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Is my guinea pig a white lethal?

Kizzy77

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My little white piggy (he is called Fish because he is very slippery like a fish) is about 9 months old. I bought him from a breeder, along with another pig who I call Brush. Fish has always sneezed and snuffled a lot, although he is always eating and drinking and playing. He also popcorns a lot! He is smaller than Brush (also a male) , but I don't think they are from the same litter as Fish looks like an American guinea pig, where Brush is an Abyssianian. About 2 weeks ago, I noticed Fish was sneezing more than usual and was also tilting his head. Again, he was still eating and drinking, playing and popcorning. I took him to the vets, who examined him. There was nothing in his ear, with so sign of infection. The vet also told me that his teeth are fine too. Fish was put on a course of Metacam and his sneezing seems to have almost gone away. He does still sneeze but not as much as two weeks ago. Since then, I have learned about something called a 'white lethal'. I am not sure if Fish is blind and/or deaf. He doesn't look particularly skinny, he actually puffs up his body when he is eating. He also gets lots of extra dried skin in his ears. Considering Brush has never had any sneezing or snuffles etc the vet reassured me whatever Fish has, is not contagious. The vet said maybe Fish has allergies. I am not sure what to think really, and since finding out of a 'white lethal' I was wondering if perhaps Fish is a 'white lethal'. I would love to hear what other people think, do you think he is a white lethal or not? I will attach pictures, thank you so much 😊

Fish is white all over, with red/pink eyes.
Brush is black all over with a few orange patches on his back and belly, he also has a ginger and white foot.
 

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I can't answer the question but I can say with confidence that both piggies are gorgeous.

There will be someone along who can answer you
 
Fish is probably a PEW, a Pink Eyed White piggie. PEW‘s are totally different genetically from a Lethal White which often have numerous health issues such as dental, bone deformaties, blindness, deafness and digestive problems. Fish is absolutely gorgeous and so is Brush x
 
Fish is probably a PEW, a Pink Eyed White piggie. PEW‘s are totally different genetically from a Lethal White which often have numerous health issues such as dental, bone deformaties, blindness, deafness and digestive problems. Fish is absolutely gorgeous and so is Brush x
That's brilliant, thank you so much for your help 😊
 
My little white piggy (he is called Fish because he is very slippery like a fish) is about 9 months old. I bought him from a breeder, along with another pig who I call Brush. Fish has always sneezed and snuffled a lot, although he is always eating and drinking and playing. He also popcorns a lot! He is smaller than Brush (also a male) , but I don't think they are from the same litter as Fish looks like an American guinea pig, where Brush is an Abyssianian. About 2 weeks ago, I noticed Fish was sneezing more than usual and was also tilting his head. Again, he was still eating and drinking, playing and popcorning. I took him to the vets, who examined him. There was nothing in his ear, with so sign of infection. The vet also told me that his teeth are fine too. Fish was put on a course of Metacam and his sneezing seems to have almost gone away. He does still sneeze but not as much as two weeks ago. Since then, I have learned about something called a 'white lethal'. I am not sure if Fish is blind and/or deaf. He doesn't look particularly skinny, he actually puffs up his body when he is eating. He also gets lots of extra dried skin in his ears. Considering Brush has never had any sneezing or snuffles etc the vet reassured me whatever Fish has, is not contagious. The vet said maybe Fish has allergies. I am not sure what to think really, and since finding out of a 'white lethal' I was wondering if perhaps Fish is a 'white lethal'. I would love to hear what other people think, do you think he is a white lethal or not? I will attach pictures, thank you so much 😊

Fish is white all over, with red/pink eyes.
Brush is black all over with a few orange patches on his back and belly, he also has a ginger and white foot.

Hi!

I don't think that your boy is a lethal since his eyes are a normal size (lethals have smaller or no eyes) and he doesn't have any dental issues (lethals have a cleft palate which causes misalignment). If he reacts to a rustling bag, he is definitely NOT deaf and therefore definitely NOT a lethal. He is a PEW (pink-eyed white or white self) which is a very common normal and healthy breed that has nothing to do with lethals (which is a genetic defect tied to the roan breeds gene). Pink eyes are a normal eye colour in guinea pigs which also appears with some other coat colours like gold or lilac.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...ig-picture-guide-to-common-pet-breeds.121399/ (See pictures and information on PEWs)

You can find more information on lethals with pictures in this guide here. When you see a lethal, the difference is quite striking as the eyes are very much smaller than they should be.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/roans-dalmatians-and-lethals-explained.51194/

Here is a video of a lethal boar from The Excellent Adventure Sanctuary for guinea pigs with special needs (TEAS).


Which country are you in? How piggy savvy is your vet? Do you have rabbits nearby? Has your vet checked for potential fungal crusts in the ear?
 
He looks very much like a healthy pink-eyed white to me. Lethals tend to have small or missing eyes... his look extremely normal to me. Hope this helps!
 
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