how-to-tell-guinea-pig-gender

As the guinea pigs are small animals, it is hard to differentiate whether they are male or female. But to take proper care of your pet, you should know its gender. And we bet, most of the people don’t really know how to tell a guinea pig gender. But don’t worry; we are here to help you. If you can’t determine the sex of your guinea pigs, then you can try out a few sophisticated and straightforward tricks to identify them.

The primary difficulty pet owners’ face is for the newborns. Identifying sex is essential as this would help the owner to prevent unplanned pregnancy if you want to introduce new members to your pet family. Even though you can directly take the help of a vet to determine the gender of your guinea pig, but you should also know a few things about it.

 

Tip 1: Examine The Guinea Pig

When a baby is born, then it is advised not to take them away from their mother. They are delicate and get distressed when they are handheld. Plus, they get cold easily. Therefore, when you examine them, you need to be a little bit more careful.

It can be hard to determine the sex of a baby right away. So, it will be better if you check it when they are at least 2 or 3 weeks old.

The male guinea pigs reach their age when they are just 3 weeks old. Thus it is vital that you take them away from their mother and sisters. If you don’t do that, then the male guinea pig can get her mother and sisters pregnant.

Don’t worry if you hold the guinea pigs in hand. Their mothers don’t reject them just because you try to hold them.

 

Tip 2: Wash Your Hands Before You Handle Them

It is essential that you wash your hands with disinfectant before you take them in hand. The baby might feel frightened and try to run away too. Thus, you need to play safe to conduct the test. You don’t have to worry about getting the disease from them as their disease doesn’t affect humans. But for precautions, you can use hand sanitizer or lotion on your hands.

 

Tip 3: Get Ready For The Exam

Newborn cavies are squeamish about being picked up and held in uncomfortable position for an extended period. So, take a warm, soft, and clean towel and put it on a stable surface like table or floor. It is vital that the pet feel comfortable and protected throughout the process. You need to make sure that the guinea pigs are not freaking out. Then hold them gently and firmly around the chest and shoulder area.

Place them on their back in such position that their stomach and genital area is facing you. Remember to cradle the cavy’s back with a hand as it will calm them down.

You need to be quick and efficient to check the genital parts. Cavies don’t like being on their back for a long time as it causes discomfort. You can also ask someone else to hold them to conduct the exam.

While you are examining the area, you can give your pet a treat to enjoy, to distract them from the exam.

 

Tip 4: How to Identify the Gender

To check whether the guinea pig is male or female, you need to check its anus and genitals.

Start by looking for cavy’s anus which is a vertical opening. It will be of gray or brown color. The main reason to look for the anus first is that it is located right underneath the genitals.

Once you’ve distinguished the parts separately, check the distance between them.

Female pigs have the least amount of space between their vulva and anus. In the females, the vulva sits right above the anus.

Male guinea pigs have comparatively larger space between their penis and anus. The distance is almost 2 to 3 inches. Thus, it makes it easier for the examiner to identify gender.

 

Tip 5: Examine the Shape of the Genital Opening

The next step would be looking at the genital opening. Female guinea pigs have a smooth swelling over the genital area. So that You can use your fingers to part the genital opening smoothly. If the genital area forms a “Y” shape, then the cavy is a female.

If the genital opening is circular and small, then you can take the guinea pig as a male. Plus, their penis will also rise above the skin as you stretch the skin. Male guinea pigs also have a bulge in their genital and anal areas. It is the testicles which are under the skin and goes along with the penis and anus. It will appear like a donut shape around the anus.

 

Tip 6: Get Chucked By Professionals

Even after the main differences, it is hard for an owner to identify the gender of their pet guinea pig. The main problem arises when your cavy is in old age. So, if you can’t determine the gender of your pet guinea pigs newborn babies, then you can take the help of a professional vet. This isn’t a matter that you can leave under doubts. Therefore, to become 100% certain about the guinea pig gender, go to a vet and let them examine them.

Conclusion

Testing for gender is more complicated than it sounds. Even the professionals can get it wrong sometimes. It is straightforward for males to be mistaken as females as they can pull up their testicles when they are nervous or scared. An experienced veterinarian can help you to identify the gender of your cavy no matter what their age is. Only trained professionals can tell you the right results. And it is more likely that their answer would be more accurate than your guess. Knowing their sex will surely help you to provide them the upbringing they need. Thus, make sure that you know your guinea pig gender.

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