About Jenny Atkins Expertise If your guinea pig has stopped eating, is having fits, looks puffed up or listless, is bleeding, has lost weight suddenly or is squeaking in pain then please, do not delay in taking him/her to a vet. Preferably a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet, but don't worry if you can't find one.
If you suspect your guinea pig is pregnant, has mites, is losing hair or you have a question about diet, cages, toys, exercise etc then look at my past answers before you ask your question, as it may save you time.
Otherwise, go ahead and ask me a question! My areas of expertise are in how to choose your guinea pigs, where to get them from and what you need before you bring your new pets home. I can also help with general care and dietary questions, with treating common illnesses (especially skin complaints), pregnancy and baby guinea pigs (though I do not approve of purposeful 'at home' breeding), and how to introduce two males.
I'd recommend The Really Useful Guinea Pig Guide by Myra Mahoney and Piggy Potions by Peter Gurney to all guinea pig owners - these books will tell you everything you need to know to ensure your guinea pigs have happy and healthy lives. I practically memorised these before I was allowed my first guinea pigs as a teenager!
Experience I absolutely love guinea pigs, and I think they make brilliant pets for the right owners. They are incredibly sociable animals and should always be kept in pairs, or a larger group (females only). If you spend lots of time with your guinea pigs, they will become very tame and friendly little creatures. I am very much a pet owner, and provide answers based on my personal experiences with my pet piggies, and what I've learned from books along the way. I'm not a breeder or a vet, so I can't answer questions about breeding, breeds or complicated illnesses. I have kept both boars and sows, and have had my share of unexpected newborns in the early days. I've had a total of 11 guinea pigs over the years - all adorable in their own way - including my current two boars (Almeida and Simba) whose cage has pride of place in my living room. When you have guinea pigs you learn something new about them every day!
Education/Credentials 2:1 Honours Degree in Creative Arts with English
Question I came home from work today and noticed that my 6 week old Guinea pig was acting weird toward the other 6 week old Guinea. I took it initially as "home dominance" after doing some research on line and examining my Guinea's I realized that I didn't have 2 girls like I was told...I actually have one male and one female. This if the first time that I have noticed "unusual" mating type behavior. What are the chances that my female is Pregnant. I had no intentions of Breading by any means and thought I was doing a good thing by giving these two 'females" a good home and a play mate. I work at a vet and 2 of the three doctors that we have there examined the litter of piggies and said they were all girls when they were about 3 weeks old or so. I don't want to hurt "Timon" our female if she is pregnant. I separated the two pigs IMMEDIATELY this evening after discovering his little secret.
Answer Hi Johanna,
Sorry for the late response. It has been a very busy week at work!
Poor Timon! She is almost certainly pregnant - depending on how long you have had them for.
Young Mums usually do very well, but it wouldn't hurt to give her a check up. You may want to adopt another male for your boy to live with - as he will miss Timon's company.
