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Poorly Popcorn.

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poppycorn

Hey, I've just joined. I have three little girl pigges, Popcorn, Muesli and Cookie.
We got them all just under a month ago, last week we noticed Popcorn had a lump so took her to the vet that day who thinks she got into a fight before she even was at the petshop and has an absess and was put on antibiotics. The last few days she really looks like she is gaining weight, *** it be from the antibiotics or could she be pregnant? Does that still happen? buying a pregnant piggy from a petshop? I'm really scared she could be I know it's dangerous for a baby piggy to be pregnant. :(
We are back at the vets tomorrow she does seem to be getting better (we hope) and is happy, eating and drinking well. So of course will be asking her all our concerns.
Last thing, she has started licking her sisters bums.. why is she doing this? They aren't best pleased about it and have become a little defensive towards her at times. (They are still all getting no, no fights or biting, just a little posing). She is also liking away at my hubby's hands when he holds her, a lot more then she was, not sure if that is related.
Anyway, thank you in advance, hope someone can help.:)
 
Hi poppycorn,

I understand your worry, especially being so new to piggies. It does sound like the lump could be an abscess as a result of a bite wound, this is fairly common. Was the abscess lanced/cut open and drained? This is necessary for all abscesses, as the pus will continue to build up otherwise and the abscess would burst at some point.

Weight gain is, obviously, normal for young piggies. However it is worth checking all the guineas are indeed girls - it is common not only for pet shop piggies to be pregnant, but also to be mis-sexed! I think a full vet check (with a guinea pig experienced vet) or a check with a rodentologist would be important to settle that each pig is indeed female, and to determine the chances of any of them being pregnant.

It is also worth getting into the habit of weighing each pig weekly. Tracking their weights will help you see what is a normal weight and a normal gain for each pig. A much more rapid weight gain than usual (1 - 2oz a week) could indicate a pregnancy.

Licking human hands is normal for some pigs. I often get little kisses from some of mine on my face and hands, much the same as they often do to each others eyes and ears. It is very sweet. The sniffing of bums is also normal, it is not usually anything to worry about - it can happen if one is in heat/season (which lasts 12-24 hours and generally occurs just over every 2 weeks).

Fingers crossed that Popcorn isn't pregnant, and that her abscess clears up soon! Any more questions, do feel free to ask. :)
 
Thank you!

Yes it was lanced and drained, we think it's gone down a bit over the past week, I really hope she's getting better. Poor thing.

I've just been reading about weighing will start that tonight, (my kids might find it a little to exciting so best to wait while they are in bed).
I have tried checking myself if they are all girls with pic's online but I agree we will get an appointment for them all to make sure. A heads up from the petshop this thing can happen would have been nice. As a child we had guinea pigs and managed to buy two pregnant ones, one sadly didn't make it and neither did her babies which is why I'm so scared. I can't believe they've not got any better at making sure. Gr. But fingers cross she's just rounder then the other two. :)

The kisses are very sweet, the bum thing not so much, she is really annoying the other two, I keep getting them out just my other two a break. Hehe, hope she stops soon.

Thanks again.
 
I am sorry for your bad experience - no wonder are you scared of yet another pregnancy!
I'm another pet shop surprise "granny" (which happened at the worst time possible, so I couldn't keep my babies) and have since then stuck to getting my piggies from guinea pig rescues!

The licking is not unusual; it's a kind of "how are doing you today?" - especially if they are in season/coming into season.

As long as you can't exclude a pregnancy, make sure that you give Popcorn plenty of vitamin C, either as a slice of pepper twice daily (if she eats that) or as part od a tablet dissolved in a ibt of water and then syringed. Don't put it into the water bottle - you can't control how much they are drinking.

Wishing you the best with Popcorn's abscess. Sometimes, they can come back; so don't be shocked if that happens - eventually, you'll get on top!
 
Thanks you. I will definitily looking into rescuse Guinea pigs if we want anymore, can't believe I didn't think of to look there first, but I love my three piggies so am very happy I chose these ones of course. I already know we would keep the babies as long as we can afford another cage of course, it would be tempting to ask the petshop to give us one for free. :) But am still keeping my fingers crossed she isn't, hopefully the vet will have more of a clue. She is drinking loads of water tho... I stumbled across that being another sign. Would I have to keep her apart from her sisters if she was? As long as they are definitily girls would they bother her or her babies?
I have vitamin C (for my kids, that be okay? it's just vit C) how much should I give Popcorn, we're having to syringe her meds anyway. I will try her on pepper, they aren't that intrested in fresh food other then grass at the moment.

Hehe, funny the licking is wondering how they are, it is good to know it's normal but I still hope she tries to ask in a different way. hehe.
 
poppycorn said:
Thanks you. I will definitily looking into rescuse Guinea pigs if we want anymore, can't believe I didn't think of to look there first, but I love my three piggies so am very happy I chose these ones of course. I already know we would keep the babies as long as we can afford another cage of course, it would be tempting to ask the petshop to give us one for free. :) But am still keeping my fingers crossed she isn't, hopefully the vet will have more of a clue. She is drinking loads of water tho... I stumbled across that being another sign. Would I have to keep her apart from her sisters if she was? As long as they are definitily girls would they bother her or her babies?
I have vitamin C (for my kids, that be okay? it's just vit C) how much should I give Popcorn, we're having to syringe her meds anyway. I will try her on pepper, they aren't that intrested in fresh food other then grass at the moment.

Hehe, funny the licking is wondering how they are, it is good to know it's normal but I still hope she tries to ask in a different way. hehe.
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If she is thirsty, it won't be huge problem of getting fluid vitamin C into her. The children's vit C will be OK. Basically, let her drink off the syringe as much as she'll take (you can get 10ml syringes from the vet).

Keep Popcorn with her sisters for as long as she is OK; but have an eye on her when she's due.

Here is a link to the best medical website for guinea pigs so you can get more info: http://www.guinealynx.info/reproduction.html

All the best; my shop bought mummy Minx was a very special guinea pig to me... where you get your piggies from has nothing to do how much you love them!
 
Hiya

I bought a baby guinea pig that happened to be pregnant, Izzy her name is we didnt realise until we bathed her after owning her for 4 weeks and noticed that her sides were bulging out when she was wet and we when we gently pressed you could feel the babies moving about.

We noticed on a Sunday, took her to the vet on the Monday an the two babies were born on the Friday !

She was drinking huge amounts but being a first time piggie owner we didnt realise, she was also very lazy in the final few days before the birth.

We contacted the pet shop (it was Pets at Home) and they offered to take her back but we were already in love with her so refused, they gave us a load of sawdust, hay, pellets and 50% discount of their biggest cage so we were more than happy with that.

She gave birth while we were out to 2 female piggies one day with Maisie in the same cage, they both seemed to mother them and it was all very plain sailing with no issues at all :)
 
Thank you so much for your story, made me feel loads better. My piggies were also from pets at home, I think I may give them a call if she is.

We have a syringe from the vets already so will try her with some vit C tonight, thanks! Also thanks for the link will have a look through it now. :)
 
Just a quick update while I have a second, took Popcorn to the vets again she agrees the abesess is getting better, yay! Wants to see her again in a week to keep an eye on her. Vet also says it's to early to tell if she's pregnant, felt her belly, she can feel some small bumps in her belly but she did say they could also be something like poops ready to come out. So none the wisers there, I did wonder if I felt a tiny flutter twice now in her belly, I will be surprised if she isn't, she seems to be getting rounder by the day, started weighing them all from last night so I'll see what her gain is for a week compared to her sisters.
 
I am glad that the abscess is coming down and keeping my fingers crossed in terms of pregnancy. It sometimes takes well into the second half of a pregnancy until you can be sure whether or whether not!
 
Welcome. I am a rescue convert after having brought home two boy pigs who turned out to be girls - and one pregnant.

I have just took in a new pig 'rescued' this time. owner couldn't look after him as he should be.
 
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