Hello! I recently took in a baby 6 week old guinea pig from a bad home. Before I went to go pick up the guinea pig the man repeatedly told me the guinea pig needed to be culled cause it wasn’t “born right” when I picked up the guinea pig I noticed that it has NO EYES. Like at all. I immediately thought it was a lethal however I was under the impression that lethals had to be white? This little guinea pig is chocolate and has a small amount of white in his neck and head. I noticed no teeth deformities and no cleft. I’m going to be taking him to a vet later this week. He seems malnourished but he is eating his greens hay and drinking water. Can anyone tell me what might have caused this? Was it just from poor breeding or is he a lethal?
Hi!
No eyes is a genetic defect that can happen to any breed. There is no connection to the lethal syndrome.
It is good that you are already planning to have him vet checked. Please be aware that the bulk of what a piggy is eating in a day (about 80% of the daily food intake) is grass hay, more hay and then followed by hay - which you cannot control by eye. Hay/fresh dog pee free grass fibre is vital for keeping the crucial back teeth ground down, whhose constant growth rate has evolved specifically against the very abrasive silica in it grass based fibres and the gut is laid out perfectly to break and make the most of the tough grass fibres in two runs through the gut. Veg and fresh herbs (preferably green and leafy or watery like cucumber) fill the role of wild forage to supply all the trace elements etc. not present in grass fibre; that is why a small bowl of veg should only be ca. 15% of the daily food intake and why 1 tablespoon=1/8 cup of pellets per should only make about 5% of what a piggy eats in a day.
Keep in mind that there may be other genetic issues.
Please weigh him daily at the same time and if his weight is not going up on a normal diet, you may need to offer him additional recovery fomula top up support. Be very careful when introducing new fresh foods. Do it only in small quantities to allow the gut microbiome to adjust to it without causing diarrhea or bloat.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Blind piggies can have a perfectly normal, happy life. They do not know that they are disabled and they will compensate with their other senses (especially scent, hearing and touch/whiskers). While sight is our strongest human sense, it is actually the weakest sense in guinea pigs. Just emphasise any enrichment that caters to their other senses and if you make changes to the cage layout, do so without wiping down any furnishings so he can easily find what is where by smell and rearrange his mental map accordingly. I have made these experiences with my piggies with severe congenital (i.e. genetic young age onset) and old age cataracts who were still able to free roam following scent spoors on a suitable surface or even manage shallow ramps covered in a good grip/scent retaining material like a carpet offcut.
When looking at the pictures and videos in this guide here, it may help you to know that the brindle (black/ginger) aby featured in many of the pictures, developed congenital nuclear sclerosis and cataracts at a young age and is sight impeded or blind (except for a little dark/light perception). And watching old blind Mali waddling around in her own scent spoor loop until 2 days before her death at around 8 years, still always makes me smile. Joy of life is not limited by lacking a sense or two!
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
Blind piggies (or even blind/deaf lethals) can live with sighted, healthy piggies as carer companions, provided they have a suitable temperament. Company is still very important for the development and the huge comfort factor. Guinea pigs (unless they are kept in sub-standard conditions where they have to fight for access to food) are actually very tolerant and supportive of disabled companions, as long as they can keep up.
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs
There is an excellent rescue in the North Virginia/Washington/Maryland area, Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue and another good guinea pig rescue in Knoxville, Tennessee. Either of these may be able to help you on the ground with advice and potential piggy company since both have practical experience with looking after blind piggies.
Guinea Lynx :: US Guinea Pig Rescue and Shelter Organizations
For videos of how much even worse disabled lethals can enjoy a normal life, have a look at the videos from TEAS sanctuary, which specialises in looking after guinea pigs with chronic severe dental issues:
The Excellent Adventure Sanctuary (for guinea pigs with extra needs)
I hope that this will help you?
thank you!Here is some pictures of him, when I first went to get him I thought he just had an eye infection and they was glued shut or something after further investigating I realized there is absolutely no eyeballs there just the canal where they should be.
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I wonder if it’s a case of inbreeding. Just a guess. To be honest the man doesn’t sound particularly pleasant. Is he a breeder?
As said piggies do really well without their eyes and/or sight. Hopefully he has no other issues, a vet trip is definitely a good idea to see if anything else going on though. Hope all goes well, definitely keep us updated! 
. I actually already have another piggie. He is a 18 week old boar which I named Taquito xD I was hoping to introduce him a companion but with current circumstances I want to ensure the little one is healthy enough and eating adequately on his own before I try to bond them.
His last home looks like a horrible place to be, I bet he's so pleased to have a caring new owner like you x