Checkups?

[Patchatch]

Do piggies need yearly checkups?
If so, then I think I might have found a vet and will probably bring my pig in when I can.
What sort of questions are good to ask a vet?

[PigWooBus]

They are supposed to, yes. I have heard every one to two years they need to go. I took Piglet (my eldest) for his first check up when he was about one and a half and would tend toward bringing them every year from now on.

Ask anything you have questions about, anything you're wondering about, I just asked mine various questions related to Piglet. Like he had spurs on his hands, should I leave them or try clipping them, etc (they actually fell off on their own). However, there are some things that even a good vet might tell you that you shouldn't listen to. I have a great vet, but I checked with the people at my local rescue, because my vet told me Piglet is fat and needs to go on a diet. I haven't really figured out yet if he's fat or not (my friend at the rescue said her vet told her that one of her pigs is fat, too, and to not worry about it, because Piglet might not really be fat) but I am planning on bringing Piglet soon to meet some spayed females and pick out a new friend for him to live with, so I am going to ask again when they can see Piglet in person. If your vet tells you to put your pig on a diet, don't. If you can reasonably cut back on what you're feeding a little, that's what I did, because I think Piglet really might be fat. But don't limit their hay, etc., and focus on exercise, not dieting. Just an example. Going to a vet for a check-up is definitely a good idea, and it gave me a lot of peace of mind to have him checked out by a good vet and have her tell me that he is in good health, but if you have questions about any of the vet's advice, check with other piggie people! Hope that helps.

Also, it is good because that way you'll establish a relationship with a vet you like and who knows your guinea pig. It's much better to have that relationship if you ever have an emergency. You know exactly who to go to right away, and they have already met your pig.

[Patchatch]

Thanks. Do you know about how much it costs for a checkup? I've never even heard of this vet before now, but they're the closest exotic pets vet to me. Trust me, I would take Patch to my dog's vet if I could.

[PigWooBus]

I have seen two different vets for guinea pigs (the first one was okayyyy and then i tried a different one who is farther away but i really like, she is great) the first one charged me $47 for an exam fee and the second one charged me $48, so I would guess it's something like that. Will be more if you have to get any medicine.

[PiggieMamaKelly]

I don't take my pigs for check-ups. The best thing you can do for your pigs is know the signs of illness and check them over (and weigh them) once a week. For many illnesses the vet won't be able to detect them without specialty diagnostics such as urinalysis, bloodwork, x-ray etc. There's no reason to put your pig through any of that (especially radiology) without reason to suspect they are already ill. The vet would probably just weigh them, listen to their heart, look at their teeth and feel around for lumps- all of which you can do yourself.

It's certainly not going to hurt to have a vet check them over once a year, but you are better off studying the signs of common illnesses yourself for the other 364 days of the year.

[pigsforlife]

I dont take my girls in for check ups either. Weighing weekly, as well as checking for any abnormalities - such as hairloss, lumps, wounds etc is all that needs to be done. If anything strange or unusual is noticed then it is off to the vet.