea pig diet

Newborn guinea pigs weigh only 100 grams but they grow quickly. They are born with teeth, claws, and fur, and can open their eyes after birth. They can also start walking from birth.

The first six months of your guinea pig’s life are crucial for their long-term health. At this primary stage in their growth, a guinea pig continuously undergoes physical changes. Their diet must take into account their growth.

Fresh hay and water are essential foods in these early days. Baby guinea pigs need protein, so give them pellets and dry alfalfa grass. Your baby guinea pigs will stop drinking breast milk when they are three weeks old. You may want to consider adding a small serving of fresh vegetables at this point.

Make sure your baby guinea pigs are adopting good eating habits. For example, excess of sweet vegetables like carrots or iceberg lettuce will lead to health problems.

You have to offer hay as the main food in their diet, to replicate what they would eat in the wild. Offering fresh grass to guinea pigs as a staple food is not possible. Hay (dry grass) replaces grass. Your guinea pigs can snack on it all day.

Guinea pigs find pleasure in eating fresh fruits, vegetables and pellets. But these foods should be given to them in small amounts, as too many vegetables can upset their stomachs.

While the pellets are no longer mandatory for guinea pigs once they reach adulthood, they are essential for babies and young guinea pigs, as the pellets are rich in vitamins and minerals which are most needed at an early age. than at an older age. They are also high in calories. Thus, as guinea pigs age, the proportion of pellets should be reduced in their diet. Don’t worry if your guinea pigs refuse to eat the pellets.

Drinking water is also vital for guinea pigs. They need to be able to drink fresh water quickly, provide them with clean water in a bowl, or attach a bottle to their cage.

Handle them to socialize them

In order to be more comfortable with human interaction, you should handle your young guinea pigs quite often. Before touching them, wash your hands well. This not only helps eliminate bacteria, but also eliminates odors from other objects or animals that can stress babies. Once they’re clean, rub your hands in clean, fresh hay and the mother guinea pig’s fur to scent your hands.

Make slow and gentle movements, speak in a calm and soft voice. However, don’t keep them away from their mother for too long (if there is a mother). Do not attempt to handle a baby guinea pig while sleeping or nursing.

The quickest way to build trust between you and your guinea pig is often through the stomach: bribe your guinea pig with food and treats.

How do you know if the mother is taking good care of it?

Unless the mother guinea pig is sadly deceased, there is a good chance that she will be feeding her babies well. Mother guinea pigs don’t constantly care for their babies as you might think, but only a few times a day and then leave them on their own.

Before intervening, you must be 100% sure that the mother guinea pig is not feeding her babies. If you think she’s “ignoring” her litter, take a look at the babies’ condition. If babies’ bellies are round and full, they are active and shiny, warm and chatty, making little noises, then the mother guinea pig is probably feeding them.

If babies are cold, lethargic, or have a shrunken tummy, you may need to intervene. It is a good idea to weigh babies daily to make sure they are growing and gaining weight appropriately.

In this case, to feed them, use nothing other than specific milk, and especially no cow’s milk or other, because the compositions differ. Likewise, use suitable pacifiers.

  • Step 1: Make sure all your syringes and vials have been washed thoroughly before use;
  • Stage 2: Baby guinea pigs are restless and unpredictable. They jump suddenly and unexpectedly. A fall of only 20 or 30 cm can be fatal, so make sure they are dropped off and kept in a safe environment;
  • Step 3: Hold the baby in his normal sitting position in one hand and the bottle / syringe in the other. Otherwise, have the baby guinea pig sit (safely) on the floor or on a table and feed it with the bottle / syringe slightly vertically in front;
  • Stage 4: Babies are often reluctant to feed at first and you must overcome the temptation to force-feed them. If the baby does not accept the pacifier or syringe, wet the baby’s lips with a drop of warm formula to lick them. Once he swallows this, repeat the process over and over again. Be persistent and gentle. The baby will soon learn the time to feed and will usually learn to take formula voluntarily even if he does not do so during the first feeding;
  • Step 5: Don’t be too forceful and don’t apply too much formula in the baby guinea pig’s mouth. They can inhale milk quite easily into the lungs, so let the formula flow slowly for the baby to lick it off instead;
  • Step 6: If the baby catches the pacifier and begins to suckle, let it do so without adding pressure yourself. The baby should be able to suckle with enough force to empty the bottle or syringe without any help from you. If you provide extra strength, the baby may accidentally suck in a formula that arrives too quickly;
  • Step 7: If the babies are not sucking, it is not a major problem. Most will learn to ride or sip from the tip of the nipple, which is safer to reduce the risk of aspiration. Try to hold the nipple or syringe tip to the side or down, relative to the mouth, to further reduce the risk of aspiration.

The withdrawal

If you are planning to separate them from their mother, then refrain from doing so until they are six weeks old as they need their mom’s warmth and comfort for a long time.

The sex of baby guinea pigs cannot be known at birth, you will have to wait until they are mature enough. Do not try to press on his abdomen to search for the genitals, as you may hurt them.

Male guinea pigs become sexually active around 3 weeks of age. If you want to avoid potential new pregnancies, separate your guinea pigs by sex before week 4. For optimal social development, it is recommended to put together a young guinea pig with an older guinea pig of the same sex.

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