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Help And Advice Needed - Lethal Babies?

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carole17

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I recently bought 2 guinea pigs from a pet shop and was assured they were both girls. Last week I noticed that one was looking quite plump so looked on internet and realised she was pregnant.

Last night she gave birth to 4 pups. 2 are perfect but 2 are white with pink eyes that are barely open.

Looking on some sites I think they may be lethal whites.

How do I give these 2 the extra care and help they need

Thank you for any advice given
 
carole17 said:
I recently bought 2 guinea pigs from a pet shop and was assured they were both girls. Last week I noticed that one was looking quite plump so looked on internet and realised she was pregnant.

Last night she gave birth to 4 pups. 2 are perfect but 2 are white with pink eyes that are barely open.

Looking on some sites I think they may be lethal whites.

How do I give these 2 the extra care and help they need

Thank you for any advice given
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Hi and welcome!

I am very sorry for your problems. Are the eyes noticeably smaller than those of the other guinea pigs or are they rather pulled in because of pain?
Newborns can be born with inwards turned eyelashes (entropion) which can cause an infection. Guinea Lynx :: Eyes
Lethal babies often have got smaller eyes (microphthalmia) or sometimes no eyes at all. Guinea Lynx :: Eyes

I would strongly recommend to take mum and pups and have them seen by a good vet. You should be able to reclaim any vet cost and get support toward the extra cost from the baby care from the pet shop if you present the vet bill with the sale receipt.
Recommended UK vets: Guinea Pig Vet Locator
Please add your country, state/province or UK county to your details, as that plays a vital role as to how much and in which form we can best help you. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you.

As with all newborns, please weigh them daily to monitor their development. Newborns should start putting on weight from day 2-3 as their guts start working and process food. You should see mum licking the babies' bums in order to stimulate the digestive system.
Depending on their birth weight, there are various things you can do, but even lethal/blind babies should be able to suckle from mum although you may want to give them one-on-one time with her 2-3 times a day. It would be great if you could weigh them, so I can help you better.
Here are our tips for mums and baby care:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-and-nursing-diet.109377/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/after-birth-and-baby-care.109389/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sexing-separating-baby-boars-and-rehoming-babies.109391/

Lethals are blind and usually deaf. They also generally have got dental issues which need regular care. How badly they are affected, can vary a lot. More lightly affected lethals can have a pretty normal lifespan with the help of competent vet care (especially dental care), while badly affected lethals also have food absorption problems. /eyes.html#congenital
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/roans-dalmatians-and-lethals-explained.51194/

I am also tagging a couple of members into your thread who are looking after several lethal guinea pigs in their sanctuary.
@furryfriends (TEAS) @MintyAndGarry (TEAS)
 
It does sound like they could be 'lethal gene' piggies. We have a number of these piggies here at TEAS and they are leading a good life, and are oblivious of the fact that they are different to other piggies. They are all blind/deaf and some have some mild dental issues too. How do they seem in themselves? Are they feeding from Mum? Are they smaller than the other two? x
 
Hi
They look the same size as the other two and are feeding from mum. They seem to be doing okay at the minute.
They are moving around okay and look as though they are sniffing the air a lot.
Their eyes are very small and pink. They just look so adorable x
 
carole17 said:
Hi
They look the same size as the other two and are feeding from mum. They seem to be doing okay at the minute.
They are moving around okay and look as though they are sniffing the air a lot.
Their eyes are very small and pink. They just look so adorable x
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The sniffing the air would suggest they are lethals. Keep a close eye on them and check their weight regularly. Lethal piggies can live a great life. Check out some of the videos of our lethal white piggies on our Facebook page.
The Excellent Adventure Sanctuary (for guinea pigs with extra needs)
 
carole17 said:
Hi
They look the same size as the other two and are feeding from mum. They seem to be doing okay at the minute.
They are moving around okay and look as though they are sniffing the air a lot.
Their eyes are very small and pink. They just look so adorable x
Click to expand...

It sounds like they are blind - sniffing the air is very typical for blind piggies. The good news is that their other senses will compensate to a good extent.
It is also good that they lively, are nursing from mum and have been accepted by their mum.
Please weigh them daily, so you can help with any supporting measures if and whenever necessary.
 
carole17 said:
Been and weighed them all
Roan 69g
Dalmatian 68g
1st White 73g
2nd white 79g
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Great - those are ideal birth weights for a larger litter! They may stay on that weight or lose a few grams tomorrow, as it takes a bit of time to get the whole digestive system working, but that is nothing to worry about, as the babies are provided for that. :)

Thank you for adding your location; it can help for the future re. dental care.
 
Just been and weighed the babies the two that are okay have gained 1g each.
The two white ones one is now 68g and the other 73g
 
Bless them I hope they continue to gain weight and even if they are lethals I hope they can live healthy happy lives xx
 
carole17 said:
Just been and weighed the babies the two that are okay have gained 1g each.
The two white ones one is now 68g and the other 73g
Click to expand...

That is good news; it is what you expect for day 2. You should see a steady weight gain from tomorrow. If you find that the blind/deaf pups start lagging behind, give them special time with mum 2-3 times daily so they have got a chance to catch up.
 
carole17 said:
Apart from losing some weight, they are lively enough. They are wandering around the cage and snuggling into mum and the other two babies.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't worry too much at this stage. Mum's milk doesn't come in straight away, so it is quite normal for piggies to lose a little bit of weight immediately after birth and then start to regain a few days later. Keep an eye on those weights though and if you feel they are missing out on feeding due to the other two being more demanding, then you cam always take the other two out for short times to give them chance to have Mum to themselves for a little while.
 
carole17 said:
Apart from losing some weight, they are lively enough. They are wandering around the cage and snuggling into mum and the other two babies.
Click to expand...

The weight gain is still within the normal bounds at this stage. Just see how things develop and adjust accordingly. ;)
 
Just to update you the two healthy piggies are thriving. Unfortunately despite doing everything possible one of the whites died this evening. I am devastated. Hoping the other one is going to be okay x
 
carole17 said:
Just to update you the two healthy piggies are thriving. Unfortunately despite doing everything possible one of the whites died this evening. I am devastated. Hoping the other one is going to be okay x
Click to expand...

HUGS!

I am so sorry; what a shock for you! It very much depends on how badly your pups are affected by their syndrome. It can cause some major internal damage as well. :(
I am keeping my fingers very much crossed for your other one!
 
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