Last night, I noticed that Albie was in labor. Her back was hunched and she was grunting. Usually, labor takes an hour maximum. Three hours later, she was still in labor. This was not a good sign.

Guinea Pigs can have a condition known as Dystocia. It is a genetic issue that causes the stiffening of the ligaments between the pelvic bones. So, poor Albie’s babies couldn’t be born, and without an emergency C Section (which is often fatal), the guinea pigs die.

Frankly, this genetic condition isn’t what  I want in my breeding lines, and C sections need to be done by a vet, so I let nature take its course, and she passed away some time last night.

But, statistically speaking, 1 and 5 guinea pigs die in labor, this is the first that had a difficult birth. All other pigs have given birth, but one other was lost to Ketosis (high blood sugar).