They are also a major part of the diet in Peru and Bolivia, with more than 65 million guinea pigs being eaten in Peru alone each year. “Lethal” guinea pigs are guinea pigs that, due to complications in the breeding process, are born with physical deformities and other conditions that can significantly shorten the life span. 1,854 likes. Lethal white guinea pigs ("lethals") often die shortly after birth or at weaning age, but with hand-feeding and regular dental care, lethals may live 2 to 3 … One in every four babies born from a breeding pair of dalmatians will be deformed. Special Needs Guinea Pig Rescue in Ashford Kent We give homes to piggies with the lethal white gene along with other health problems. The girls have a genetic condition due to certain genes present in some breeds of Guinea Pigs. Lethal guinea pigs are always white. What the girls lack physically they more than make up for in their unique personalitys. ‘Lethals’ often have short and very difficult lives. Lethal white guinea pigs are born blind and deaf, with varying dental and health issues. The good news is that lethal white guinea pigs are able to live happy lives, enjoying their food and friends like any other guinea pig. They often become very bonded to the human that takes care of them. Lethal White (Microphthlamia): These Guinea Pigs are the result of breeding Roans with Roans, Dalmatians with Dalmatians or with Roans and Dalmatians. They are the ones that have the white/colored mixed patches; Guinea pigs with two copies of the roan gene are the ‘lethal guinea pigs.’ … Whether the pig gets spots or mixed white and colored hairs depends on other genes that aren't important. This is the name for a deformed cavy that cannot survive. They are what is known in the Guinea Pig world as a ‘Lethal White’ Guinea Pig. Reply Lethal White means that the pig has pure white fur and red eyes, which is a sign of albinism. Unfortunately, the breeding can result in the production of a lethal white guinea pig. Most are born dead or live very short lives. 48 Presentation Lethal white Multiple defects 25% of the offspring of roan or Dalmatian guinea pigs are homozygous for the roan allele, resulting in a constellation of birth defects including white coloration, microopthalmia, deafness, malocclusion, malabsorption, and a … The guinea pigs that suffer from this generally do not live very long. For this reason some people feel it is not moral to mate two Dalmatians together at all. Lethal Whites are born completely white with very small underdeveloped pink eyes. Lethal White is a genetic condition that is very rare amongst guinea pigs. Living with 4 Lethal white piggies. Other signs of the Lethal White gene include: Blindness in one or both eyes But not every Pink-Eyed White (PEW) guinea pig is a Lethal White. Source(s): I've owned a lethal white, Einstein, who lived 2 and a half years with diligent care. 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