General You guys are going to HATE me... Please read this I need advice with my pig situation

[I LOVE MY PIGS]

OKK HERE WE GO:

On the 4th of last month I got two male guinea pigs from petco. After having them for four days I noticed one was couching a lot. So the next day I took to petco because they have a 15 day vet care policy so they took both to the vet and i got them back two days ago and noticed now BOTH of them are coughing vet said he gave antibiotics and they should be fine. NOW there is a problem with not one pig but both and its the SAME problem both are coughing and now its even worse then before...

I am just going to return them to petco because I am beyond pissed about this. The vet should have fixed the problem and 10 minutes after them being home I hear a cough... I will get my money back and adopt two guinea pigs from the Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue.

IMPORTANT READ THIS:
I know you guys will say "oh so when your pigs get sick your just gonna return them everytime?" NO that is NOT what I am doing, This situation is very different and they have a condition that was SUPPOSE to be fixed and now its even worse when I got them back. I want to return them and adopt two guinea pigs from the rescue. I WILL pay for the vet bills whenever they get sick no problem I am not going to mistreat them in anyway and it is completeley different scenerio with the petco pigs i am so mad at them.

I have a feeling you will all read this wrong and call me a cold hearted owner but IM NOT. If you were me you would understand. Please please please dont take this the wrong way.

 

[Katie..]

I wouldn't want to deal with going back and forth to a pet store to get a pig to become healthy and them fail.
Besides, getting a pet from a rescue would be better anyway. The pet is healthy and you're not buying from a breeder.

 

[I LOVE MY PIGS]

I wouldn't want to deal with going back and forth to a pet store to get a pig to become healthy and them fail.
Besides, getting a pet from a rescue would be better anyway. The pet is healthy and you're not buying from a breeder.

Okay, thanks for responding. would you agree with what I'm doing?

 

[Katie..]

Yes, I do.
I'm glad you at least tried to get help for those pigs. It's terrible that they would just release them while they are sick. Especially twice in a row.

 

[I LOVE MY PIGS]

Yes, I do.
I'm glad you at least tried to get help for those pigs. It's terrible that they would just release them while they are sick. Especially twice in a row.

ok thank you. the los angeles guinea pig rescue has a LOT of pigs too choose from I am so overwhelemed they all look so cute. Ugh I feel so bad for the pigs I have right now... I know after I return them I am gonna feel so guilty for the longest time but I have to do this. Heres the link to the rescue. I dont know how a rescue works... Do they give them for free or you pay for them aswell? Should I ask any special questions when getting them?
Pet Search Results: Adoptable Pets in Chatsworth, CA: Petfinder

 

[kananaka]

The problem is those pigs will now more then likely be put to death. The OP bought them he/she should CARE for them. Here is a post by the OP saying how they did not regret buying their pigs and how they "saved them" https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...adopted-no-i-saved-these-guys.html#post635268 .

So now that you saved them you pretty much sentence them to die because your pissed?

 

[CavyMama]

My only question is, if you knew about the LA Guinea pig rescue, why didn't you just go there originally, instead of buying in the first place?

 

[Katie..]

@kananaka That's a bit harsh.

They might put them back out to be sold. Who knows?
Maybe I Love My Pigs doesn't have the money to bring those sick piggies to the vet.

 

[I LOVE MY PIGS]

My only question is, if you knew about the LA Guinea pig rescue, why didn't you just go there originally, instead of buying in the first place?

I just now found out about rescuing guinea pigs when I signed up for this site. If I knew about it in the first place. I would have no doubt got them from there.

 

[I LOVE MY PIGS]

The problem is those pigs will now more then likely be put to death. The OP bought them he/she should CARE for them. Here is a post by the OP saying how they did not regret buying their pigs and how they "saved them" https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...adopted-no-i-saved-these-guys.html#post635268 .

So now that you saved them you pretty much sentence them to die because your pissed?

I am pissed because I fixed the issue by sending them to the vet and apparently the vet didnt do anything because now the pigs are in worse condition and BOTH are coughing. They lied to me "Your pigs should be good as new now" 10 minutes after I bring them home, they are BOTH coughing.

EDIT: I was just there the other day and there were no pigs in the cages. So they will most likely put them in the cage when they get returned no harm done.

 

[MissJean]

And what if the piggies from the rescue get sick? It might not be as high of a risk as getting pigs from pet stores, but it can still happen.

I can't help but wonder if you're fully prepared. I'm not trying to be mean, but health issues do pop up and you have to pay for them. I really recommend people saving up for a vet fund. Guinea pigs take a lot of time and money to care for.

Another thing that does bother me, is the returning itself. I know that in the long term you're not contributing to breeding. However, what I can't understand is how you can return them and be emotionally okay with it. It's kind of, well, disturbing?

 

[Katie..]

I know after I return them I am gonna feel so guilty for the longest time but I have to do this.

 

[ech90]

I'm sorry and I don't mean to be critical but I just don't understand. You've had them for a month...how can you not feel attached and bonded to them? How would you be able to "return" them to the store and just walk away, leaving them behind? If Petco messed up or their vet wasn't good, that's not your boys' fault. You say that for any new piggies that you adopt from a rescue "I WILL pay for the vet bills whenever they get sick no problem I am not going to mistreat them in anyway and it is completeley different scenerio" but if you would be willing to pay the vet bills for those pigs, why not pay to take the ones you already have to a different vet and give them (your babies!) a chance instead!

 

[kananaka]

@kananaka That's a bit harsh.

They might put them back out to be sold. Who knows?
Maybe I Love My Pigs doesn't have the money to bring those sick piggies to the vet.

Petco would have to pay if they are still not well. In my opinion its pure laziness and harshness to take them to the vet 1x and then give up and be like oh well I don't want to deal with it. You yourself said....

I wouldn't want to deal with going back and forth to a pet store to get a pig to become healthy and them fail.
Besides, getting a pet from a rescue would be better anyway. The pet is healthy and you're not buying from a breeder.

So you wouldn't want to deal with it? @(broken link removed) was talking about getting rid of these pigs BEFORE the 1st ver visit! This is why people under the age of 18 should NOT "buy" pets. No resposnibility no sense of ownership or commitment (OK not in all people under the age of 18 but RAWR).

I once when I was 15 bought a dog from a pet store. She ended up being VERY sick. I never thought once of giving her up. I spent $500 purchasing her; yes could of returned her but I did not. I took her back and forth to the vet 4 times till she was well, and yes I fought like heck with the pet store to pay the vet bills. I won and she was healthy but never perfect, she had permanent damage from being a mill bred pup. My point is if you buy them or adopt they are yours for better or worse. It sickens me that the OP could easily discard animals so easily. 1 vet visit and he/she is done.

So if I am harsh I am harsh, I am not going to sugar coat it and be like oh it is OK, to me it isn't, to most of the people on this forum it isn't.

 

[I LOVE MY PIGS]

And what if the piggies from the rescue get sick? It might not be as high of a risk as getting pigs from pet stores, but it can still happen.

I can't help but wonder if you're fully prepared. I'm not trying to be mean, but health issues do pop up and you have to pay for them. I really recommend people saving up for a vet fund. Guinea pigs take a lot of time and money to care for.

Another thing that does bother me, is the returning itself. I know that in the long term you're not contributing to breeding. However, what I can't understand is how you can return them and be emotionally okay with it. It's kind of, well, disturbing?

The first thing you pointed out is "And what if the piggies from the rescue get sick?" I said in the OP that for these pigs it will be different I will pay for the vet with no problems at all no thought of returning i dont even think i can. I sent the pigs to the vet and the vet returned them to me saying everything is fine and now BOTH are coughing even worse.

I also stated that i WILL feel very very bad I guess you have to be me to understand the situation.

 

[LitaRutherford]

Have you considered finding a small animal vet on your own? Petco vets have a reputation for not being able to care for small animals, so i've heard. You did say you would pay for vet care for the new pigs, is there a reason (other then being mad at petco of course) that you wont pay for these pigs? I am sure you can still put in a complaint with the store, vet and maybe even corporate, about the poor care your animals received through them. If you found a small animal vet they would likely be good as new in no time, and you might have a closer bond with them because of it.

I completely understand where you are coming from and I would be mad to. But at the same time it is a bit like punishing the guinea pigs for something that isnt there fault. If they are resold, which would not surprise me, they might just end up at that shelter, or a pound, because the next owners might feel the same way you do now. Or possibly worse, if they new owners were less careing.

It is ultimately your decision, and i wouldnt fault you either way, I only offer up an alternate view.

 

[kananaka]

I am pissed because I fixed the issue by sending them to the vet and apparently the vet didnt do anything because now the pigs are in worse condition and BOTH are coughing. They lied to me "Your pigs should be good as new now" 10 minutes after I bring them home, they are BOTH coughing.

EDIT: I was just there the other day and there were no pigs in the cages. So they will most likely put them in the cage when they get returned no harm done.

1 vist! 1 visit they had. We told you before take them to your own vet. And if they were coughing 10 min after bringing them home why didn't you phone the vet or Petco and say hey there are still coughing? Why did you not drive back there immediately or 1st thing the next morning?

SO you are going to discard living, feeling, caring animals because it is not to your liking? You hope that they get put back in the cage you so "honorably" rescued them from (the glass aquarium right?) while they are sick, so sick YOU don't want them? Wow.

 

[CavyMama]

@I LOVE MY PIGS - I too, am having a hard time understanding the concept of returning a living critter that you've had for a month. They aren't a sweater that was torn. They aren't a toy that broke. They are a living breathing creature. It's not THEIR fault that they were sick so why are they being made to pay for it by losing their home?

If you don't like the job that the Petco vet did, find a different vet and send Petco the bill but don't return those pigs, like they are an appliance that won't work.

 

[Katie..]

It is ultimately your decision.

 

[I LOVE MY PIGS]

Here is my alternative. I will go to petco and say that I want them taken to a vet who knows what they are doing with them and I want them FIXED of this problem. And then when its time to get the pigs back I will say I want to return them this being so. they are FIXED and RETURNED. Solves both problems. I would much rather adopt two pigs and love and care for them with my life. I Do not see anything wrong with this solution.