Pregnancy
In the main, most sows do not have any problems in pregnancy
and are amazingly efficient at producing their young. However
there are many signs and symptoms that make it look as though
there is something going wrong. Perhaps it is more a matter
of anxious owners and this anxiety increasing as D day, 'delivery
day' approaches.
I think I get more worried callers on the end of the telephone
line on this subject than any other kind. As I reassure them
and hammer home the message that what the sow is going through
is a perfectly natural function I am reminded of a friend
of mine and his wife.
He is an airline pilot and she an air stewardess. Any height
above my inside leg measurement and I am absolutely petrfied.
With this in mind, I once remarked to my friend's wife, when
she was teasing me about my horror of flying, that it was
fine for her and her husband as that was their business.
"Hm!" she snorted, "You should see this one
as a passenger?" she continued, pointing at her husband.
"She's right," confirmed her husband. "I hate
being a passenger, I'm nervous as a kitten. The statistics
are right and it is much safer to travel by air than by any
other method but things can go wrong and if I'm a passenger
then I won't be able to sort them out myself!?" he explained.
It is much the same with me when I have one of my own sows
about to litter down, only in reverse. No matter how I reassure
owners, telling them to relax and that such a such a symptom
is nothing to worry about I am equally jittery when my own
sows near their time. I do know what can go wrong and I do
want to be in the position to do something about it and want
other people to be able to as well, hence this detailed piece
about pregnancy.
The number one problem is that you can never be sure just
how close a sow is to litter down because you can never be
sure just when she conceived. This is why there is such a
huge variation in the length of the pregnancy terms given
in different books on guinea pig care. I say it can go up
to seventy five days but I am equally certain that it can
be a lot less than that.
The only sure symptom that D day is very near is when you
can feel that the pelvic bones have parted. When they have
you can generally expect delivery within the next forty eight
hours. However, there are quite a few cases where these bones
can remain open for a week to ten days and usually there are
no problems. However, always keep a very close watch on any
sow which does not litter down within the expected forty eight
hours.
The way to feel for the bones is to slip the finger between
the back legs from behind the sow and palpate just forward
of the vulva. The gap, when they are open should be between
a quarter and half an inch. If there is any doubt about what
you are feeling check the bones of a non pregnant sow.
Symptoms that things are not going well are lost of appetite,
listlessness, excessive salivation and shows of blood from
the vulva.
Quite a few sows lose their appetite a few hours before they
deliver and providing in all other respects she appears to
be fine and her young are still active, then she is probably
one of these.
If she is listless then she could be heading for trouble
and decisions have to be made, and very quickly about whether
she should be induced by the use of oxytocin or possibly have
the young removed by Caesarean section.
If the listlessness is accompanied by excessive salivation,
then the outlook is very bleak and in most cases it mean she
has developed pregnancy toxaemia. The use of antibiotics and
rehydration by drip can sometimes help but the failure rate
is very high.
Shows of blood are not at all uncommon and providing they
are small and do not reoccur, seem to have no ill effect.
However, they should always be taken seriously and the sow
monitored very carefully.
The golden rule is if in doubt, get the sow to a vet or
an expert for the promptness of correct diagnosis and treatment
in thiese cases is pivotal to her and her young's survival.
For me and many other owners of these adorable animals, the
sight of a mother guinea pig littering down is the most wonderful
in the world. I always scold and threaten to withdraw the
cucumber ration of those who do it when I am out or asleep,
something many of them seem to take delight in doing!.
The proceedings are heralded by a grunt, which once heard
you will never forget for it is the only time a sow makes
this sound. With back legs splayed and head between her legs
it looks just like she is beginning to rummage for one droppings
and then the theatre really begins.
The deliveries are either long or short, the short being
the more usual with the whole business taking between ten
to fifteen minutes. The longer births are those where there
is a longer gap between each delivery, with short rest periods
between the contractions.
If it is the first time the sow has been pregnant expect
two to three young, and subsequent litters can be up six,
and on occasion, eight.
The time to get concerned is if the sow keeps having contractions
and there is no mini pig as a result. The usual reasons for
this area breach presentation, pregnancy inertia or it can
sometimes be that the umbilical cord has got wrapped around
the baby.
For me, about the most frustrating thing in the world is
to have short fingernails when a sow is having trouble bringing
her young into the world. If I know a sow is pregnant then
trimming my fingers nails is off until she is well delivered.
I think I had better explain.
The sow pulls her babies out by their teeth which are the
first thing she feels when she puts her head between her legs
and the baby's head appears. Usually, by the action of gripping
the baby's teeth in hers the thin membrane of the sac the
baby has been carried in while it has been growing, tears,
thus giving it access to air which it is soon going to need
as it takes it's first breath.
The techniques I am about to describe I have learned step
by step over the past twelve years so consequently am experience
and confident in what I am if ever I had any doubt about what
I was doing I always left well alone and went to someone who
was experienced and I advise owners to do the same.
It is possible to turn a baby that is breached, I have done
it many times, but without sufficient length of finger nail
to hook under the it's incisor teeth it can be very difficult
to pull it out.
The same applies in the interita cases where the baby has
not become fully engaged in the birth canal.
To carry out an internal examination squirt a one of the
water soluble gels, I use the type that doctors use for internal
examinations, up into the vagina, however, don't immediately
carry out the examination.
Sometimes the mere act of adding this extra lubrication to
the sow's natural ones can tip the balance and providing it
is not a breach presentation the baby will come out naturally.
If this doesn't work, slip one hand under the sow and lift
just enough to ease her weight, and insert the third finger
of the other hand gently up inside. This action too can sometimes
have the desired effect for it can stimulate her to have contractions.
Do not advance the finger any further until she has finished,
which may result in a baby being delivered!.
If the result is negative, slip the finger in gently, letting
it be guided to which ever side the the baby is lying. More
often than not they come down from the right, her left, but
sometimes it can be the other side.
What your finger should come up against if the presentation
is O.K. are the incisor teeth. If, instead, it's a foot then
in most cases it's breach. On one occasion I found this to
be a front foot which I managed to manipulate back up the
canal and shortly after there was one massive contraction
and the baby came out on it's own.
By careful manipulation the baby can sometimes be turned
around and once the head's engaged properly in the birth canal,
more often than not it will simply follow through with the
next contraction and come out without any further human assistance.
If it doesn't then it is relatively easy to hook the nail
under the teeth and gently ease it out. However, if there
is any marked resistance then stop immediately for further
pulling could cause a prolapse.
If the baby cannot be turned it will be necessary to slip
two fingers in, and in most cases there is plenty of room
to do this, if there isn't then don't try!. First you must
locate and manipulate it into place so that the two feet are
together. I have only once come across one where both feet
were presenting. Then, slipping the other finger in to make
a pair of 'finger forceps' grip the two feet firmly and gently
pull. Take your time and work with the sow who usually obliges
when she feels the first pull.
This is delicate and time consuming work, something which
must never be rushed and is not for the inexpert but it can
be done and I urge people to try and learn how to do it. I
am afraid my reason for this is once more the failure of many
vets to take it on, preferring in most cases to always do
a caesarean section which is a far more risky business.
Sometimes the administration of oxytocin is of great assistance.
If you can find a vet who will respect your opinions and co-operate
this drug can work wonders.
I am of the opinion that many of these animals can be saved
unnecessary and hazardous surgery. If the profession can be
persuaded to spend the time and effort to do what they will
do for cats dogs and other animals, which incidentally, are
far more able to survive anaesthesia than guinea pigs, many
lives could be saved.
Many books, the majority of vets, most pet shops and the
major animal charity in this country advise that guinea pigs
and rabbits can be housed together. NO, NO, NO!. This can
be hazardous for both species.
I recently read an article by a national newspaper's tame
vet in which he advised just such a practice and jokingly
said that there was nothing to worry about if the rabbit got
over amorous. Having seen the kind of injuries that can be
caused by what this man thought was a 'Jolly jape' I seethed
with anger at such utter stupidity and thoughtlessness. However,
the main danger comes from something far more common in rabbit
behaviour,
I always maintain that you can tell a rabbit breeder by the
scratches down the inside of his or her arms. They are usually
caused by the powerful back legs of rabbits which kick back
when they are being lowered down into the quarters. Rabbits
can do this kicking back action at anytime when they are moving
about their quarters and guinea pigs are a darn sight frailer
than human arms.
From the rabbit's point of view the danger is in the dietary
needs of the guinea pig which is high green vegetable matter.
Try making the same amount a guinea pig needs, available to
a rabbit and you are going to end up with a rabbit with a
runny backside. You could of course tell the rabbit that the
measly bit of apple or carrot is for him while all that lush
green is for the guinea pig but I don't think it would listen!.
Every breeder, rabbit sanctuary and the major rabbit fancy
in this country feels the same way about mixing these species.
One day, perhaps, the veterinary profession and most pet shops
will listen to those who know these animals and their needs!.
Of course many of these animals have lived together without
mishap but there are far more that have ended in disaster,
mainly for the guinea pig.
