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URGENT: Help needed on rearing babies

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bramleycaviesrescue

bramleycaviesrescue

Teenage Guinea Pig
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We rescued 8 piggies a week or so ago and one girl was heavily pregnant. Today she has had 2 babies. Sadly she has abandoned them (I think she is so ill herself she is unable to look after the babies)

I havent really reared babies from birth before

One is 94g and the other is 95g

The bigger one is very cold and I currently have the laid on me under my tops to try to warm them up. I have snuggle pad too.

I need urgent advice how to warm this little one up and give it a chance. I have given them some milk but the poorly one didnt take it very well, should I force it? Anything else to give?

Please help! Helen x
 
Orphans should be fed from an eyedropper or pet nurser within the first 12 to 24 hours of life. Feed every 2 hours around the clock for the first 5 days. At that time, feedings can be reduced to every 4 hours. Over the course of the next 2 weeks, feeding times can gradually be less frequent.

Feed the orphan pup equal parts water and evaporated milk. Be aware that many pups not receiving sow's milk in the first 3 to 4 days of life do not survive.

Offer guinea pig pellets soaked in water from the first day of life. At around the second day of life, the pup may begin nibbling on the food. Continue offering milk despite eating solid food until the pups are weaned at 21 days.
 I copied this which will mean I shall be hunted down and possibly jailed. sorry all I can think of doing....sure someone will come long soon
 
furryfriends (Excellent Adventure Sanctuary) said:
I soaked brown bread in goats milk and the babies took this well. They were a little older though. What's wrong with mum? Will she not let the babies feed at all?
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Mum has just completely abandoned them and left them at the other side of the cage and gone anywhere near. I left them for a couple of hours to check to see how she got on and she has just left them. Mum is very young (12 weeks oldish) they came from a very bad home and have not been fed correctly. Mum is very thin.

They quoted to us about another girl we have in our care 'she lost her babies yesterday probably because they froze to death'

:( Very sad situation. We have 8 we took from them, all terrified of people, very thin with several other problems :(
 
Dont try to feed them if they are cold!, you could try a hot water bottle wrapped in some fleece to supress too much heat, you want to warm them gradually, do you have a warm fire were you can place them near?
 
bramleycaviesrescue said:
Mum has just completely abandoned them and left them at the other side of the cage and gone anywhere near. I left them for a couple of hours to check to see how she got on and she has just left them. Mum is very young (12 weeks oldish) they came from a very bad home and have not been fed correctly. Mum is very thin.

They quoted to us about another girl we have in our care 'she lost her babies yesterday probably because they froze to death'

:( Very sad situation. We have 8 we took from them, all terrified of people, very thin with several other problems :(
Click to expand...

Are the babys inside or out? If them are outside i would take them in ASAP, give them a teddy to snuggle upto also.
 
oh bless I hope they will be ok. Why do people have pets and then not look after them......mallethead all I can do is cross my fingers for them...x
 
Floydie said:
Dont try to feed them if they are cold!, you could try a hot water bottle wrapped in some fleece to supress too much heat, you want to warm them gradually, do you have a warm fire were you can place them near?
Click to expand...

I have fed the one which is warm and seems to be doing well. They are currently on a cuddle heat pad which is wrapped in fleece and then under my jumper to keep them warm also. The little one is getting warmer, but it isnt looking good as it doesnt sit very well and it is quite floppy :(
 
They're a very good size - how long has it been since she had them?

Ideally the best thing would be for mum to bond with them and to feed them herself - you could try putting them in a small dark (covered) box with her to get her to bond, they will be fine for 24hrs after birth as milk doesn't generally come in until then.

If that doesn't work the next best thing is another sow who has just given birth, or has babies a couple of weeks old.

Hand feeding - milk (there are lots of different types people use, goats/soya/cow) on a spoon, or syringe tiny amounts to their lips to prevent them inhaling it.

Good luck with them
 
bramleycaviesrescue said:
I have fed the one which is warm and seems to be doing well. They are currently on a cuddle heat pad which is wrapped in fleece and then under my jumper to keep them warm also. The little one is getting warmer, but it isnt looking good as it doesnt sit very well and it is quite floppy :(
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Poor little one :(, All you can do is try and keep it warm and hope it picks up for the next feed.
 
You will also have to clean them up and stimulate them to wee/poo after a feed.
 
Thanks everyone, I have put them in a small carry box with a towel over so it is dark. I have left the heat pad in with fleece and have put mum in. Baby has wamred up alot, so thought Id try mum with them again. They are right next to me and I will moniter them all night and feed also/stimulate them to wee/poo etc
 
bramleycaviesrescue said:
Thanks everyone, I have put them in a small carry box with a towel over so it is dark. I have left the heat pad in with fleece and have put mum in. Baby has wamred up alot, so thought Id try mum with them again. They are right next to me and I will moniter them all night and feed also/stimulate them to wee/poo etc
Click to expand...

It's the best thing for them if mum will accept them...I'll keep my finger's crossed for you
 
i also found that brown bread soaked in goats milk worked at building them up a bit, one of my sows had 5 babies, 2 were very small she rejected one who sadly passed away at day 3, but the other small one got bigger quite quickly with the bread, the other babies ate it as well as mum
good luck
 
If you need any advice you are welcome to phone me at the rescue - hopefully mum will accept them now that you are putting them in a smaller box, it does work most of the time.

If it doesn't give me a shout.

Suzy x
 
The very first guinea pigs we got, many years ago, were both pregnant. Fluffy was only a baby herself, and when she gave birth she just walked away from the babies. Every time they went to get under her to feed she jumped over them and ran away from them. She did this for most of the first day but then by day two she was happy to feed them and was actually a fantastic mum. Hopefully she will start to accept them soon.
 
I have just read this on facebook, hope this helps:



Hello everyone, thank you so much for all the replies.

My internet isnt working today so I have come along to my parents house to use their computer so will only be able to update when its fixed at my house (probably tomorrow)

The little babies have both survived the night. Their Mum is looking after them better, although one baby isnt very good at all.
It is struggling to stand by itself and flops on its side. It is bright eyed however and is now lovely and warm and is taking milk (I am feeding that one)
Mum and other baby have had some bread and milk and seem to be doing very well. Very worried about the little one though. I have called it 'Sparkle' I have named the other one 'Twinkle'

The other 2 boys are still settling. Quite worried about them but I am letting them settle more before I decide on the vet visit. They havent eaten during the night or even come out of their bed. They have even refused veg and salad leaves. I am still syringe feeding them and will continue today. Our vets is open all weekend so I arent restricted to just rushing during the week. I want to monitor them alittle first.

I am just so pleased all are still with us and that improvements (if only slight) have been made.

Also thank you so much everyone for all your support and offers of help and donations. Very very much appreciated. I will update and reply to everyone as soon as I can.

Will update whenever I can pending internet problems!
THANK YOU!
Helen x
 
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