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Warning To Those Who Don't Seek Veterinary Care for Sick Pigs

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Back in the day I used to post on four, five or more forums. Now I am on two. I have chosen the source I trust when I need advice, and while advice from others might come in useful, I know who I want to listen to first and foremost. You have to choose the source you trust the most. You are all right, it really should be a vet.

But where the vet is refusing to listen and is as clueless as to be dangerous, and there is no other accessable vet, what should happen? I know what I think but there are many shades of grey in that question. There are a whole host of issues related to this topic, most of them would end up in "hot topics" I'll bet, because the issue of vet care is so major.

I totally get those who want to trust their vet and their vet only, I am so glad, because it is right, it is far better that someone seeing the pig advises and in an ideal world, there would not even be a need for a medical forum because the vets are always on the ball.

But I have to say on the flipside, I would have lost a number of my pigs a long time ago were it not for talking to other people who are in the position I am now in, people who have been through hell and back with sick pigs.

There's no easy answer, I am no doubt digging a hole for myself in posting this, but it would be negligent of me to ignore the way the discussion has turned.
 
Laura-CCC4 said:
Back in the day I used to post on four, five or more forums. Now I am on two. I have chosen the source I trust when I need advice, and while advice from others might come in useful, I know who I want to listen to first and foremost. You have to choose the source you trust the most. You are all right, it really should be a vet.

But where the vet is refusing to listen and is as clueless as to be dangerous, and there is no other accessable vet, what should happen? I know what I think but there are many shades of grey in that question. There are a whole host of issues related to this topic, most of them would end up in "hot topics" I'll bet, because the issue of vet care is so major.

I totally get those who want to trust their vet and their vet only, I am so glad, because it is right, it is far better that someone seeing the pig advises and in an ideal world, there would not even be a need for a medical forum because the vets are always on the ball.

But I have to say on the flipside, I would have lost a number of my pigs a long time ago were it not for talking to other people who are in the position I am now in, people who have been through hell and back with sick pigs.

There's no easy answer, I am no doubt digging a hole for myself in posting this, but it would be negligent of me to ignore the way the discussion has turned.
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I completely agree with you, with guinea pigs i would much rather trust someone in the know that has or has had piggies, most vets havent a clue as they are exotics and a lot of the time its a guessing game, no fault of their own, but really come on.... they should just say that

Luckily, most of my vets have or have had piggies and seem to know what they are on about plus they are so interested.

Laura, and others, personally, i dont know how some people get on without the advice you guys give......i only wish id have found this forum sooner
 
I feel strongly that it is the responsibility of pet owners to find and register with the best vet they can before they require the services of the vet - by asking your local rescue or forum members in your area to recommend a cavy savvy vet you are more likely to find one that is experienced. No amount of advice via a forum, no matter how accurate, is the same as a hands on examination by an experienced professional who can prescribe the appropriate medication.

It has taken me several different vets before finding the best one for my animals - it may not be the cheapest, it may not be the closest, but they are the best available.

I have, like many, posted for advice/opinions and given it on this and other forums however I would urge anyone to seek the opinion of a vet rather than to rely solely on the advice of people that have not seen their animal or had the appropriate training.

Suzy
 
I agree completely, as much as I put off going to the doctors until I really can't any longer, my animals always go to the vet the moment they appear unwell. I have used holiday days to take them and will do so again in a heartbeat. In fact one weekend I was there three times :( But if I couldn't afford them, I wouldn't have them. It wouldn't be fair.

This was one of the reasons I was so very narked when my brother's girlfrend announced she had bought two piggies. They had just moved into a flat together and so had no money at all (and still haven't rolleyes) and she took herself off to Pets at Home (whilst he was at work) and came home with two baby boys... with no thought of where they would even live it seems :{

Anyway, within days Josh developed a huge nasty abscess on his face. Could they afford to get him treated. Nope. Could I let him suffer, of course not! So I paid for the treatment and would do so again. But it sums up the whole point of this post. She couldn't afford to get him treatment, so IMO she cannot offer him adequate care. She should never have got them in the first place in my opinion (and I admit that between my OH and I have taken bets how long she'll keep them before they end up living with my Mum or Grandma) grrrr

Sorry... rant over. It just hit a bit of a nerve with me!
 
I agree! Yes, I know all too well that vet care is expensive... I had two piggies need surgery last summer, and I amassed quite a bill! However, when I took on pets I took on the commitment to care for them, and sometimes this is going to mean that unforseen costs come up.
 
If people can't afford vet bills, why get pets? :( It's just not fair if they become ill. Even if you provided the most amazing home ever, it's still important that you can afford to go to the vets if necessary. x
 
There is a recession on at the moment which has greatly affected a huge number of people many of whom would have taken on pets when they had the income to support them and are now barely keeping things together.

Instead of this thread being made a sticky as it is I think it is important to highlight and summerise the key aspects including what people should do if they find themselves in the horrendous position of not being able to afford the care that their beloved animal needs.
 
Romily said:
There is a recession on at the moment which has greatly affected a huge number of people many of whom would have taken on pets when they had the income to support them and are now barely keeping things together.

Instead of this thread being made a sticky as it is I think it is important to highlight and summerise the key aspects including what people should do if they find themselves in the horrendous position of not being able to afford the care that their beloved animal needs.
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IMO, if the recession has hit you that badly that you can no longer afford to give your pets the care they need (if they need it) then that is the point when you have to admit to yourself that surrendering them is the better option. I agree that times have changed; some people who may have been able to afford their pets may now be in a situation that they can no longer do that, but these aren't the people the post is aimed at. Laura was referring to those (i believe) that have never really considered the cost or have been able to afford care. I believe that if you could once afford, and did seek medical treatment, but now couldn't because of the recession, you would be more open to the idea of surrendering because you know what's best for the animal.

If i were in a position that I couldn't afford my pigs (i have 9) then I would ask my dad, in advance, that should I need to borrow money would he be willing to lend it. I know he would, but if he said no, then I would have to give up my pigs as there isn't anyone else I could ask. It's that simple and I know it.
 
KimberleysWheekers said:
IMO, if the recession has hit you that badly that you can no longer afford to give your pets the care they need (if they need it) then that is the point when you have to admit to yourself that surrendering them is the better option. I agree that times have changed; some people who may have been able to afford their pets may now be in a situation that they can no longer do that, but these aren't the people the post is aimed at. Laura was referring to those (i believe) that have never really considered the cost or have been able to afford care. I believe that if you could once afford, and did seek medical treatment, but now couldn't because of the recession, you would be more open to the idea of surrendering because you know what's best for the animal.

If i were in a position that I couldn't afford my pigs (i have 9) then I would ask my dad, in advance, that should I need to borrow money would he be willing to lend it. I know he would, but if he said no, then I would have to give up my pigs as there isn't anyone else I could ask. It's that simple and I know it.
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I am not disputing any of what you have said I just think it is worth highlighting the options for people who are in that position if a post is being created about treatment. Many people will not have surrendered their animals because they can afford to keep them but may get into difficulties should the unforseen happen. For example people could afford to treat mites and a variety of ailments but surgery may be without their reach to pay for.

I just feel strongly that a sticky regarding the importance of veterinary care should also highlight options available to people in potential difficulties ie the PDSA.
 
Completely agree.
I'm tight for cash because I am on an apprenticeship but all my money would go towards my animals if need be and if I hadn't of taken Hector to see a dentist I wouldn't of known how bad his mouth was.
 
Yeah. I would go hungry for weeks if it meant my guinea pig or rabbits would get the health care they needed. However, i'm lucky to have a family who would pay out to help my animals get better. :)
 
I do agree with this, but I think, as Romily has said, not everything is black and white. We have 7 guinea pigs at the moment and when we took them on we were in a good position financially. Our circumstances have changed, we are having to fund travel for treatment for Steven for the condition he has so money is extremely tight for us at the moment, and to top it off our car needs repairing and our laptop has broke so will need replacing. We are having an extremely difficult couple of months, but I expect that in a few months time things will be somewhat easier for us as we will only be having to travel for treatment once a month.

Should we need to take any of the piggies to the vet we will, but finding the cash to do so won't be easy. Luckily we have credit cards we can use to tide us over, but not everyone has that option, so although under normal circumstances they may be able to afford care for them, if they, like us, hit a hard time but don't have the options we do should they immediately be expected to give up their beloved pets, even though they may have had them for years?

I think that some of the comments on here are coming from people who still live at home with their parents and don't necessarily realise how hard it can be to have to pay your own bills, mortgage/rent etc and then have unexpected things crop up that your expected to deal with.

I should also point out that I have probably spent somewhere in the region of £600+ over the last 12 months on vet bills for the guinea pigs ( as you know I have Athena at the vets regularly for her ongoing condition ) and will be paying at least another £150 before the end of the year as I'm hoping to get the two boys neutered and Athena has another vet appointment this week ( I have been putting money aside each month to save for the neutering ops ). Maybe it would be an idea for a couple of people to post what their annual vets bills are and how many guinea pigs they have to give people an idea of what they can expect to pay should they have to take their pig to a vet
 
Gems said:
I do agree with this, but I think, as Romily has said, not everything is black and white. We have 7 guinea pigs at the moment and when we took them on we were in a good position financially. Our circumstances have changed, we are having to fund travel for treatment for Steven for the condition he has so money is extremely tight for us at the moment, and to top it off our car needs repairing and our laptop has broke so will need replacing. We are having an extremely difficult couple of months, but I expect that in a few months time things will be somewhat easier for us as we will only be having to travel for treatment once a month.

Should we need to take any of the piggies to the vet we will, but finding the cash to do so won't be easy. Luckily we have credit cards we can use to tide us over, but not everyone has that option, so although under normal circumstances they may be able to afford care for them, if they, like us, hit a hard time but don't have the options we do should they immediately be expected to give up their beloved pets, even though they may have had them for years?

I think that some of the comments on here are coming from people who still live at home with their parents and don't necessarily realise how hard it can be to have to pay your own bills, mortgage/rent etc and then have unexpected things crop up that your expected to deal with.

I should also point out that I have probably spent somewhere in the region of £600+ over the last 12 months on vet bills for the guinea pigs ( as you know I have Athena at the vets regularly for her ongoing condition ) and will be paying at least another £150 before the end of the year as I'm hoping to get the two boys neutered and Athena has another vet appointment this week ( I have been putting money aside each month to save for the neutering ops ). Maybe it would be an idea for a couple of people to post what their annual vets bills are and how many guinea pigs they have to give people an idea of what they can expect to pay should they have to take their pig to a vet
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But in your circumstance if your pets were ill then you still have the means to take care of them, credit card or otherwise. The point of Laura's post is that sometimes you have to do what you say you'd never do and find a new home for them if you don't have a contingency plan for paying for treatment. Yes, some people fall on hard times and selfishly (yes, it is selfish - it is about the owner putting their emotional needs before their pet's health) decide that they will keep their pet and deny it its moral, legal obligation to care when it falls ill.

Romily - just popping to the PDSA isn't that simple either. You have to be in receipt of a number of benefits to qualify for free treatment. They will never deny a pet treatment but it's not as simple as you're skint so you can take your pet to the PDSA for free.

This is one of the hardest to discuss issues surrounding pet ownership. My pet owning world was thrown into turmoil when I had my daughter - your priorities change when you're an adult. Once I said I'd never give them up but now I also have a contingency plan of another home for the piggies should I fall on hard times. Not nice to talk about but there you go. Thankfully I'm in the position at the moment where we're quite comfortable and there's always credit to fall back on so it's extremely unlikely I'll have to cross that bridge.

Here's a list of things you can do if you are finding things hard.


  • Prepare in advance. Set up an account that you put some money aside into every month. This is more preferable than insuring a guinea pig as the premiums you pay disappear into the ether if your pet remains well. Even minors can set up bank accounts with parental permission. Mums and dads - this is your opportunity to teach your child responsibility and get them to set aside pocket money. Most banks will need parental permission for a junior current account.
  • If you're an adult and having a credit card is an option, find one with no annual fee and keep it aside.
  • If you are a minor and in any doubt that your family will not support you in paying for expensive vet treatment, don't ask them for any more pets and certainly don't take any more on (remember it's illegal to buy a pet under 16 and most rescues won't rehome to minors).
  • Check with your vet if they will accept payment plans. Many will.
  • The PDSA is an option but you only qualify if you are in receipt of Council Tax benefit or housing benefit. This means if you are under 18, it would have to be your parents that qualify. The PDSA still request a donation towards treatment.
  • Think about if the worst should happen. Is there someone you know who would take on a sick animal? Do you know where you could surrender your pet to if you find yourself in that circumstance?
I hope a fraction of that made sense :))
 
daftscotslass said:
Here's a list of things you can do if you are finding things hard.


  • Prepare in advance. Set up an account that you put some money aside into every month. This is more preferable than insuring a guinea pig as the premiums you pay disappear into the ether if your pet remains well. Even minors can set up bank accounts with parental permission. Mums and dads - this is your opportunity to teach your child responsibility and get them to set aside pocket money. Most banks will need parental permission for a junior current account.
  • If you're an adult and having a credit card is an option, find one with no annual fee and keep it aside.
  • If you are a minor and in any doubt that your family will not support you in paying for expensive vet treatment, don't ask them for any more pets and certainly don't take any more on (remember it's illegal to buy a pet under 16 and most rescues won't rehome to minors).
  • Check with your vet if they will accept payment plans. Many will.
  • The PDSA is an option but you only qualify if you are in receipt of Council Tax benefit or housing benefit. This means if you are under 18, it would have to be your parents that qualify. The PDSA still request a donation towards treatment.
  • Think about if the worst should happen. Is there someone you know who would take on a sick animal? Do you know where you could surrender your pet to if you find yourself in that circumstance?
I hope a fraction of that made sense :))
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I think that's exactly the kind of information that we need to work on getting out there along with all the other information about a guinea pig's basic needs. It's so important that people have a plan on how they're going to care for a pig. People invest time in choosing their pig, their housing, food etc but often the subject of financing vet bills is overlooked.
 
Gems said:
Maybe it would be an idea for a couple of people to post what their annual vets bills are and how many guinea pigs they have to give people an idea of what they can expect to pay should they have to take their pig to a vet
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That is a difficult one to do really since every case is different. If you have a pig with say a URI who needs one or two appointments and one course of medication then the cost will be very different to say a pig who has ongoing problems and needs weekly visits and medication/treatment for the rest of their days.:)
 
I totally agree with Laura's original post! I am aware of an animal in a poor situation at the moment and really struggling with what to do as they keep lying to me but the animal needs vet treatment and I am almost 100% sure they are lying about it going!

I am a student myself and have forked out hundreds over the last year trying to save one of my piggies but it wasn't to be :(

What I hate is when you are in a pet shop and you hear a parent say "ok you can get one but you have to look after it, I'm having nothing to do with it" grrrr
I wish parents would realise that of course they need to be involved!
 
Hi, I also agree with Laura's post. I don't see her comments as being judgemental but rather common sense. There is nothing 'kind' about knowing a pet needs vet treatment and not going or finding a way to rehome the sick pet.

My GP is the responsibility of my daughter and she does a great job of playing with the pigs (just the one now) and cleaning the cage out. But of course ultimately their welfare is my responsibility and I feel guilty for not seeing the signs that Eric was so poorly and not taking him to the vets earlier. This wasn't about money or not caring, I was just ignorant to the signs and am grateful now for having found this forum which has offered invaluable advice.
 
Perhaps new owners need to be aware of the cost of vet treatment, we had to take a bunny to the emergency out of hours vet last night at 10pm. The cost was £86 which included my discount that the vets have kindly given me being a small rescue.
I couldnt let an animal suffer and nor should any owner. Unfortunately some do.
 
Perhaps new owners need to be aware of the cost of vet treatment, we had to take a bunny to the emergency out of hours vet last night at 10pm. The cost was £86 which included my discount that the vets have kindly given me being a small rescue.
I couldnt let an animal suffer and nor should any owner. Unfortunately some do.
 
MintyAndGarry said:
That is a difficult one to do really since every case is different. If you have a pig with say a URI who needs one or two appointments and one course of medication then the cost will be very different to say a pig who has ongoing problems and needs weekly visits and medication/treatment for the rest of their days.:)
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Oh I know, what I meant was that some people see them as a "cheap" pet so maybe should be warned that vet bills can soon mount up if they become sick so just because they're small doesn't mean they're cheap. As others have said I think you expect to take cats and dogs to the vets but maybe it's not something people consider when buying smaller animals. The trip last night cost me almost £50. I just thought maybe if someone read what people are paying out it may make them think twice before just buying a piggie on a whim.
 
I think Gems has a great idea here.

You could have a "Medical Costs Over A Year" thread. People who have kept a log/receipts over a 12 month period could add to the thread what their pets have cost over that time. That way you would get a range of illnesses, show the different costs across the country as it will vary, and show that each owner will face different costs to keep their pets.
 
I think it's a brilliant idea too, will give new potential owners a better understanding and idea of how much medical costs can be when owning a piggie! :)
 
I have always wondered what vet treatment cost's and i do plan on taking mine for a check over after christmas (there is nothing wrong with them tho) but it would be nice to get a rough idea how much thing's cost.
 
I would be happy to put my vet costs in a thread - the cost of a C section may well put people off taking their pregnant pigs that need help though, but if it puts people off breeding in the first place it will be worth it. Bear in mind that the vets fees do not cover your own costs - petrol, time, stress and heartbreak.

A single pregancy's cost in the past month - 290.97 for the intial oxytocin followed by C section. Follow up meds after a complication a further 25.70 (no consultation or GA fees charged as it was a complication following surgery). A further consultation and meds £38.07 - totalling £354.74. I am lucky in that the guinea pig (Sorrell) survived all this and looks to be making a good recovery and 3 of her 4 babies also survived. It could easily have been very different.

Another pregnancy cost £130 for emergency appointment in middle of the night for an oxytocin inj.due to retained babies, this time it was successful and the babies were delivered safely.

Suzy
 
I don't know exact figures.

We have had 2 check ups, for peace of mind £40.

I had an issue with UTI's Pebbles first (Consultation + Meds) £22, followed by Wilma £22, and then Patrick £22, he was then Xrayed for stones resulting in an additional £49. We had to be prescribed meds more than 3 times, roughly the cost was £20.

Pebbles unexplained lump consultation and Meds £34.

Bettes consultation and Xray, was £64.
Additional Consultation (New Vet), urine test and Check up. £34
Back again Due to bloat returning and pain. Consultation and Meds. £34
Returning (Dental that never happened) We did yet another urine sample and blood sample, Resulting pts £54.

Travel to the vet's £20 each return journey for Bette.

I have only had my guinea pigs for a year past September Scary stuff!
 
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Having 8 guinea pigs there is rarely a month goes by when one of them doesnt need to see a vet. We live on one wage with bills, rent and food to pay for and we manage to provide vetenarian care for our babies. We would go without if we had too, because thats what you do if you have pets. Or you find a way of paying or sadly you surrender the pet. But I agree you should take into account vet bills when you buy a pet.

Also this forum and its advice has been a godsend thank you :)
 
KimberleysWheekers said:
I think Gems has a great idea here.

You could have a "Medical Costs Over A Year" thread. People who have kept a log/receipts over a 12 month period could add to the thread what their pets have cost over that time. That way you would get a range of illnesses, show the different costs across the country as it will vary, and show that each owner will face different costs to keep their pets.
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I'd be happy to start a thread with this info.

What I think is also useful for people to know is that it's never set in stone with piggies. This year I've probably spent in the region of £400, it's just not been a good year because I've lost all my older pigs (they were all 6+ so it wasn't unexpected).

The previous two years I think I spent about £20. So even though you can get lucky your luck can quickly turn!
 
daftscotslass said:
I'd be happy to start a thread with this info.

What I think is also useful for people to know is that it's never set in stone with piggies. This year I've probably spent in the region of £400, it's just not been a good year because I've lost all my older pigs (they were all 6+ so it wasn't unexpected).

The previous two years I think I spent about £20. So even though you can get lucky your luck can quickly turn!
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I agree, I was going to say that some people are fortunate to not have as many vet bills as others. As with people, illness can be unexpected or age related etc.

Just looking at the last couple of posts, you can see the difference in costs. My vets consultation fees are about £6, much lower than what some are charging.

I think if a thread like this is started, it should be encouraged that those who haven't had to spend a lot still post. It shouldn't be a case of only those spending hundreds and hundreds, it would be nice to see a wide range of veterinary costs so that new owners can see the differences people face during their ownership.

Sorry to hear you've lost some of your piggies this year Lorna xx
 
I agree with the original post, it is something that has bothered me on quite a few animal forums.
I think the basic problem is that people ( in general, not on here) will alway consider small animals lesser ad will not be willing to pay large vet bills, those who would be willing to rehome may well struggle, especially at the moment, because all rescues are full and struggling too.

Education is the only way to help small animals- and as said making people aware of the possible vet bills- one off and ongoing, including emergency call outs. We have many a time rushed a small animal to the vets to be treated, Tansy's bill was in excess of £50, and we did much of the treatment ourselves ( sub cut fluid injections etc) if she had been admitted it would have been over £100, and she didn't survive.
 
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Sinbad is an excellent example of not going to the vets and the costs.

He got a scratched eye and it was left. Had the scratch been treated the costs would have been low.

Instead as itwas left he had to have the eye out, the op was £170 and then additional antibiotics for weeks and weeks were approx £15

All in all it was very expensive and resulted in a major op - it could have been a case of eye drops only.
 
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