Satin?

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jess496

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Does my guinea pig have a satin gene? For a while I’ve been concerned that he is a satin because of how shiny he is but I’ve read that they usually get issues very early and he is 2 this year, so far haven’t had any problems with him. My exotic vet is an hour away and if he’s fine I don’t think it’s necessary to take him just to ask that question. Ignore his very serious face, he was annoyed with me for taking photos and videos.
 

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He is very beautiful. He's also very good at showing you his annoyance! I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him! What all will you have to endure to get back in his good books!?!

I'm sorry I can't answer your question.
 
fluffysal said:
He is very beautiful. I have only ever seen the one satin, my recently passed Mischievous Master Boris 🌈, as soon as I met him I knew he was a satin. He had an absolute aura of shine. @Eriathwen has much more knowledge than me.View attachment 282056
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How old was he when he passed?. He looks very similar to mine. They look very beautiful but not nice for them to have the satin gene, I’m not very experienced with the satins
 
Mrs Tiggy Winkle said:
He is very beautiful. He's also very good at showing you his annoyance! I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him! What all will you have to endure to get back in his good books!?!

I'm sorry I can't answer your question.
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Yes he is good at that! He asks for attention and loves to bite me because he finds it funny 🙄😂 does a popcorn after it haha
 
It is very difficult to distinguish satins on their own but often much easier when in company of other piggies where the extra shine really stands out.

Your boy doesn't particularly scream out satin to me and he is now past the age where the more aggressive forms of satin disease would have made themselves known, so I would try to take a very deep breath.

If that is not possible for you because it continues to cause you anxiety, maybe an x-ray would be the best way forward to show whether there is any visible damage to his bones or not.
Satin hairs are hollow under a microscope, so you could ask your vet whether they could have a look at his hairs compared to his companion's at the same time.
 
He certainly has a nice healthy sparkle to his coat, but I dont see the classic light ring around the nose you often see in photos of satins, although there is a brightness around his cheeks. Hopefully he is just a very glossy, healthy non satin.
 
jess496 said:
How old was he when he passed?. He looks very similar to mine. They look very beautiful but not nice for them to have the satin gene, I’m not very experienced with the satins
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He was just about turning 3. There were signs of satin syndrome for over a year but he eventually deteriorated extremely fast. One common sign is sleeping in positions that take pressure off the hips, leg propped up etc (as pictured). I agree with @Eriathwen about the halo of light they usually display. You can see it clearly in the 1st pic.20241106_172711.webp20240823_105025_remastered.webp20250630_141938.webp
 
fluffysal said:
He was just about turning 3. There were signs of satin syndrome for over a year but he eventually deteriorated extremely fast. One common sign is sleeping in positions that take pressure off the hips, leg propped up etc (as pictured). I agree with @Eriathwen about the halo of light they usually display. You can see it clearly in the 1st pic.View attachment 282080View attachment 282081View attachment 282082
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First photo shows a lot of the satin gene. Looking at your photos, I don’t think mine has the gene. He does like to lay like that in the last photo, but that’s just him relaxing.
I’m really sorry about your guinea pig, it’s sad that he had the gene and it’s clear he was very loved by you.
One thing I find very odd is that he’s quite fussy with veg and herbs, leaving piles every day since I’ve had him but he has no issues with hay and pellets. He’s a big boy at 1700g so I have no idea how he puts weight on especially with such a big cage. I’ve also noticed that when I put him back in the cage after holding him, his ribs feel different from other guinea pigs I’ve had but probably nothing to worry about.
 

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jess496 said:
First photo shows a lot of the satin gene. Looking at your photos, I don’t think mine has the gene. He does like to lay like that in the last photo, but that’s just him relaxing.
I’m really sorry about your guinea pig, it’s sad that he had the gene and it’s clear he was very loved by you.
One thing I find very odd is that he’s quite fussy with veg and herbs, leaving piles every day since I’ve had him but he has no issues with hay and pellets. He’s a big boy at 1700g so I have no idea how he puts weight on especially with such a big cage. I’ve also noticed that when I put him back in the cage after holding him, his ribs feel different from other guinea pigs I’ve had but probably nothing to worry about.
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Hi

The normal adult weight range of guinea pigs is about 800-1800g - that is a lot wider than most owners expect because they focus on the narrow average line of 1000-1200g in the middle of the road and not on the width of the road.

As long as your boy is a healthy weight/size, then there is nothing wrong with him. My Pioden was bordering underweight according to his own BMI at 1500g and could have easily carried 1700g for his ideal weight. He was my biggest piggy and covered my whole underarm and hand while my smallest, cousins Llinos and Lleian, are just touching 600g from below.
Pioden was just picky at his eating as well but as he lived to around 8 years or so, it quite frankly didn't matter in terms of a good life and extended life span.

More of my longest lived piggies come from the kerbside of the weight road and not from the dividing 'average' line in the middle of the road when I look back on my coming up to 100 piggies going through my life since my childhood.

Please try not to focus on numbers, expected behaviours and potential problems - they are in your own mind. As long as your boy is healthy and happy in himself, then there is nothing wrong with him. Try to cherish him as he is with all his unique quirks because he is perfectly OK and just himself; but he is perfectly fine in being himself and not a model for ads.
What makes guinea pigs so adorable is that they are all unique and different; and that as far as guinea pigs go, rules are there to be broken. ;)
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

The normal adult weight range of guinea pigs is about 800-1800g - that is a lot wider than most owners expect because they focus on the narrow average line of 1000-1200g in the middle of the road and no on the width of the road.

As long as your boy is a healthy weight/size, then there is nothing wrong with him. My Pioden was bordering underweight according to his own BMI at 1500g and could have easily carried 1700g for his ideal weight. He was my biggest piggy and covered my whole underarm and hand while my smallest, cousins Llinos and Lleian, are just touching 600g from below.
Pioden was just picky at his eating as well but as he lived to around 8 years or so, it quite frankly didn't matter in terms of a good life and extended life span.

More of my longest lived piggies come from the kerbside of the weight road and not from the dividing 'average' line in the middle of the road when I look back on my coming up to 100 piggies going through my life since my childhood.

Please try not to focus on numbers, expected behaviours and potential problems - they are in your own mind. As long as your boy is healthy and happy in himself, then there is nothing wrong with him. Try to cherish him as he is with all his unique quirks because he is perfectly OK and just himself; but he is perfectly fine in being himself and not a poster advertisement model. What makes guinea pigs so adorable is that they are all unique and different; and that as far as guinea pigs go, rules are there to be broken. ;)
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Oh I’m not worried about his weight at all. I’ve never really believed in guinea pigs being “overweight.” All my males have been chubby and I’d much rather they were a bit big than underweight. I weigh them every week so I can keep an eye on any weight loss because that’s usually a sign of illness. If they lose weight consistently for a few weeks, then I’ll take them to the vet.
Yes they’re all different. He’s not my heart piggy but he is lovely and very cheeky.
I actually got him from the adoption area in a shop where no one wanted him for months. Every time I went in he was still there so I took him home as a companion for my last guinea pig who sadly died of heart failure. They interacted a lot through the cage for hours everyday as they couldn’t live together.
(I know you guys don’t like us buying from shop or a breeder but in my area there is literally no rescues for guinea pigs and when I emailed a rescue that was far away they said I had to go on a wait list).
I won’t be getting any more even though I sometimes feel guilty that he might be lonely. I try my best to spend time with him but sometimes he refuses to come out. When I do take him out, I hold him up to the top of the cage so he can see the 6 year old grumpy boy, they both purr at each other 😂 typical males.
 
jess496 said:
Oh I’m not worried about his weight at all. I’ve never really believed in guinea pigs being “overweight.” All my males have been chubby and I’d much rather they were a bit big than underweight. I weigh them every week so I can keep an eye on any weight loss because that’s usually a sign of illness. If they lose weight consistently for a few weeks, then I’ll take them to the vet.
Yes they’re all different. He’s not my heart piggy but he is lovely and very cheeky.
I actually got him from the adoption area in a shop where no one wanted him for months. Every time I went in he was still there so I took him home as a companion for my last guinea pig who sadly died of heart failure. They interacted a lot through the cage for hours everyday as they couldn’t live together.
(I know you guys don’t like us buying from shop or a breeder but in my area there is literally no rescues for guinea pigs and when I emailed a rescue that was far away they said I had to go on a wait list).
I won’t be getting any more even though I sometimes feel guilty that he might be lonely. I try my best to spend time with him but sometimes he refuses to come out. When I do take him out, I hold him up to the top of the cage so he can see the 6 year old grumpy boy, they both purr at each other 😂 typical males.
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It's lovely that he got a great home with you ❤️
 
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