Age Guesstimate Using Weight

Very young or very underweight.
More importantly how big is she?
How does she look and feel (healthy, bouncy, active, and clearly a baby, or listless and thin)?
 
Swissgreys said:
Very young or very underweight.
More importantly how big is she?
How does she look and feel (healthy, bouncy, active, and clearly a baby, or listless and thin)?
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I was guessing she is like 2 weeks old. She feels healthy and man does she have a set of lungs on her. She’s been eating and drinking fine and I just brought her home today. She’s super outgoing. Definitely young not just underweight.
 
Piggielover333 said:
I was guessing she is like 2 weeks old. She feels healthy and man does she have a set of lungs on her. She’s been eating and drinking fine and I just brought her home today. She’s super outgoing. Definitely young not just underweight.
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Do you have her mum too? If she's as young as that and away from mum, she might need a bit of extra care. They usually start weaning about 2/3 weeks. @Wiebke might have some advice.
 
Reenie said:
Do you have her mum too? If she's as young as that and away from mum, she might need a bit of extra care. They usually start weaning about 2/3 weeks. @Wiebke might have some advice.
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I do not have her mom. She was special ordered for me and I expected a much larger pig. I will check out what I can do to help her out. I figured she was separated really early when I saw her size.
 
Wiebke said:
That is the average weight of a well cared for two weeks ld or very small 3 weeks old - too young to be separated from the mum in case! Do you have mum and what is her background?
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sexing-separating-baby-boars-and-rehoming-babies.109391/
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I do not have her mom. This pig was special ordered for me as a gift from my boyfriend. When we picked her up she seemed much smaller than my other girls when I got them. I will check what I can do to help her and make sure she continues growing.
 
I feel very badly now that she was separated so young. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to help her out? She is eating hay already and eating pellets and drinking water. She’s actually come up to me a couple of times. She’s near my other girls now so she can hear them. She looks very healthy but I am still waiting to House them together. She did meet them all today though and they had no issues at all. She seemed quite happy to have Guinea Pig friends out with her in the playpen and was popcorning everywhere.
 
I'm not able to give you advice on care or feeding I'm afraid, but just wanted to say, don't beat yourself up about her being so young. I don't know where you got her, but some breeders and shops just want to make money and the welfare of their animals is not their top priority. It sounds like you and your baby have both been victims of some unscrupulous behaviour.
If you've already had her with your other piggies, then quarantine has already been compromised, so you could just go ahead and make her part of the herd. See the guide on bonding and introductions before you do this. You said she's very vocal, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's shouting out for her mum; putting her with your other piggies will at least give her some company, and your girls might mother her. I'm not an expert, so this advice is purely my own opinion, and what I would do. Someone more knowledgeable might say different. Good luck x
 
Reenie said:
I'm not able to give you advice on care or feeding I'm afraid, but just wanted to say, don't beat yourself up about her being so young. I don't know where you got her, but some breeders and shops just want to make money and the welfare of their animals is not their top priority. It sounds like you and your baby have both been victims of some unscrupulous behaviour.
If you've already had her with your other piggies, then quarantine has already been compromised, so you could just go ahead and make her part of the herd. See the guide on bonding and introductions before you do this. You said she's very vocal, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's shouting out for her mum; putting her with your other piggies will at least give her some company, and your girls might mother her. I'm not an expert, so this advice is purely my own opinion, and what I would do. Someone more knowledgeable might say different. Good luck x
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Thank you for your advice! I appreciate it.
 
To be honest given the young age I would forgo quarantine in order to give her company. I did this with my late Jemima when she was 6 weeks old when I got her as I felt it would be too hard on her being on her own for the only time in her life. Quarantine is an ideal situation but the piggys needs always have to come first
 
Poor little thing being separated from her mum already. Definitely best since she’s been near other piggies to just go ahead and let her be with them. Sows are usually very good with new babies and won’t harm her. When one of my youngsters got in beside some of the other sows Sally immediately started to wash and groom her so if your little one is lucky she’ll get a surrogate Mum. As @Lady Kelly says Piggies needs must come first!,
I certainly have a word with shop or breeder though AND local animal protection about piggies being sold off before the age to leave sow.
 
Piggielover333 said:
Here are some photos of her

View attachment 74562

View attachment 74563
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Poor baby - she is very cute, though! She is likely so desperate to have company (and really needs it!) that it is much better to flout quarantine as long as you are prepared to treat all piggies of yours if their is a contagious issue with ringworm or mites. The stress of being alone can add to lower her not fully developed immune system even further. Having some older piggies to snuggle up to is the best thing you can do for her now.

There is nothing special you can do; just put her on the same good diet as your others. You might give her a bit more pellets than your other piggies OR add a handful of alfalfa hay to the normal hay for a little extra protein and calcium in the first few weeks - please be aware that the extra amounts are in fact very small and already more than half covered in a good diet.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diet
 
Wiebke said:
Poor baby - she is very cute, though! She is likely so desperate to have company (and really needs it!) that it is much better to flout quarantine as long as you are prepared to treat all piggies of yours if their is a contagious issue with ringworm or mites. The stress of being alone can add to lower her not fully developed immune system even further. Having some older piggies to snuggle up to is the best thing you can do for her now.

There is nothing special you can do; just put her on the same good diet as your others. You might give her a bit more pellets than your other piggies OR add a handful of alfalfa hay to the normal hay for a little extra protein and calcium in the first few weeks - please be aware that the extra amounts are in fact very small and already more than half covered in a good diet.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diet
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She is in with my other girls now and seems pretty happy. My dominant piggy seems to be taking care of her. She actually took her a carrot last night and I was so surprised!
 
Janice C said:
Poor little thing being separated from her mum already. Definitely best since she’s been near other piggies to just go ahead and let her be with them. Sows are usually very good with new babies and won’t harm her. When one of my youngsters got in beside some of the other sows Sally immediately started to wash and groom her so if your little one is lucky she’ll get a surrogate Mum. As @Lady Kelly says Piggies needs must come first!,
I certainly have a word with shop or breeder though AND local animal protection about piggies being sold off before the age to leave sow.
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She is in with my other girls thanks for your advice! She seems much happier with them.
 
Piggielover333 said:
She is in with my other girls now and seems pretty happy. My dominant piggy seems to be taking care of her. She actually took her a carrot last night and I was so surprised!
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She will take her cues from the other piggies and learn from them; that is why companionship is so important on another level, too!
 
Just wanted to update everyone! So I got her on the 8th and she weighed 173 grams. I weighed her the next day after she had been eating and drinking and she weighed 225 grams (what a relief!) and today she got weighed in with all my girls, because Sunday is weigh in day, and she weighs a whole 242 grams now! She is eating pellets and hay regularly and drinks lots and lots of water. She has also enjoyed some veggies and LOVES floor time. I have a video of her popcorning on instagram if anyone wants to see! My name is wheekwheekgang. Thank you everyone for your advice! I’m so glad she is doing well now! Assuming she was kept in that box for way too long and was severely dehydrated and hungry and that’s why her weight was so low.
 
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