# orphan guinea pig- need help



## *steph* (Feb 8, 2010)

hiya i have a guinea pig of a week old who's mum died just now through dehydration, as she wasnt looking after herself, she was just looking after the baby making sure she was fine, and made herself ill.
i rushed her to the vet and they gave her a drip but nothing and also something called "recovery". She died shortly on my lap rubbing her to keep her warm 5 mins after i got home with her.

Now i am left with her baby who is only a week old, i have that stuff to give her but i dont know hwat else there is to do. please can someone help, as this has broken my heart and cant stop the tears, i know i sound like a dick but she was only young.

please help.

steph x


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## dopey.rachel (Jun 17, 2008)

there will be people on cutiecavies forum who will be more than willing to help you, there might even be someone near you who could foster the baby on to a nursing mum if they already have one.


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## Joolz1975 (Jul 23, 2009)

Awww thats really sad.

Good luck with the little one!

:grouphug:


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

*Taken from Comfy cavies website*


*Hand Rearing Babies*
*







* One of the hardest jobs is that of hand-rearing an unfortunate baby guinea pig which have been orphaned or rejected by it's mother. This isn't always successful but during the past couple of years we've had a growing success rate with a couple of hand reared babies. The best method I've found is that described by Myra Mahoney in "The Really Useful Guinea Pig Guide". Myra suggests feeding with a teaspoon containing a small piece of bread soaked in a mixture of one part evaporated milk to one part cooled boiled water. I've also found that _Complan_® nutritional milkshakes work just as well. The baby will suck the bread and then sip the milk from the spoon.
Some people advocate using a syringe or dropper to feed babies the milk mixture. However this can be quite dangerous as in their eagerness the milk can easily go into the lungs and lead to pneumonia.
Getting the babies to eat solids presented us with another difficulty on our first attempts at hand-rearing, as although babies can eat solids from day one, it seems they need to be taught how. Therefore I now put orphans in with another sow who will keep them warm and act as a role model, teaching them to eat. The baby will copy their foster mother and grow quickly!
For some reason there appears to be something magical about day number seven... if an orphan or rejected runt can survive past the seventh day I relax and become confident that he'll survive and enjoy a long and healthy life!
Apart from feeding, you'll have to help the baby with pooping and peeing during the first two or three days if Mum isn't around to help. After each feed, gently stimulate the area around the genitals with a damp cotton bud. Normally it would be Mum licking her babies in this area that would help them with elimination of waste... your cotton bud needs to simulate the mother's tongue. After a few days you should be able to see that they are able to go toilet without help, and you can leave them to it


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## darwin2 (Mar 20, 2010)

the teaspoon method really works!

i have only ever sucessfully reared 2 babies (maybe lost 2 or 3 very young early babies), its time consuming but rewarding. i agree with the '7th day' theory too, the older the piggy when orphaned the better the chance of survival, even it is only a day or 2. be persistent and try not to give up, equally tho don't get your hopes up at the first feeds, i've had some hand reared for almost a week then take a turn for the worse.

oh and i find they like something to cuddle...a teddy or something 

good luck and keep us posted 

Laura x


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i`ve reared loads and had lots of sucess, they are so advanced that it can be quite easy, you just have to be careful that they dont inhale the food, so use a spoon and get him to `chew` the edge of it rather that try to get him to suck.

i use complan plain in warm milk, but a lot of people use condensed milk 50/50 with warm water, both work,

at a week old baby should be eating hay grass and bits of food so you shouldnt have much trouble.

a bit of avipro probiotic in the food would help too.


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## *steph* (Feb 8, 2010)

*thankyou everyone for your kindness, and help.*
*I was awke at 3, 6 and then finally woke up properly at 9am to feed the baby, i was really worried she wouldnt pull through the night but she seems to have done it, but the battle isnt over yet, although she has started to eat the hay in her bedding shes in an indoeer cage in my room so i can keep a close eye on her and make sure she stays warm, as she hasnt got mum to snuggle up to now. *

*i will let you know how she is through the rest of the days *
:flrt:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Have you got a little teddy bear or similar stuffed toy that you can put in with her to give her something to snuggle up against.

I've never handreared a guinea pig, but have other animals and any single animals, such as the wee stoat I handreared last year (who was so tiny that she had "Mr Sox" for company - a little stuffed sock cat toy), I've always given them a little soft toy to snuggle up to so they don't think they're alone in the world.


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## *steph* (Feb 8, 2010)

*i tried that and it started squeeking and ran up to it, then i got really upset coz it thought it was its mum  x*


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

But that's the whole idea, so that the little baby doesn't think it's alone.


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## *steph* (Feb 8, 2010)

*i suppose your right as you've done this type of thing before.*

*but it is upsetting tho.*

*nothing but bad luck this year!! first my cat now mummy pig! x*


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## darwin2 (Mar 20, 2010)

*steph* said:


> *i suppose your right as you've done this type of thing before.*
> 
> *but it is upsetting tho.*
> 
> *nothing but bad luck this year!! first my cat now mummy pig! x*


i know the feeling! i've lost 6 pigs this year! some through age others through the sudden change in weather. this is the problem when all yoour pigs are around the same age. i've gone from 6 hutches to 3


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

All orphan babies need a mummy substitute so a small teddy is ideal. Try softening a bit of guinea pig food with warm water as the orphan babies we had managed to eat this with no problems at all(ours were 10 days old) Good luck and stay strong for the baby it needs you.


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## *steph* (Feb 8, 2010)

*yh i will try that at the mo i have a liquid feed called recovery the vet gave it to me and said mix it with milk and give it to her every three hours.*

*i am trying my best, but i also hve work so my mum sed she will try her best to help whle im working *

*thankyou all so much! x*


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