Pets and vets...

[daftscotslass]

I'll copy this from another place I posted it because having seen a few of the posts within the last couple of weeks I think it's exceptionally important that a few of the newer (and often younger) members mull this over a bit.

All too often across many a forum now I am seeing posts where people have seriously ill animals and cannot/will not take them to a vet. Sometimes it's out of selfishness (the vet will tell them that it's time to consider euthanasia) or because they don't have the finances.

Note that I am not referring to minor complaints that can be dealt with at home by experienced owners - broken teeth, small cuts, early stage mites. I am by no means suggesting you go to the vet every time your pet sneezes or scratches once. But people need to know where to draw the line. If it's something you don't know anything about, see a vet. If your pet is acting out of character, see a vet. If in ANY doubt, see a vet.

If you cannot be financially responsible for the veterinary treatment of an animal, seriously reassess whether or not you should own one now or own one in future. There are organisations in the UK (PDSA et al) who can assist with costs/treatment if you qualify - have this in place before you get a pet. Many vets also accept credit cards - I understand that not everyone wants to get into debt but if it's a matter of life and death then I know what I would (as I have in the past) chose to do.

Here's some emergency options:

• Negotiate with the vet on pricing. Often they will let you use credit, pay in installments or even negotiate on the overall costs. When I was at university and had limited funds (though I would have covered the cost regardless, I was given the option) the vet asked how much I would be willing to pay for surgery on my pig.
• Contact an alternative vet - some are cheaper than others.
• Ask your vet about the possibly of delaying payment such as until the end of the month if that's when you get paid/get money.
• See if there is a university veterinary hospital near you. Often you could get a very high standard of care for a decent price.
• Contact your local rescue. They may be willing to treat the animal if you surrender ownership.

In the UK, for example, because that's where I live, you have a legal requirement to seek veterinary treatment for a sick animal. If you choose not to seek treatment or instead treat yourself/get a non-veterinary person to treat - you risk prosecution. That is ASIDE from, naturally, any moral obligations you have. I am sure the situation will be similar across the globe.

If you decide to have pets and have limited finances put aside a set amount each month for an emergency fund - i.e. a seperate bank account. There are several insurance companies across the world that will insure guinea pigs which is great, but they often have an excess - an amount, often into the hundreds, that you will have to cover yourself before they pay out. Read the small print before you buy any such policies.

Parents/child owners.

I also have come to realise that it's especially important to consider age of the owner as a factor when it comes to seeking vet treatment. All younger (i.e. under the age when you cannot legally earn money yourself) owners need to bear in mind that they are NOT ultimately responsible for vet care of your animals. It is all very well to save up allowance/pocket money but, as I will mention in the next part, vet bills can be more than you could ever imagine.

Bear in mind that vet bills can, and do, run into hundreds of dollars or pounds. You can adopt a pet in the UK currently from the age of 12 (16 in Scotland, unsure of how it is across the rest of the world), but your parents MUST be willing to support you financially. If you do not have the support from your parents, grit your teeth and walk away. Don't push the issue. It just isn't good enough to say that you love your cavies but your parents don't. It is your parents who are legally obliged to seek treatment on your behalf (at least that is the case here in the UK).

Parents - guinea pigs are family pets. If you are adopting one for your child bear in mind the costs involved. As above, if you are not willing or able to cover the costs, you need to seriously reconsider.

[smartorl]

Excellent post, I would like to add, a well visit is a good idea in my opinion. Many vets are hesitant to accept an emergency patient if they haven't been seen before. Three out of the five vets in my area will not accept an emergency that was not a patient or at least that the owner is not a client. Of the two that will, they will admit to charging higher fees due to the additional time needed for a history before the animal can be seen. I would also rather see a vet's lack of knowledge with my pigs in a non-emergency situation and be able to find someone else, rather than have their lack of knowledge possibly lead to the death of my pet. Again, excellent post.

[Jennicat]

Also like to add... establish a relationship with a vet. Have a vet that you go to normally. Take your pets in for checkups, and even sometimes if you can treat it at home. A vet is much more likely to let a known client with an excellent history of paying their bills leave a post dated check or come back and pay after payday that someone off the street with whom they have no experience with.

[daftscotslass]

Originally Posted by smartorl

Excellent post, I would like to add, a well visit is a good idea in my opinion. Many vets are hesitant to accept an emergency patient if they haven't been seen before. Three out of the five vets in my area will not accept an emergency that was not a patient or at least that the owner is not a client. Of the two that will, they will admit to charging higher fees due to the additional time needed for a history before the animal can be seen. I would also rather see a vet's lack of knowledge with my pigs in a non-emergency situation and be able to find someone else, rather than have their lack of knowledge possibly lead to the death of my pet. Again, excellent post.

Thanks... great point.

I had discussed with Laura (CCC) on the thread on the other forum about general checkups for pigs as well. I think if you are new to owning pigs, as Laura pointed out, it is important to schedule a regular check-up for your pig. As a new owner, you generally do not have a basis for comparison when it comes to symptoms of illness so it's important to have the pig seen by a vet quarterly, for example. This is particularly important if you are not confident in the likes of nail clipping. For the more experienced, however (I'm only now starting to consider myself experienced after almost 15 years of owning pigs) this can be dramatically reduced.

Checkups and familiarisation visits to the vet for new pigs, though I appreciate that it doesn't happen in all cases, needn't cost a fortune. Investigate if your vet has something like ours does - a free initial health check for any new pet to encourage people to visit them more regularly.

Finally, for all you British members, I would like to add that a non-veterinary qualified "rodentologist" is not a substitute for a cavy-savvy vet in an emergency situation. One person found this out the hard way after being told by one that under no circumstances should they treat their pig's mite infestation with ivermectin.