Sow not using her back legs after birth

[Medcalf123]

I have a 7/8 month old sow , I bought 3 girls together to wake up one night and see one of my girls have given birth ? To then see one of my “girls “ was actually a little boy

The sow had about 6/7 babies she was fine after giving birth but since then is refusing to move around or use her back legs , she can sit up right on her own , but when looking one of her legs looks quite swollen , I’ve been giving her plenty of vitamin c , I’m thinking of taking her to the vets but was wondering if anyone has had this same issue ? Or know anything about this

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please do see a vet today, likely as an emergency.

How long ago were the babies born?
That is a lot of babies for her to have.

Is she feeding the babies?
Are they gaining weight well?

Is she maintaining her weight at each routine weight check? If not, please step in with syringe feeding her.

I’ve added our guides below to help further

Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
How to Improvise Feeding Support in an Emergency

 

[CTWC]

Hi what a shock we see many similar stories on here unfortunately.
Yes call a vet for a check up.
Are you sure the babies are from only one girl? Also have you separated the boy from them?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

This counts as a life or death emergency; please have her seen by a vet asap. She may have broken her pelvis or otherwise done herself some major harm giving birth to a breach baby.
Poor girl, she must be in agony. Is this is her first birth?

Please remove any boars over 3 weeks asap. Sows come into season again within hours of giving birth - and that is the last thing you want to inflict on her.

Is this her first birth? Please accept that we are a strictly non-breeding forum and any advice given is to the aim to end any intentional breeding. This section caters specifically to those who find themselves with unplanned pregnancies or surprise babies from mis-sexing.

 

[Medcalf123]

Hi what a shock we see many similar stories on here unfortunately.
Yes call a vet for a check up.
Are you sure the babies are from only one girl? Also have you separated the boy from them?

Yes I separated the male asap , my other sow was separated to and has given birth to a perfectly healthy baby

 

[Medcalf123]

Hi

This counts as a life or death emergency; please have her seen by a vet asap. She may have broken her pelvis or otherwise done herself some major harm giving birth to a breach baby.
Poor girl, she must be in agony. Is this is her first birth?

Please remove any boars over 3 weeks asap. Sows come into season again within hours of giving birth - and that is the last thing you want to inflict on her.

Is this her first birth? Please accept that we are a strictly non-breeding forum and any advice given is to the aim to end any intentional breeding. This section caters specifically to those who find themselves with unplanned pregnancies or surprise babies from mis-sexing.

This was very unplanned and didn’t expect this to happen , this is her 1st birth and the male has been removed as soon as I found out ,

 

[Truffolo]

The male pups will be fertile at three weeks and you need to sex and separate the male pups, which is very difficult to do. Even vets get it wrong sometimes. It is very unfortunate as it wasn't your fault, but it has brought up a lot of problems for you. When you see the vet, it would be wise to ask him to sex the babies and then carefully separate the boys into cages with lids. Ultimately the boys can only live in single sex pairs as trios fight. Even pairs can fall out and need 2' x 3' cages each, per guinea pig. You have inherited a major headache and it would be a good idea to speak to a rescue for help as soon you will have your hands very full with a large number of piggies

 

[VickiA]

Please do get her seen by a vet as soon as you possibly can. This really is an emergency

 

[Wiebke]

This was very unplanned and didn’t expect this to happen , this is her 1st birth and the male has been removed as soon as I found out ,

Thank you for the background information. Have you double checked the gender of your male? If you had have had your piggies for less than 10 weeks, it is possible that the pregnancy has happened in the previous place and that the companion could be a correctly sexed female.
Illustrated Sexing Guide

I am so very sorry that it has gone haywire for you. 6 pups are the maximum for a first birth and comparatively rare - and a really exhausting job for any sow to get out, considering that the pups are so much larger compared to the size of their mother.

Here is the link to our comprehensive information pack, which is specifically written and compiled for owners without any previous experience: Babies-and-mother-care-information-collection-incl-help-with-any-dads.

Please make sure that your mother is eating hay and able to drink. Offer her fresh green grass (dog pee-free) if you have access to any.
Make sure that the babies are all able to drink within in the first day in order to get hold of the crucial antibodies laden first milk (colostrum).

Have you been able to get hold of a vet yet? It really is a matter or life and death not just for the mum but also for her pups because it is unlikely that all or any may make it without her.
Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Hand-rearing-and-support-feeding-orphans-and-tiny-babies

 

[Merab]

Holding you in my thoughts.
Hope your new mum will be ok

 

[CTWC]

Keeping all your guineas in my prayers

 

[Medcalf123]

Thank you for the background information. Have you double checked the gender of your male? If you had have had your piggies for less than 10 weeks, it is possible that the pregnancy has happened in the previous place and that the companion could be a correctly sexed female.
Illustrated Sexing Guide

I am so very sorry that it has gone haywire for you. 6 pups are the maximum for a first birth and comparatively rare - and a really exhausting job for any sow to get out, considering that the pups are so much larger compared to the size of their mother.

Here is the link to our comprehensive information pack, which is specifically written and compiled for owners without any previous experience: Babies-and-mother-care-information-collection-incl-help-with-any-dads.

Please make sure that your mother is eating hay and able to drink. Offer her fresh green grass (dog pee-free) if you have access to any.
Make sure that the babies are all able to drink within in the first day in order to get hold of the crucial antibodies laden first milk (colostrum).

Have you been able to get hold of a vet yet? It really is a matter or life and death not just for the mum but also for her pups because it is unlikely that all or any may make it without her.
Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

Hand-rearing-and-support-feeding-orphans-and-tiny-babies

I went to the vets yesterday with my male guinepig and it was confirmed he’s definitely a male , I’ve been in touch with the vets and still waiting for a reply , in the meantime I will keep giving her water and food and veggies

 

[Medcalf123]

The male pups will be fertile at three weeks and you need to sex and separate the male pups, which is very difficult to do. Even vets get it wrong sometimes. It is very unfortunate as it wasn't your fault, but it has brought up a lot of problems for you. When you see the vet, it would be wise to ask him to sex the babies and then carefully separate the boys into cages with lids. Ultimately the boys can only live in single sex pairs as trios fight. Even pairs can fall out and need 2' x 3' cages each, per guinea pig. You have inherited a major headache and it would be a good idea to speak to a rescue for help as soon you will have your hands very full with a large number of piggies

Yes I haven’t held the baby in a couple of days as i left it to be with mum as I didn’t want any more stress coming , as it was such a nice surprise I’m really upset about mum pig and currently trying to get in touch with the vets

 

[Truffolo]

Yes, if you don't successfully separate the male pups, you could wind up with a terribly out of control guinea pig population. It wasn't your fault, but it is necessary to take control now before the female guinea pig pups and the mother gets pregnant by the boy pups They start to breed within weeks of being born.

 

[Wiebke]

I went to the vets yesterday with my male guinepig and it was confirmed he’s definitely a male , I’ve been in touch with the vets and still waiting for a reply , in the meantime I will keep giving her water and food and veggies

Fingers very firmly crossed you hear back or contact them again.

Make sure that you weigh the mother and babies daily to check whether she need syringe feeding and whether the pups are suckling start putting on weight from day 2-3. It takes a bit of time for the gut to wake up and process any oral nutrients. Mother should be busy licking bums in order to stimulate gut movement. The babies should not lose more than 10g in the interim.
Our guides contain more post-birth how-to details.

Also weigh the babies so you know whether there are any smaller ones that need a helping hand. The risk of tiny babies is greater in a larger litter. You find advice on that in the third link in my previous post.

It is rare to have 6 babies of the same gender so there is hopefully some company for dad among the babies. I am very sorry that you have ended up with a mis-sexed pair.
Our guide bundle also contains practical advice on what to do with dad during nursing how you can use him after at and after separation time.

We also provide a baby sexing service to help you avoid any further repeats of the sad mess you have been landed in.
It is rare to have 6 babies of the same gender so there is hopefully some company for dad among the babies. I am very sorry that you have ended up with a mis-sexed pair.
Our guide bundle also contains practical advice on what to do with dad during nursing how you can use him after at and after separation time.

We also provide a baby sexing service to help you avoid any further repeats of the sad mess you have been landed in.

Sorry about the many questions but the more we know about the circumstances, the better we can tailor our advice and support you in the coming weeks.
Sexing Babies (with pictures)

Sorry about the many questions but the more we know about the circumstances, the better we can tailor our advice and support you in the coming weeks.
In order to keep all information to each case together over longer periods, we recommend that you bookmark this your support guide so you can pick it up easily whenever you need it. It helps both sides since it allows us to refresh our memory before answering if needed and you won't have to explain your situation all the time.

You are welcome to ask any questions and air your concerns. We provide both practical and moral support.

 

[CTWC]

Hi what did the vet say?

 

[Medcalf123]

Fingers very firmly crossed you hear back or contact them again.

Make sure that you weigh the mother and babies daily to check whether she need syringe feeding and whether the pups are suckling start putting on weight from day 2-3. It takes a bit of time for the gut to wake up and process any oral nutrients. Mother should be busy licking bums in order to stimulate gut movement. The babies should not lose more than 10g in the interim.
Our guides contain more post-birth how-to details.

Also weigh the babies so you know whether there are any smaller ones that need a helping hand. The risk of tiny babies is greater in a larger litter. You find advice on that in the third link in my previous post.

It is rare to have 6 babies of the same gender so there is hopefully some company for dad among the babies. I am very sorry that you have ended up with a mis-sexed pair.
Our guide bundle also contains practical advice on what to do with dad during nursing how you can use him after at and after separation time.

We also provide a baby sexing service to help you avoid any further repeats of the sad mess you have been landed in.
It is rare to have 6 babies of the same gender so there is hopefully some company for dad among the babies. I am very sorry that you have ended up with a mis-sexed pair.
Our guide bundle also contains practical advice on what to do with dad during nursing how you can use him after at and after separation time.

We also provide a baby sexing service to help you avoid any further repeats of the sad mess you have been landed in.

Sorry about the many questions but the more we know about the circumstances, the better we can tailor our advice and support you in the coming weeks.
Sexing Babies (with pictures)

Sorry about the many questions but the more we know about the circumstances, the better we can tailor our advice and support you in the coming weeks.
In order to keep all information to each case together over longer periods, we recommend that you bookmark this your support guide so you can pick it up easily whenever you need it. It helps both sides since it allows us to refresh our memory before answering if needed and you won't have to explain your situation all the time.

You are welcome to ask any questions and air your concerns. We provide both practical and moral support.

Thank you , mums doing okay now I have been in touch with the vets & they have said there’s nothing they can do , so all I can do is support her give her space to rest & carry on making sure she’s getting the right vitamins and calcium, she is now standing up on her own & cleaning herself

 

[Medcalf123]

Hi what did the vet say?

They said there’s nothing they can do with really is frustrating ! So all I can do is make sure she’s getting the right vitamins and calcium and let her rest up on her own , I am monitoring eating and drinking and she’s eating and drinking plenty & is currently sitting up right on her own , and grooming herself so hopefully we can pull out the other side of this

 

[CTWC]

Didn't they scan or x-ray her?

 

[Wiebke]

They said there’s nothing they can do with really is frustrating ! So all I can do is make sure she’s getting the right vitamins and calcium and let her rest up on her own , I am monitoring eating and drinking and she’s eating and drinking plenty & is currently sitting up right on her own , and grooming herself so hopefully we can pull out the other side of this

Fingers very firmly crossed! I am so very sorry but at least with her being able to sit up and grooming herself, that is a promising sign.

Has she started lactating yet and nursing the pups yet? I would recommend that you offer them mushed up pellets on a flat dish because there may not be enough milk for all of them.

Please weigh the mother and the pups daily first thing in the morning on your kitchen scales. Keep in mind that hay makes over three quarters of the daily food intake and is the crucial food for needing to top up with mushed up pellets or recovery care since the pups are going to drink her empty. She will naturally lose a little weight towards the week 3-4 when the pups are drinking more. Make sure that you place plenty of (soft) hay and water right next to her.

It is also crucial that you weigh all pups once daily so you know which ones are losing out on access to the milk bar. Give those half an hour twice or three daily with their mother so they can have a crucial extra drink or two. Pups can go downhill with terrifying speed. It is important that you keep an eye on them with your daily weighing regime so you pick up quickly on who is not thriving.

How old is your mum? What is her weight and what are the babies' birth weights? Best make a chart for mum and each baby and note it down.
Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

I am keeping my fingers very firmly crossed.


PS: If you would like to post pictures, we recommend using the Attach Files button by your post when you write it as this forum is not part of social media (it gives us full control over it) and for uploading videos you need to do so on a public setting on a platform that doesn't require a membership sign-in. Youtube usually works for most of us.
We run entirely on voluntary membership donations and do this all for free in our own free time.

 

[CTWC]

I may be muddling posts up but did the other girl have a pup too?

 

[VickiA]

Has the vet seen this guinea pig for an examination?

 

[Wheekallweek]

Has the vet seen this guinea pig for an examination?

I don't think so, just spoken over the phone.

 

[Medcalf123]

Didn't they scan or x-ray her?

No they said there’s nothing they could do

 

[Medcalf123]

Has the vet seen this guinea pig for an examination?

No I have phoned them to explain my situation and they practically couldn’t get me of the phone quicker stating there’s nothing that they could do ?

 

[Medcalf123]

I may be muddling posts up but did the other girl have a pup too?

Yes she did , and she’s healthy baby girl who’s a week old today

 

[Medcalf123]

I have a 7/8 month old sow , I bought 3 girls together to wake up one night and see one of my girls have given birth ? To then see one of my “girls “ was actually a little boy

The sow had about 6/7 babies she was fine after giving birth but since then is refusing to move around or use her back legs , she can sit up right on her own , but when looking one of her legs looks quite swollen , I’ve been giving her plenty of vitamin c , I’m thinking of taking her to the vets but was wondering if anyone has had this same issue ? Or know anything about this

I would also like to add onto this , I have spoken to the vets and they said there’s nothing they can do to help her out , but since I put this post up , she improving , shes hopping around when coming out as I put her on her own away from other females to make sure she’s eating and getting as much as she’s wants also giving her water etc , she’s currently sitting up on her own , I’ve taken a look at the leg and it just seems as if it is swollen and has gone down within the last couple of days I’m continuing to feed her vitamin c & calcium as she had such a big litter she could be lacking this and could not be helping with the issue , hopefully my piggy can pull through this , is there anything anyone else recommends that could potentially help her ? As I stated she’s eating and drinking

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear the vets won’t see her.
Are you weighing her and the babies every morning?
That is the only way to guarantee enough hay is being consumed by mum and enough milk by the babies.
Hay intake cannot be gauged by eye

 

[Medcalf123]

I’m sorry to hear the vets won’t see her.
Are you weighing her and the babies every morning?
That is the only way to guarantee enough hay is being consumed by mum and enough milk by the babies.
Hay intake cannot be gauged by eye

Her babies didn’t make it sadly , I have been giving her lots of hay and montering her feeding times and making sure she’s getting enough water , she dosnt seem to be loosing weight she’s definitely gaining it witch is positive

 

[Medcalf123]

Fingers very firmly crossed! I am so very sorry but at least with her being able to sit up and grooming herself, that is a promising sign.

Has she started lactating yet and nursing the pups yet? I would recommend that you offer them mushed up pellets on a flat dish because there may not be enough milk for all of them.

Please weigh the mother and the pups daily first thing in the morning on your kitchen scales. Keep in mind that hay makes over three quarters of the daily food intake and is the crucial food for needing to top up with mushed up pellets or recovery care since the pups are going to drink her empty. She will naturally lose a little weight towards the week 3-4 when the pups are drinking more. Make sure that you place plenty of (soft) hay and water right next to her.

It is also crucial that you weigh all pups once daily so you know which ones are losing out on access to the milk bar. Give those half an hour twice or three daily with their mother so they can have a crucial extra drink or two. Pups can go downhill with terrifying speed. It is important that you keep an eye on them with your daily weighing regime so you pick up quickly on who is not thriving.

How old is your mum? What is her weight and what are the babies' birth weights? Best make a chart for mum and each baby and note it down.
Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

I am keeping my fingers very firmly crossed.


PS: If you would like to post pictures, we recommend using the Attach Files button by your post when you write it as this forum is not part of social media (it gives us full control over it) and for uploading videos you need to do so on a public setting on a platform that doesn't require a membership sign-in. Youtube usually works for most of us.
We run entirely on voluntary membership donations and do this all for free in our own free time.

I have posted an update about my girl piggy t