Guinea pig breeds

There is limited literature available regarding breed conformations in guinea pigs.
Currently, the issues that we are aware of with breeds are as follows:

Satin syndrome (fibrous osteodystrophy)

This is a condition caused by hyperparathyroidism, which means the body is making too much parathyroid hormone. An excess of this hormone causes calcium to be leeched from bones and teeth, causing them to become fragile.

Satin guinea pigs have been shown to be more likely to carry the mutation which is responsible for this syndrome.

Lethal whites

This condition is a result of breeding two Roan or Dalmatian guinea pigs who both carry the genetic mutation responsible for this syndrome. Affected guinea pigs typically suffer from microphthalmia (underdeveloped eyes), deafness, dental abnormalities, stunted growth and neurological signs and will have a reduced lifespan.

Skinny/Baldwin guinea pigs

There are welfare concerns with these breeds, particularly with skin sensitivity, thermoregulation issues and higher metabolic demands.

Due to the outlined issues above, we would not use images of the above breeds. We may make an exception when photos of the above breeds are used in a medical context.