INTRODUCTION

Guinea pigs usually have four toes on their front legs and three on their hind legs, but polydactyl guinea pigs have at least five toes on one or more of their legs, meaning even more adorable little toes to admire.

WHAT IS POLYDACTYLY?

Polydactyly (from the Greek poly, ‘many’ and daktylos, ‘finger’) is a genetic disorder where a human or animal is born with more fingers or toes than their normal number (usually one more toe). It is detected at birth. These toes are called ‘extra toes’ or ‘supernumerary toes’.

The extra toe is usually a small piece of thin, soft tissue. Sometimes it contains bone without joints; occasionally the digit is complete and functional. The extra digit is usually located behind the little finger or toe, less frequently on the thumb side and unusually sandwiched between other digits. It is usually a bifurcation of a normal finger, and rarely arises from the wrist like other fingers.

IS POLYDACTYLY DANGEROUS TO HEALTH?

No, polydactyly is not dangerous to health and, in the event that the extra finger or fingers can cause a problem, they are usually removed in the operating theatre.

CAN A GUINEA PIG WITH POLYDACTYLY BREED?

It is very common for guinea pigs intended for food consumption to have polydactyly and in these cases it does not matter if they are bred or not, but in those animals intended for breeding as pets or for exhibition this trait is disqualifying, so it is advisable to keep them as pets. In the event that more offspring of the same parents are born with this trait, it is best to remove them from breeding, as it is not an occasional occurrence but a hereditary malformation.

CONCLUSION

Polydactyly is common in guinea pigs and is a fascinating and curious trait. This is not usually a problem, but this hereditary component is not acceptable in selective breeding.