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Post by fairytalepiggies on Mar 22, 2014 18:33:51 GMT
I have two females (quite sure, but I will be posting pictures in the sexing thread to confirm) that have been in my care for 11 days now. One of the girls, TinkTink, is making me wonder if she could be pregnant. First of all, I purchased both piggies from a pet store, so that fact alone makes pregnancy a possibility. Two days go when I was holding her, I felt little bubble-popping sensations against my hand on the side of her stomach. It was enough to make me stop mid-sentence while talking. I felt it a couple more times and then put her back in her cage with her sister. I figured it had to be gas or something and tried googling it. I didn't really find claims of that same sensation other than on pregnancy threads. I held her again last night and paid very close attention so I could gather as much information as possible. I felt the same sensations, only on the sides, and even felt like I heard tiny popping noises, but I know that sounds crazy. Her tummy is soft and not huge like the pictures I have seen here. It is, however, bigger than her sister's tummy. She is eating and drinking normally (well, like I said, she is 11 days new to me) and has a good attitude. Normal poops and pees. This morning I spent a lot of time researching and came to the conclusion that it was harmless gas of some sort and that she couldn't be pregnant. I held her again and the sensations were more prominent. They were no longer like bubbles popping, but more like tiny flicks or something. Nothing super strong, but significantly stronger than both previous days. I took some photos of her from the top as well as some of her sister to compare. I don't know if I am being hyper-critical, but she certainly looks more shapely than her sister. Any thoughts? Can I post the photos here and see what you all think? Edited to add a couple pictures: This is Mia, the sister: Compared to TinkTink: Both girls:
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Post by jessielynn on Mar 23, 2014 6:57:14 GMT
How old are they? She definitely is getting a little pear shaped. I would keep an eye on it. I've never been able to feel babies moving until about 45 days along.
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Post by jessielynn on Mar 23, 2014 6:58:00 GMT
Any by keep an eye on it, I mean weigh her, post her weight gain as that can be a huge deciding factor in a possible pregnancy.
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Mar 23, 2014 14:42:03 GMT
They are about five months old. I need to get a scale; conveniently mine broke yesterday :/
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Mar 23, 2014 23:41:28 GMT
Okay, I weighed them today. TinkTink weighed in at 474g and Mia weighed in at 476g. Not much of an indicator at this point, but maybe that is because she isn't pregnant. On that note, when I pet the girls from head to butt, there is a distinct difference between them. TinkTink has a soft pouch on each side that I can easily feel and Mia does not. I took a photo because they looked pretty obvious and I didn't know if that would help anyone else in guessing if she is just growing or possibly pregnant. Here's the photo:
Also, from looking online, it says that guinea pigs weighing roughly what my girls weigh are 2-3 months old. Since I bought them from a pet store, I don't know for sure their age but was told 4-5 months. Do you think they are likely to be younger, based off their weights?
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Post by jessielynn on Mar 24, 2014 2:03:34 GMT
It depends on the lines honestly. I have guinea pigs that are small (about 600 grams full grown) and some that hit that by 5 months. It can be a general indicator though. Keep an eye on the weight. See how fast she gains compared to her sister. If she is 4-5 months a pregnancy isn't as big of a deal, but if she's younger you may run into issues. Keep me updated
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Mar 24, 2014 2:05:30 GMT
Thank you for your response. I'll weigh her and her sister daily and keep a log of the weights. Should I increase her calcium intake for the time being?
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Post by jessielynn on Mar 24, 2014 2:17:44 GMT
If you're feeding a high quality pellet, lots of hay and veggies there isn't a need IMO. I've never supplemented in any way and I've never had issues.
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Post by Kayleigh on Mar 24, 2014 14:15:55 GMT
Its very difficult to tell from pictures if a sow is inpig. They are both young and are fairly small weight too, even for pet bred pigs. Since they will be growing themselves weighing isnt the best indicator. If you suspect either to be inpig handle them a little less, keep a good quality feed, plenty of hay and a wide variation of fruit/veg. You will know for sure in around 4 weeks if either are inpig. So for now its best to watch and wait.
Kayleigh
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Mar 24, 2014 14:25:51 GMT
Well, TinkTink feels noticeably wider when I hold her. She gained 7g between last night's weigh-in and early this morning. Mia only gained 1g. I will continue to weigh them and provide all the essentials for them. I know it is difficult and I apologize for obsessing I guess, I am just really curious *shrugs*
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Post by Kayleigh on Mar 24, 2014 14:37:23 GMT
I would suggest weighing weekly rather than daily, the weights will fluctuate alot daily depending on what is fed and also what time of day you do the weigh in. I usually weigh my pregnant sows on a Saturday around midday, this way the readings are a little more reliable. It really is frustrating when you arent sure, but obsessing isnt good either as you may notice things irrelevant yet miss something important. Time will tell Kayleigh
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Post by jessielynn on Mar 26, 2014 16:50:43 GMT
I've found that weight is a very good indicator once they're about 3-4 weeks. They gain a ridiculous amount although by then sh'd be making it very obvious lol.
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Mar 27, 2014 15:17:18 GMT
I do not think she is pregnant. It really seemed she had those saddlebags when I would pet her, but I am thinking she may have been going through an odd growth spurt or something because she looks fairly normal now and her sister looks massive. I imagine that when they are young, they can go through wonky growth periods. At least, that's what it seems like!
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Apr 11, 2014 4:00:55 GMT
Update: Well, she is definitely pregnant! She is still quite small, but has begun gaining weight very quickly over the past few days. Yesterday I not only felt kicks but SAW movement in her tummy. No doubt about it, my girl is pregnant. No clue when babies will arrive. She weighed 559g on the 6th, 589g on the 8th, 610g on the 9th, and 624g today, the 10th. The cage has been baby-proofed and now I'm just waiting and watching. And reading, I am doing a lot of reading... Today:
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Apr 13, 2014 19:59:00 GMT
Second update: Her sister is also pregnant. I saw pups moving in her tummy today and she has begun gaining weight rapidly as well. In fact, she looks bigger than TinkTink, so I think she may be carrying more pups.
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Post by stscavies on Apr 14, 2014 19:19:17 GMT
Oh boy I do wish pet stores could be fined or something when they carelessly house their small pets and cause them to become pregnant. Not only is it hard on the owners to have to deal with new homes and extra food purchases etc. but it is hard on the young animal, and could effect their life. I will pray for both your girls to have easy births and healthy pups
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Apr 14, 2014 19:56:38 GMT
Thank you! So many people expect me to be stoked about pups, but i am more concerned about my girls getting through the births well. Fingers definitely crossed.
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Post by jessielynn on Apr 15, 2014 0:54:57 GMT
I know how you feel. I recently rescued an 8 week old who was already very pregnant. Everything turned out well for her though. Worrying won't help even though it's unavoidable. Baby piggies are quite a fun experience. I hope everything turns out good for you.
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Apr 15, 2014 2:04:28 GMT
Thanks. It's not keeping me up at night, as in my heart I feel my girls will do well and the pups will be fine. But I can't help but not feel completely excited over this experience, since it wasn't something I planned and it does put my girls at risk. The waiting is the worst part!
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Apr 24, 2014 18:03:21 GMT
So I felt butterfly movement back on March 20th and she had obvious saddlebags on March 22nd...SAW movement from the outside April 9th...shouldn't I have pups by now? She is still gaining like crazy (and so is her sister) and all they have both done the past week or so is sleep or eat. They aren't massive like some photos I've seen and the movement is obvious but it's not intense like some videos I have seen. I kinda thought I'd have pups from TinkTink by now...have been able to visibly tell she is pregnant for 5 weeks. Shouldn't we be pretty darn close?
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Post by Kayleigh on Apr 24, 2014 18:14:03 GMT
They are pregnant approx 10 weeks.
How are they looking now?
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Apr 25, 2014 0:46:53 GMT
TinkTink
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Apr 25, 2014 0:47:31 GMT
Mia
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Post by Orlaith on Apr 25, 2014 7:49:24 GMT
The only guarantee you have with pregnant sows is that they WILL keep you waiting! Expect pups any day, but it could be another week or two depending on when they were caught. How long do you have them?
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Post by fairytalepiggies on Apr 26, 2014 2:18:01 GMT
I have had them for almost 7 weeks. Saw movement just over 2 weeks ago in TinkTink, and 2 weeks ago tomorrow in Mia. I think they are going to hold out as long as possible, the little boogers!
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