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My baby guinea pig lost its mother. How do I feed and care for it?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Guinea Pig | Male | unneutered | 15 days old

I have a baby guinea pig who has lost it's mother. I don't know how old or how to feed it. It could be up to a couple weeks old.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM

Veterinarian

Published on December 20th, 2018

Thanks for your question about Pancake, and I am sorry to hear that he lost his mother. Thankfully, guinea pigs are born precocious, which means that they are ready to go! They eat solid food and are not completely reliant on their mother's milk for nutrition. They are normally weaned by approximately 5 weeks old. With Pancake being about 2 weeks old, hopefully he will end up being okay. I would recommend monitoring his food intake closely, and his production of feces. Additionally, I would recommend that you purchase a digital gram scale to weigh him on a daily basis to ensure that he is gaining weight over time. You can find these online or in the kitchen section at many department stores. If you find that he is not thriving, I would recommend having him evaluated by a veterinarian. I hope that this gives you a place to start, and I wish you and Pancake the best!

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