I believe some vets should be prevented from treating guinea pigs

[Digital-Sneeze]

This is a rant, and sorry if that's a controversial title.

It's very clear now that some vets are absolutely not capable of treating guinea pigs. I had a consultation with a vet a couple of weeks ago for my 7 year old pig for blood in his urine. I feel like this is probably the most common issue that a guinea pig has, and yet she spent a good chunk of the consultation on her phone, I assume checking a vet reference guide. To my dismay she only prescribed a 3ml bottle cat metacam (at £31), at a dose of 0.2 a day, and a 5 day (only) course of septrin, and that was after arguing her down from baytril which he cannot tolerate (he stopped eating and drinking for a month the last time, even with probiotics).

I've never had a vet deal with cat metacam, only dog metacam, but that's an order of magnitude lower than the dog metacam doses I've been prescribed at my previous vets.

What's worse is that the antibiotics didn't clear up the blood, even after I requested a second bottle of septrin, so it's more than likely stones.

Because of his very advanced age I've opted against surgery, and therefore didn't want to put him through an xray which I feel would be pointless and risky, and have instead chosen pain management. However, the vet has refused to budge on the metacam dose, and also refused dog loxicom. The best she has done is a prescription (at £30) for a 15ml bottle of cat metacam.

This is probably very controversial, but I've ignored the vet's dose, and am giving him 0.5ml twice a day of the cat metacam. He's doing OK on this dose, but it's still much lower than what I've been prescribed by a previous vet for another pig I had in a similar situation, so I feel it could be a higher dose still, but I'm burning through the medication I have very quickly.

So after £300 spent there, I'm now in the process of getting his notes passed to my previous vets in the hope they can take a better approach and supply me with a good amount of dog loxicom and at sensible dose.

Anyway, sorry for the rant and if I seem like I'm coming across as if I know more than a vet, but sometimes it just feels like that's the case.

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

Unfortunately there are not many vets that specialise in guinea pigs, and a lot of it is most likely a result of the lack of literature for the species. Though used for decades in research and drug development, piggies are actually a very under researched species.
I remember having a chat with out vets (who are very pig savvy - a rarity). and even in some of the more recent publications there are literally a mere few sentences on guinea pigs; and even then nothing with substantial impact.

I was in a similar situation when one of my boys was poorly, and had a local vet inject analgesics - with no idea of the detriment this has on guinea pig immune function. Hence why I have to travel my boys 200 plus miles to our specialists vets should they require veterinary care. Unfortunately this is a huge contributing factor toward my decision not to keep guinea pigs in the future, once my older boys have all left for the rainbow bridge. There is just lack of veterinary care available, which makes piggy keeping that much more difficult (and frustrating)

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

Unfortunately there are not many vets that specialise in guinea pigs, and a lot of it is most likely a result of the lack of literature for the species. Though used for decades in research and drug development, piggies are actually a very under researched species.
I remember having a chat with out vets (who are very pig savvy - a rarity). and even in some of the more recent publications there are literally a mere few sentences on guinea pigs; and even then nothing with substantial impact.

I was in a similar situation when one of my boys was poorly, and had a local vet inject analgesics - with no idea of the detriment this has on guinea pig immune function. Hence why I have to travel my boys 200 plus miles to our specialists vets should they require veterinary care. Unfortunately this is a huge contributing factor toward my decision not to keep guinea pigs in the future, once my older boys have all left for the rainbow bridge. There is just lack of veterinary care available, which makes piggy keeping that much more difficult (and frustrating)

I totally understand how you feel. I love my pigs more than anything, but the ever-present feeling that there's a lack of understanding out there means it's a constant uphill struggle with vets, and their varying often cautionary, often bizarre, approaches to dealing with them. I've also considered a life without guinea pigs because of the stress, but bar a perfect storm of losing the last two at once, it would likely mean just keeping one on their own until they pass, which I'm not sure I could do, unless they happen to be especially good on their own. I current have 5, mostly through circumstance, but ultimately 3 will be my limit in the future.

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

I totally understand how you feel. I love my pigs more than anything, but the ever-present feeling that there's a lack of understanding out there means it's a constant uphill struggle with vets, and their varying often cautionary, often bizarre, approaches to dealing with them. I've also considered a life without guinea pigs because of the stress, but bar a perfect storm of losing the last two at once, it would likely mean just keeping one on their own until they pass, which I'm not sure I could do, unless they happen to be especially good on their own. I current have 5, mostly through circumstance, but ultimately 3 will be my limit in the future.

Yes, breaking the cycle is difficult. I have a younger boar keeping my remaining older boy company; but will have to consider options for him in the future. Otherwise, I'll be keeping piggies forever. It is a constant struggle. I have horses, my dog and two businesses (plus a full time job) so I also feel that I cannot dedicate as much time to the piggies anymore. Life changes, and changes rapidly.
That combined with the lack of veterinary support has meant I've made a difficult decision.

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

Yes, breaking the cycle is difficult. I have a younger boar keeping my remaining older boy company; but will have to consider options for him in the future. Otherwise, I'll be keeping piggies forever. It is a constant struggle. I have horses, my dog and two businesses (plus a full time job) so I also feel that I cannot dedicate as much time to the piggies anymore. Life changes, and changes rapidly.
That combined with the lack of veterinary support has meant I've made a difficult decision.

That's an awfully busy life. I have a lot more free time, but even I struggle. The moment one of them needs feeding through the night or regular 12-hour medication your life effectively goes out the window.

I hope you find a good solution, maybe someone can adopt him that you fully trust (although that's a challenge on its own).

 

[artcasper]

I know what you mean.... i've used local vets at times (before I found one that specialises in Guinea pigs) and felt very let down.. finding one that knows what what is life changing!

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

I know what you mean.... i've used local vets at times (before I found one that specialises in Guinea pigs) and felt very let down.. finding one that knows what what is life changing!

Glad you found one you can trust! At least this time I've learned that a 20 minute train journey to my previous one will be better than the 10 minute walk to my new, and poor, one.

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

That's an awfully busy life. I have a lot more free time, but even I struggle. The moment one of them needs feeding through the night or regular 12-hour medication your life effectively goes out the window.

I hope you find a good solution, maybe someone can adopt him that you fully trust (although that's a challenge on its own).

It really does, I gave up the best part of a year to nurse my boy Odin. Lots of time off work and not leaving the house because he needed around the clock care

Do take care of yourself too. I learnt the hard way! We need to take care of us, to enable us to take care of the animals to our best standards

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

It really does, I gave up the best part of a year to nurse my boy Odin. Lots of time off work and not leaving the house because he needed around the clock care

Do take care of yourself too. I learnt the hard way! We need to take care of us, to enable us to take care of the animals to our best standards

You're absolutely right. I've only had about 5 hours sleep since Sunday, and barely any food. I need to get on top of that!

 

[Bill & Ted]

I have experienced one vet at my local practice (new and very young) prescribe Cat Metacam at 0.2 ml, this is the very lowest you can possibly prescribe and it’s the starting benchmark. Luckily it was for a hay poke which healed up very quickly but she did try it on with the wrong person and told me is was the same strength as Dog Metacam, she soon realised her mistake. Most good experienced vets laugh at this useless dose and prefer to prescribe a good dose of Dog Metacam. There is a total lack of experienced guinea pig vets around the country, if you have one hang on to them, if not try and find one. It makes life so much easier when having all the strain of a poorly piggie to cope with

So sorry for you, have you looked on the Recommended vet list? Although unless you know the name of the actual vet then it’s still a risk as to who you might get. I travel to see Simon or Kim Maddock in Northampton if it’s anything other than easily treated

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

I have experienced one vet at my local practice (new and very young) prescribe Cat Metacam at 0.2 ml, this is the very lowest you can possibly prescribe and it’s the starting benchmark. Luckily it was for a hay poke which healed up very quickly but she did try it on with the wrong person and told me is was the same strength as Dog Metacam, she soon realised her mistake. Most good experienced vets laugh at this useless dose and prefer to prescribe a good dose of Dog Metacam. There is a total lack of experienced guinea pig vets around the country, if you have one hang on to them, if not try and find one. It makes life so much easier when having all the strain of a poorly piggie to cope with

So sorry for you, have you looked on the Recommended vet list? Although unless you know the name of the actual vet then it’s still a risk as to who you might get. I travel to see Simon or Kim Maddock in Northampton if it’s anything other than easily treated

For a vet not to know the strength difference of dog and cat metacam is such an egregious failing. I don't think it's fair to pay consultation prices when a vet is, by the sounds of it, winging it.

I wasn't going to name and shame the vets, but before I've dealt with Coastway in Brighton and the surrounding areas (I believe Celine is on the recommend vet list; I've no idea if she's still there though). Fortunately they are still accessible to me, and I've had largely good experiences (some bad ones of course, but usually not with the vets themselves). I took a risk on the very local vet to me, and I've probably burned my bridges there by telling the receptionist I thought the vet I saw was dealing in homeopathy, so that's an extra reason for me to travel a little further from now on.

 

[Lady Kelly]

I don't agree that some vets shouldn't be able to treat guinea pigs BUT...

For a pet that is so common, so readily available for purchase, so much marketed as a family pet... I do believe that ALL vets should have adequate training to deal with common problems in guinea pigs (and in rabbits, rats, gerbils and hamsters for that matter). Common problems such as UTI's, URI's, mites/lice, ability to check teeth. So basically ability to conduct appropriate diagnosis and appropriate prescriptions with a referral to more specialised vets for treatment if they don't have the knowledge/experience

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

I don't agree that some vets shouldn't be able to treat guinea pigs BUT...

For a pet that is so common, so readily available for purchase, so much marketed as a family pet... I do believe that ALL vets should have adequate training to deal with common problems in guinea pigs (and in rabbits, rats, gerbils and hamsters for that matter). Common problems such as UTI's, URI's, mites/lice, ability to check teeth. So basically ability to conduct appropriate diagnosis and appropriate prescriptions with a referral to more specialised vets for treatment if they don't have the knowledge/experience

I think that's fair. I would like to see more transparency with vets, to give an understanding of the level of expertise. I've also often found with vets they don't tend to let you fully explain what's wrong. I don't know if this is a time management issue, or something that's common with vets, but I've often found myself talked over before fully explaining observations etc. and I can tell that some vets already know what they are going to do before I've even finished explaining the problem.

 

[Pantalaimon]

It’s so frustrating when a person you should be able to rely on for your pets care when unwell doesn’t even know what they are doing. I think the worst part is that they will not admit that they don’t know something.
I think most people who’ve had guinea pigs for more than a few years and have encountered health issues with them has an experience with a vet who just doesn’t know the species.
I’m lucky enough to have a really good vet now but not so much in the past. I had a guinea pig who was prescribed long term canaural ear drops, antibiotics, metacam and probiotics because the vet didn’t know what to do, she died and I only discovered afterwards that it was most likely one of two manageable long-term conditions.
I also had a boar who developed a small abscess on the side of his anal sac opening. When I said to the vet (a different one this time) that he had an abscess on his bottom, she checked his back! Then told me it was on his penis and that he had a scabby patch on his back that needs treatment (it was his grease gland!).

 

[Bertie & Jelly]

My boys are registered with an exotics vet. The more experienced vets we see do appear consistently confident in diagnosing and prescribing however a routine check up this week with an intern resulted in a discussion between us about whether the Metacam dose he prescribed really was the right dose for a 1.2kg piggie. After a ‘that’s what the book says’, he popped out the back and returned shortly to agree with me and changed the dose. I found similar with my equine vets - the recently graduated started off ‘by the book’ but gradually became more confident and willing to discuss options. Much as I was when I first started in my career. I do feel sympathy with vets as they probably spend only a fraction of their training and practice with exotics/small mammals despite their rise in popularity.

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

It’s so frustrating when a person you should be able to rely on for your pets care when unwell doesn’t even know what they are doing. I think the worst part is that they will not admit that they don’t know something.
I think most people who’ve had guinea pigs for more than a few years and have encountered health issues with them has an experience with a vet who just doesn’t know the species.
I’m lucky enough to have a really good vet now but not so much in the past. I had a guinea pig who was prescribed long term canaural ear drops, antibiotics, metacam and probiotics because the vet didn’t know what to do, she died and I only discovered afterwards that it was most likely one of two manageable long-term conditions.
I also had a boar who developed a small abscess on the side of his anal sac opening. When I said to the vet (a different one this time) that he had an abscess on his bottom, she checked his back! Then told me it was on his penis and that he had a scabby patch on his back that needs treatment (it was his grease gland!).

That's horrible tbh. It's this kind of story that really contributes to the decision we often have to make when putting a pig to sleep. That burning question where you ask yourself if you're doing the right thing, or if there's a solution from another vet. I'm sorry you had to go through those regrets.

These comments are definitely inspiring me to hunt down a really good vet I can stick with though!

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

My boys are registered with an exotics vet. The more experienced vets we see do appear consistently confident in diagnosing and prescribing however a routine check up this week with an intern resulted in a discussion between us about whether the Metacam dose he prescribed really was the right dose for a 1.2kg piggie. After a ‘that’s what the book says’, he popped out the back and returned shortly to agree with me and changed the dose. I found similar with my equine vets - the recently graduated started off ‘by the book’ but gradually became more confident and willing to discuss options. Much as I was when I first started in my career. I do feel sympathy with vets as they probably spend only a fraction of their training and practice with exotics/small mammals despite their rise in popularity.

I think it's definitely right to question them when you're concerned they may be wrong, something I'm definitely learning as the years go on. Part of me feels bad for how I spoke to the receptionist and vet yesterday, however I know now that there's no point in hiding concerns just to placate a vet because they are a vet (even more so now after reading these comments).

 

[piggl]

I'm training to be a vet and some care i’ve seen/heard of in general practice is horrible. You have every right to express your concerns and your vet should (in an ideal world) listen to your concerns and act accordingly, but unfortunately this isn’t always the case.

I’m sorry you had to deal with that, and I hope you can get more clarity with your new vet.

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

I'm training to be a vet and some care i’ve seen/heard of in general practice is horrible. You have every right to express your concerns and your vet should (in an ideal world) listen to your concerns and act accordingly, but unfortunately this isn’t always the case.

I’m sorry you had to deal with that, and I hope you can get more clarity with your new vet.

That's extremely concerning if someone who is training feels that way! Just shows that's it's not just disgruntled pet owners.

I'll try my best to put aside that nagging feeling that I'm being unreasonable in the future. It's difficult when I don't have any professional knowledge, but that doesn't mean I'm automatically wrong.

And thank you!

 

[Bill & Ted]

I do think an element of training is missing when it comes to guinea pigs. I also think there is still “well, it’s a children’s pet, buy another one” in some cases. It is also very telling in the consideration that Guinea pig dentistry can lumped into Rabbit dentistry as far as the BVZS is concerned which just about sums it up really!

We are paying for a pretty poor service a lot of the time

 

[Bill & Ted]

I'm training to be a vet and some care i’ve seen/heard of in general practice is horrible. You have every right to express your concerns and your vet should (in an ideal world) listen to your concerns and act accordingly, but unfortunately this isn’t always the case.

I’m sorry you had to deal with that, and I hope you can get more clarity with your new vet.

I bet you will make a wonderful guinea pig vet, shame you’ll not be near me

 

[Claire W]

The worst advise I was ever given from a vet was to have my late Edward pts if his penis didn’t retract back in to his foreskin. It was only a build up of smegma and thankfully his penis retracted back once the vet nurse had given him a clean. The same vet, trimmed his teeth using nail clippers and made his problem worst! I’m now thankfully with a vet who I like and trust and will listen to my concerns and is prepared to try things I suggest but even they under dose some medications.

Sadly since cat metacam is now licensed for guinea pigs, vets have to prescribe it as a go to medicine. I was very grateful when my vet gave me dog metacam after I asked for it and made it clear that I was aware of any risks of being given an off licence medication.

It is such a worry that few vets know how to treat guinea pigs and they’re still seen as a cheap children’s pet where another can just be bought

 

[Eriathwen]

My vet has always been pretty open about how little training he recieved in guinea pigs, and how few (zero) he had treated before moving to the UK, but it was obvious from the get go that he was an excellent vet and I trusted his judgement, over the years we have built a good relationship and tackled a lot of weird and not so wonderful issues together with the help of colleagues he has reached out to. I would rather work with a vet without ego and willing to learn, than one who pretends to know it all any day. He has proven to be an excellent surgeon and reliable to a fault with his advice and opinion, I dont trust many people with my pigs but I trust him without a doubt. It does come as quite the culture shock when I have to deal with other vets, although the new ones at the practice have also all been incredible now he has reduced his hours, but when I've had to use other practices? I don't think I have once had a good experience.

I spend a lot of my time assisting guinea pig owners on Facebook and have unfortunately seen many die at the hands of a vet who doesn't understand guinea pig medicine, in 2023 there are still vets prescribing oral penicillin which of course is always fatal and something I always hate having to advise on, because generally, I'll stick up for vets in any and every way I can because of the relationship I have with my practice, I get to see some of the crap they have to deal with unreservedly behind the scenes, but in these cases there is just no defending those types of actions.

Personally I think there should be something similar to pet shop licenses, if they don't have a license to sell a species, they can't house and sell them. If a practice does not have staff with suitable up to date knowledge on a species, they should advertise they are not equipped to treat that species. That feels like the best of both worlds, owners aren't making a gamble on their pets lives and vets can focus on species they're passionate about and offer good service for without having to deal with disgruntled owners, in spite of feeling they've done their best for them.

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

I do think an element of training is missing when it comes to guinea pigs. I also think there is still “well, it’s a children’s pet, buy another one” in some cases. It is also very telling in the consideration that Guinea pig dentistry can lumped into Rabbit dentistry as far as the BVZS is concerned which just about sums it up really!

We are paying for a pretty poor service a lot of the time

Yeah I definitely agree. I would say few understand the complexity guinea pigs have, emotionally, and apparently, medically. With the likes of Pets At Home often selling them a single pigs, it doesn't seem like much will change any time soon to counter the perception as a child's first pet.

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

The worst advise I was ever given from a vet was to have my late Edward pts if his penis didn’t retract back in to his foreskin. It was only a build up of smegma and thankfully his penis retracted back once the vet nurse had given him a clean. The same vet, trimmed his teeth using nail clippers and made his problem worst! I’m now thankfully with a vet who I like and trust and will listen to my concerns and is prepared to try things I suggest but even they under dose some medications.

Sadly since cat metacam is now licensed for guinea pigs, vets have to prescribe it as a go to medicine. I was very grateful when my vet gave me dog metacam after I asked for it and made it clear that I was aware of any risks of being given an off licence medication.

It is such a worry that few vets know how to treat guinea pigs and they’re still seen as a cheap children’s pet where another can just be bought

That's absolute shocking. I know there'd be elements of poor understanding, but that just seems like malpractice to me! It's also making me more suspicious of any vet I might meet in the future, but I suppose being prudent can't be a bad thing.

Yeah the average person is worlds away from understanding guinea pigs and what they mean to some people. If I ever say to someone that one of my pigs is ill, it's always an "oh no!" as though I'd just spilt a drink down myself. I've stopped even trying to engage people on an emotional level about my pigs.

I'm glad you found a good vet, and avoid horrors like that in the future.

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

My vet has always been pretty open about how little training he recieved in guinea pigs, and how few (zero) he had treated before moving to the UK, but it was obvious from the get go that he was an excellent vet and I trusted his judgement, over the years we have built a good relationship and tackled a lot of weird and not so wonderful issues together with the help of colleagues he has reached out to. I would rather work with a vet without ego and willing to learn, than one who pretends to know it all any day. He has proven to be an excellent surgeon and reliable to a fault with his advice and opinion, I dont trust many people with my pigs but I trust him without a doubt. It does come as quite the culture shock when I have to deal with other vets, although the new ones at the practice have also all been incredible now he has reduced his hours, but when I've had to use other practices? I don't think I have once had a good experience.

I spend a lot of my time assisting guinea pig owners on Facebook and have unfortunately seen many die at the hands of a vet who doesn't understand guinea pig medicine, in 2023 there are still vets prescribing oral penicillin which of course is always fatal and something I always hate having to advise on, because generally, I'll stick up for vets in any and every way I can because of the relationship I have with my practice, I get to see some of the crap they have to deal with unreservedly behind the scenes, but in these cases there is just no defending those types of actions.

Personally I think there should be something similar to pet shop licenses, if they don't have a license to sell a species, they can't house and sell them. If a practice does not have staff with suitable up to date knowledge on a species, they should advertise they are not equipped to treat that species. That feels like the best of both worlds, owners aren't making a gamble on their pets lives and vets can focus on species they're passionate about and offer good service for without having to deal with disgruntled owners, in spite of feeling they've done their best for them.

I'd love that. I knew I took a risk going to a small vet, I even tried looking online to see what their expertise was, but there was little available. Just something to let people make an informed decision would be so helpful.

That's great about your vet though. I've rarely had a chance to build a rapport with a specific vet, though there have definitely been one's I've liked. I need to try harder to pin down one, once I've found a good one of course.

That's great of you to help out people online though. If it wasn't for people like you and on this forum I would honestly have no idea of just how wrong vets can be, and how much there is to know about guinea pig health and behaviour.

 

[Freela]

I don't know about prevented, but there are a lot of vets out there willing to treat guinea pigs while not having a lot of up-to-date training on them. I would much rather a vet tell me that they don't have a lot of knowledge/experience with rodents than give my pet substandard treatment.

In my province vets that treat animals other than cats and dogs seem to bill as 'exotic' vets.... unless it was an absolute crisis, I wouldn't take any of my little guys to see anyone who wasn't an exotic vet. It's crazy to me that something as common as a guinea pig or a hamster is considered 'exotic,' but that seems to be the accepted term here.

I do think these pretty common pets should be included in all veterinary courses, especially emergency conditions where you can't always wait for your preferred vet, but given a choice I don't want my pet to be the only pig/hamster they've seen this month. I want them to not only have training but treat that kind of animal regularly.

I do think that if more people actually cared enough about little animals to seek vet care, vet schools would have to improve training for smaller species. In Ontario most guinea pigs or smaller animals probably NEVER see a vet. They're viewed as disposable pets for kids. Most people I know are shocked that my guinea pigs and hamsters have a vet, have had procedures done when needed, etc. The 'It's just a guinea pig, get a new one!' attitude is very strong here and I think it makes this knowledge base less in demand.

 

[Apples]

I came across this thread while trying to gather my thoughts for a thread of my own after being to the vet with one of my piggies yesterday. I feel bad on one hand for not trusting my vet enough not to google things, but veterinary knowledge of guinea pigs seems so limited despite all the vet’s best intentions of helping animals get better and mistakes seem to be made quite often with guinea pigs...

But it’s something I also struggle with as an owner: there is so little information available on guinea pigs compared to when I research something for my horse.

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

I don't know about prevented, but there are a lot of vets out there willing to treat guinea pigs while not having a lot of up-to-date training on them. I would much rather a vet tell me that they don't have a lot of knowledge/experience with rodents than give my pet substandard treatment.

In my province vets that treat animals other than cats and dogs seem to bill as 'exotic' vets.... unless it was an absolute crisis, I wouldn't take any of my little guys to see anyone who wasn't an exotic vet. It's crazy to me that something as common as a guinea pig or a hamster is considered 'exotic,' but that seems to be the accepted term here.

I do think these pretty common pets should be included in all veterinary courses, especially emergency conditions where you can't always wait for your preferred vet, but given a choice I don't want my pet to be the only pig/hamster they've seen this month. I want them to not only have training but treat that kind of animal regularly.

I do think that if more people actually cared enough about little animals to seek vet care, vet schools would have to improve training for smaller species. In Ontario most guinea pigs or smaller animals probably NEVER see a vet. They're viewed as disposable pets for kids. Most people I know are shocked that my guinea pigs and hamsters have a vet, have had procedures done when needed, etc. The 'It's just a guinea pig, get a new one!' attitude is very strong here and I think it makes this knowledge base less in demand.

Yeah it's the same in the UK, pretty much anything other than cats and dogs are considered exotics. Exotics vets seem to be confined to the bigger surgeries in city centres. Cat and dog vets, everywhere though!

I spend a lot of head space time thinking about the thousands of guinea pigs sat on their own in tiny cages, neglected. Knowing how emotionally rich they can be makes it a constant source of depression, honestly. The idea that an animal is so readily available, but come with no guides on how to look after them, with vets ill-equipped to treat them, is something that needs to change, but probably won't, sadly. But you're right in that if vets had a greater general knowledge of them it would help things somewhat.

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

I came across this thread while trying to gather my thoughts for a thread of my own after being to the vet with one of my piggies yesterday. I feel bad on one hand for not trusting my vet enough not to google things, but veterinary knowledge of guinea pigs seems so limited despite all the vet’s best intentions of helping animals get better and mistakes seem to be made quite often with guinea pigs...

But it’s something I also struggle with as an owner: there is so little information available on guinea pigs compared to when I research something for my horse.

There really are no concrete guides I've found. And even the existing ones you can find can be a bit contradictory. A lot of what I learned was just through vet visits, browsing this forum etc. I think you get to a point where you start to get instinctive about what's wrong and what you think might be best.

Definitely don't feel guilty about questioning something you aren't sure about, I'm trying my best not to.