[Gpdd] [HEALTH] Possible pregnancy and Lethals

[Dr Kay Dudman]

Dear Donna

It doesn't sound as if you have a Dalmation or roan; Squeaky sounds more
like an agouti with a speckledy coat, and Teddy sounds like a crested
Dutch.  So, it doesn't sound like the lethal gene is going to be a
problem.  I don't think you need to worry about this, but there is some
more background on lethals below.

Have you been weighing Teddy regularly?  I weigh my piggies every week as
a matter of course.  If Teddy is "expecting" you will notice a weight
gain.  The Richardson book I mentioned in a recent Digest says that the
first movements of the foetuses can be felt at 42 days, and more strongly
at 50 days.  If you think Teddy is pregnant you should avoid handling her
too much.  You'll want to get a professional veterinary opinion about
whether she is likely to be pregnant.

What you will need to watch is that she doesn't have problems with the
birth if she is pregnant.  It is generally recommended that sows don't
have a first litter after they are ten months old, and idealy a first
pregnancy would be at around five months.  The reason for this is that
the pelvic bones can fuse as the sow matures, and therefore and first
birth could be more difficult.

The issue of lethals relates to Dalmatian X Dalmation or roan X roan
breeding.  In order to achieve a Dalmatian or roan, breeders need to breed
out to another variety (such as a self colour) in order to avoid the
lethal gene in the babies.

Dalmatians and roans have genes that mean that if like is bred with like,
the babies born have the "lethal" gene from both sides.  What can happen
is that the babies have no eyes, or very small eyes (microphthalmia), or
the babies could be born with cleft palates, which means they would not be
able to feed.  Also, roan to roan breeding can also result in an
abnormality called "bull backed" where the foetuses are very large with
spinal abnormalities; although these babies are born dead, they can cause
problems for sows giving birth because of their size.

Kay