How to Tell if Your Guinea Pig Is Pregnant

Co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Last Updated: October 4, 2024 Approved

Pregnancy can have a number of complications for the sow, the female guinea pig, including toxaemia (metabolic imbalance), dystocia (difficulty giving birth), and post-partum difficulties (such as seizures due to low calcium levels).^{[1]
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Research source} If you suspect that your female guinea pig may be pregnant, then it is best to consult your veterinarian. However, there are some signs you can watch for at home.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Evaluating Potential Symptoms at Home

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1
Consider whether your guinea pig was in the presence of a boar. Boars are male guinea pigs. If a female guinea pig has been in the presence of a boar, then she will have almost certainly tried to mate and has a high chance of becoming pregnant.
- Male guinea pigs can impregnate a female at as young as 3 weeks old and a female guinea pig can become pregnant at as young as 4 weeks old, so don't be doubtful if your guinea pig is pregnant due to age.
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Observe her eating habits. A pregnant sow will begin to drink and eat more as the pregnancy advances. She may eat up to triple the amount she usually consumes. She may also drink more water than normal. Keep in mind that "normal" is relative to your guinea pig's usual habits.
- However, do not assume that your guinea pig is pregnant based on just how much she is eating or drinking. All animals, for example, tend to eat more when it's cold, when they're having a growth spurt, and when they're suffering from certain illnesses.^{[2]
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  Rodent and rabbit medicine. Laber-Laird & Flecknell. Publisher: Pergamon}
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3
Check her weight. A female guinea pig's weight will increase significantly if she's pregnant. Guinea pigs typically weigh about 1.5-2 lbs.^{[3]
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Go to source} In general, by the end of a pregnancy, the pregnant guinea pig's weight will have doubled; the piglets usually make up more than half of the sow's weight.
- A good idea is to weigh your female guinea pig regularly (perhaps weekly) and to record the weight. This way you can keep track of her weight in order to determine any patterns of weight gain that may be indicative of a pregnancy.
- However, if your sow is not yet mature and is less than 6-8 months of age, she will still be growing and thus weight gain may not be indicative of pregnancy.
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Feel for piglets. If you feel your guinea pig's womb very carefully, you may be able to detect the fetuses if she is pregnant. Usually, you can identify the fetuses in her womb from around 2 weeks after mating. Treat the sow with care and never handle her roughly. When feeling your guinea pig's abdomen, never apply pressure or squeeze the area since this could harm both the piglets and the sow.^{[4]
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Rodent and rabbit medicine. Laber-Laird & Flecknell. Publisher: Pergamon}
- To feel for fetuses, place the sow on a towel on a firm surface. This will keep your guinea pig from slipping. With your non-dominant hand hold her steady around the shoulders, with her head facing away from you. Use your dominant hand to feel her belly. Begin by making a "C" shape with your thumb and first finger, and then sliding the thumb over the top of her tummy and the forefinger underneath her belly. Gently press inwards and see if you feel any lumps or bumps inside her tummy.
- If pregnant, your guinea pig may have a single piglet or up to 3-4. If several fetuses are present, you will feel several bumps spaced across her tummy, each of a similar size.
- However, be aware that other things can feel like bumps in the abdomen. The kidney, bladder, or even fecal pellets can all be easily mistaken for fetuses. Bumps can also indicate ovarian cysts or tumors. If you feel something and you're not certain what it is, then consult your veterinarian.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Visiting the Veterinarian

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1
Make an appointment with your vet. If you suspect that your guinea pig is pregnant, then it's imperative that you consult a vet. You will not be able to tell for sure until the guinea pig is examined and assessed by a skilled veterinary professional.
- If you need to transport your guinea pig, never pick her up by her stomach as it can harm the unborn guinea pigs and the mother herself. You'll need to encourage her into a transport cage through treats or her favourite vegetables/fruit.
2
Have your vet do a physical examination. A veterinarian will be able to feel around your guinea pig's stomach and differentiate between the different lumps and bumps, something that you may not be able to do effectively on your own. Your vet should be able to tell whether or not your guinea pig is pregnant through a physical examination, but may also recommend additional testing, such as an ultrasound (see below).^{[5]
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- You vet may also be able to hear the piglets' heartbeats in the sow's abdomen.^{[6]
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Have your vet do an ultrasound. An ultrasound scan is the gold standard for pregnancy diagnosis among guinea pigs. Unlike in other species, the stress of taking blood can adversely affect the health of pregnant guinea pigs. Moreover, there is no commercial pregnancy test available for guinea pigs.^{[7]
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- An ultrasound scan can visualize exactly what the bumps are and confirm a pregnancy.
- The ultrasound exam involves involves clipping a small square of fur and applying gel to the exposed skin. Then, the ultrasound probe is placed on skin and emits a high-frequency sound that is inaudible to human ears. The probe records the echoes as the sound waves bounce back in order to determine the size, shape, and consistency of internal tissues and organs. This information is then translated into an image. In other words, you will be provided with a visual of your guinea pig's abdomen and the doctor can then confirm or disconfirm a pregnancy.
- Ultrasounds are non-invasive and do not require sedation.
If the vet confirms that your pig pregnant, then it is important that you make sure you know how to properly care for her. A pregnancy puts stress on the sow's organs and circulation system. Moreover, any rodent that is pregnant carries a one in five chance of dying as a direct result of complications during or after pregnancy or birth.^{[8]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Caring for a Pregnant Guinea Pig

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1
Have the information of a vet. In many cases, you can allow the pregnancy to proceed normally, but make sure you have a vet on hand in case there are complications, which are more likely if your pig is older or younger or has not given birth previously.^{[9]
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- Try to find a vet who specializes in rodents and other small animals, rather than just a generic vet.
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Remove any male guinea pigs. If you have multiple sows, remove the male pig immediately to prevent others from becoming pregnant. Even if this is the only sow you own, you should still remove the male pig before she reaches 60 days in her pregnancy. It is best to house the male in an adjacent cage where he can still be close to the female. A male guinea pig who can not see or hear his mate may develop stress, making him susceptible to illness.
- Male guinea pigs will continue to mount pregnant sows, which can cause stress or pain to your pregnant sow late in the pregnancy (after the 50-day mark). She could also become pregnancy just two hours after she gives birth.
3
Make sure your guinea pig has enough food and water. You'll want to make sure your pig is getting sufficient food, water, and nutrients since these things are also helping the fetuses develop.
- Feed your guinea pig alfalfa hay instead of timothy hay so that she gets more protein and calcium.
- Your pregnant sow will also need more vitamin C after 4 weeks, about twice as much, so incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C into her diet.
- In addition, you may want to increase your guinea pig's fiber intake. Increased fiber intake can prevent hair thinning, which is common in the last stage of pregnancy.
4
Weigh your pregnant sow regularly. You should weigh your guinea pig twice a week to make sure that is gaining weight (and not losing it) and is generally healthy (e.g., eating all her food, still social and interactive, etc.) and check she's healthy.
- If at any point her weight begins to fall or if she begins to show signs of illness, consult a vet immediately.
5
Minimize your guinea pig's stress. Try to make your guinea pig's life follow a routine so as to minimize stress, which can aggravate the dangers that accompany guinea pig pregnancy.
- Avoid making changes to a pregnant sow's cage, like removing toys or putting the cage in a totally new location. This could increase her stress and affect her eating and drinking habits.^{[10]
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- Reduce her exposure to loud noises or bright lights, including direct sunlight.
- Reduce handling to a minimum and don't handle her within two weeks of the birth. Note that the gestation period is usually 66 - 72 days.^{[11]
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  Richardson, Diseases of the Domestic Guinea Pig}

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My guinea pig is a female American guinea pig. I have had her for three years and she has never been around any males but my family and I think she is pregnant because she has a pear shape and she isn't fat. Is she pregnant?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

If she hasn't be in with a male then it is impossible for her to be pregnant; however, cystic ovaries are extremely common in older females and this can cause abdominal swelling or the enlarged ovaries may even be visible as bulges through the body wall. The answer is to get her spayed.

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Can guinea pigs die during pregnancy?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Unfortunately, yes they can. A condition known as pregnancy toxaemia is particularly common in guinea pigs and is often fatal.

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Dystocia is a birth delivery problem where the unborn babies are not able to exit due because the mother is unable to dilate fully. This is an emergency situation requiring an immediate c-section. Left untreated, both the mother and the pups will die.

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Toxemia is the result of a metabolic imbalance, which causes the guinea pig to become gravely ill. Calcium deficiency often displays similar symptoms, but it is the result of a calcium imbalance, whereas toxemia happens due to internal complications associated with impaired blood supply to the uterus. Symptoms include refusal to eat, lethargy, and rapid weight loss. Immediate veterinary care is required, but the prognosis is usually very poor.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you feel a lump or a bump on her stomach, she might be pregnant. If you really want to see if she is, do weight checks and she is a little bit heavier than usual. Then you can visit a vet to see if there is a baby or if she just ate a lot. If you got her from a pet store, sometimes they could be pregnant when you get them. That's why they say to go to the vet after you've had them for a while.
Don't breed them if you don't know what you are doing. There are millions of homeless animals in shelters. 1 in 5 sows die during pregnancy. If you do not know the genetics of your boar and sow, you can end up with some serious genetic disorders.
Don't pick the sow up often when she's pregnant, especially if she isn't tame. It can stress her and cause her to abort the babies.

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Warnings

It is not recommended to breed guinea pigs. Pregnancy is risky for female guinea pigs, particularly for those older than 8 months and younger than 3 months and sows over the age of 2 years who have already had 2 litters.^{[12]
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