Urgent!! How long after contractions will a guinea pig give birth?

Question

My guinea pig just started having contractions about 10 min ago and I and going to record the birth on my camera, I am wondering about how long after the contractions start will the actual birth begin? Also if she starts having problems like maybe one gets stuck what should I do? Should I help her by giving the baby a little pull with the contractions?

This is my first ever experance with guinea pigs giving birth so I am at a loss for information. Any information that is true would be helpful. Thank you very much.

Answer 1

just watch if mum can't get the sac off one do it immediately or baby Will die (no air)

Answer 2

Maybe you should have researched this before letting her get pregnant.

Anyway, it's like human contractions. It's shorter the closer she is to giving birth. And no, don't pull the babies. Mum will do all the work.

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Sorry I snapped. I'm just used to people on here breeding and having no idea what to do. We had a piggy give birth at work- in a pet shop- and the babies are sweeties. Generally, animals don't need help with pushing the babies out. If you see the baby 'half out', it's going to come all the way out with the force of the contractions.

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This is just from my experience. You should probably google 'guinea pig labour' to see if there's any issues where you SHOULD pull the babies or help her out.

Answer 3

she just needs leaving alone, she will be in a little paint but theres nothing you can do, you just need to watch out for any still births but you should really have researched before

Answer 4

When guinea pigs get pregnant and they are over the age of 1 year,it is a very serious matter.At one year of age ,if they've never been with a male before,their pubic bones fuse and most likely will never get the babies out.They die horribley.I'm sorry to have to tell you this,but it's the truth.

Usually guinea pigs give birth easily and quickly.

The mother will die and all the babies if you do not get her to a vet in time.And even then there is a great risk she will die.

chesk out   Dystocia in guinea pigs

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ask-Veterinar...

Or read this:Breeding after 8 months of age can be fatal for a guinea pig that has not had a previous litter due to dystocia. The symphysis (a joint of tough fibrous cartilage which firmly joins the 2 pubic bones) becomes less flexible upon reaching adulthood and may not separate fully, making delivery difficult.

     Harkness and Wagner in The Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents describe how the pubic symphsis begins to separate late in the pregnancy due to the hormone relaxin. About 48 hours before birth, you may be able to feel a gap of 15mm or so. At birth it can increase to 2.5 cm (1-1.5"). "If the first breeding is delayed past 7 or 8 months, the symphysis separates less easily, and fat pads occlude the pelvic canal. Such impediments may lead to dystocia and death, especially when small litters of large young are involved)."

Sows with dystocia usually need a caesarian section. The survival rate is very poor. Spaying or neutering guinea pigs also carries risks even when performed by an experienced guinea pig veterinarian. The safest choice is to keep the sexes separate or have only sows or boars. Sows who become pregnant at an older age can sometimes deliver successfully but because of the added risks, pregnancies should be avoided. All pregnancies carry risk.

If your older sow has become pregnant, the safest course is to allow the pregnancy to procede normally but line up an experienced vet in case there are complications. Another alternative is terminate the pregnancy. All surgery also carries risk.