Vet Costs Guinea Pig Vet Costs?

[Pixelwave]

For NORMAL circumstances. I'm not looking to hear about horror stories because I like to be positive in knowing that I'm keeping my boys happy and healthy! But I know sometimes you need the vet. Average costs? How many times have you taken your pig(s) to the vet?

Thank you!

 

[bpatters]

The costs are all over the place depending on what part of the country you live in and even among vets in the same city. When my pig needed a bladder stone removed, the estimates I got were $400, $650, and $2400. You'll just have to call the vets in your area and ask what they charge for various services.

Some pigs go often, some never. I had two sows that were littermates. One lived to be five and a half, and I remember three vet episodes, each one requiring two visits. Her sister went five or six times, but never for anything as expensive as her sisters.

I spent $240 last week for an x-ray and ultrasound checking to see if one had ovarian cysts, and for treatment for bronchitis for another one.

 

[Pixelwave]

Wow! How'd you know to look for a diagnosis on such ailments?

 

[bpatters]

What do you mean, how did I know to look for a diagnosis? One is very pregnant-shaped without being pregnant, and I was worried about cysts. The other one was hooting.

 

[sallyvh]

Vet prices can vary dramatically depending on where you live. Here in Canada in Toronto and the surrounding area vet prices are very expensive.

The exam cost at my clinic is $96. A short appointment is $46 and re-checks are $30. That's just to walk in the door though with no medications or diagnostics.

X-rays are $175
Ultrasound is $400
Full blood work is about $250
A course of antibiotics is around $30, as is a couple weeks of Metacam

These prices are very typical for this area. I've contacted quite a few clinics within a reasonable distance and this is about average.

My one pair of sows are 2 years old and have never been to the vet. They are very healthy and I haven't had a need to bring them in.

However I also have a pair of 5 year old sows who have racked up some bills. My one had a bladder stone, she required X-rays and medications. She passed the stone on her own the day before her surgery, but it was going to be $1500 to have it removed. Her cage mate now has some ongoing malocclusion issues and her molars are needing repeated trimmings. She has had full blood work and X-rays to try and find an underlying cause however no root cause has been found. She's had her teeth trimmed twice now and each time it's about $250-$300, depending on if I need more pain medication.

Bills can really add up for these guys but you could also get a pair of pigs who are relatively healthy for their entire lives. It's all just the luck of the draw but it's always recommended to have some money set aside as an emergency vet fund.

 

[pigmommy89]

I have only taken one pig to the vet in recent years, my Duchess who passed away in December. We had three visits. The first visit we were sure her teeth were overgrown, so we did a molar trim. When the molars looked better than the vet expected, he wanted to do bloodwork to rule out organ disease. All appeared to be normal and we went home with pain meds and instructions to continue Critical Care. (I had already been handfeeding for 2+ weeks.) That trip was $380.

Ten days later, she still wasn't eating, so we went back. This time we did xrays and she was put on Reglan to improve gut motility. That trip was $420 because she had to be anesthetized for skull x-rays.

Our final visit was two and half weeks later, on December 21st. She still wasn't eating and my instincts and previous experiences told me that her kidneys were probably failing. We did repeat bloodwork and a urine specific gravity, both of which confirmed my suspicions. I decided to euthanize her because I felt like she had suffered long enough. The final visit was right around $300.

My point is, something that seems routine can quickly become very expensive, very quickly. I had some money put aside for the pigs, but I also had to get Care Credit to help cover the costs. It was totally worth it, and I'd do it again, but at the beginning I never thought I'd spend $1100.00 and have no pig to show for it at the end.

 

[Saylavi]

My exotic vet charges $64 to look at the pig, the regular cat/dog vet charges $61 to look at the pig. I thankfully have yet to need any special services, but I remember from when I was considering guinea pig insurance they said the average bladder stone surgery was $1200, and I decided not to get the insurance because they would only cover 25%

 

[Fay]

Wow! How'd you know to look for a diagnosis on such ailments?

Reading the medical guide and medical reference pages on the Guinea Lynx website is a good start and their forums also have a lot of medical info but learning most of that will come with time and experience. Being active on these forums also help you to pick up nuggets of information over time. I still learn new things occasionally.

 

[miniver]

Reading the medical guide and medical reference pages on the Guinea Lynx website is a good start and their forums also have a lot of medical info but learning most of that will come with time and experience. Being active on these forums also help you to pick up nuggets of information over time. I still learn new things occasionally.

So very true.
I had to go to a non-exotic vet in the middle of the night. They were terrific but I think the outcome would have been very different if I didn't have a basic understanding of what could be wrong with her and how to care fore her when she was sick. I paid $1,200 total over the next few weeks but I figured I save $500 by using this site and Guinea Lynx before an emergency happened. It also helps to reconize the signs of an illness before it becomes critical.

 

[kairi26]

My vet offers a discount for returning clients. I pay about $45 for the exam, and usually about $10 per medicine for common things like antibiotics and ivermectin. My average total costs for a vet visit are between $60 and $70 after taxes. I haven't had any major problems thankfully, so I don't know what they charge for surgery.

There are two exotics vets in my area and I've been to both. My main reason for selecting this one is that they take all major credit cards, which gives me a lot more wiggle room for potential emergencies vs having to pay out of my checking account.

 

[Geranium]

Hey Pixelwave. I'm in Kansas City and my vet charges $50 for a visit. Repeated visits are what really add up; many places charge for the visit every time, as well as whatever procedure is done (ex. x-ray) and whichever meds are prescribed. I've even had my old vet try and charge me for nail trims ($15 each!), which is ridiculous. That being said I haven't had to take my pigs to the vet an insane amount, probably only twice in the two years I've had them.

 

[HollyLeaf]

I took my pigs into the vet where we have been taking our cats and dogs for the past several years, as our usual vet was actually recommended on the website of one of my local piggy rescues. And she was great! She knew the answer to everything i asked and even gave me some extra tips. She said i was doing everything right, and ive just been following this forums tips. Anyway, i was shocked out of my skin when i was charged a whole $10 for both my pigs just to have a normal health checkup. I believe the first pig was charged, and the second was free. But our vet has always been very down to earth affordable prices. Thats why im so glad theyre no more than a half hour drive!
I cant speak for other areas. It seems to me like my vet is one of the rare good-but-inexpensive ones.

 

[Comely Guineas]

My vet in Australia charges $105 for the exam or consultation and can be very expensive. Just make sure you call them and ask their prices as every place is different.

 

[stray hares]

Just remember that no matter how well you look after your piggies, illnesses can pop up, especially as everyone gets older. I've had a few unpreventable/unavoidable illnesses (Addison's Disease, renal failure, tumours, congenital dental issues, etc.) especially as many of my herd are reaching the 5-7 age group. I have more piggies than most, but still, I think very few of my piggies have gotten to an older age without a vet visit for something. I like to take my older piggies to the vet every six months after they hit the 5-year-old mark, and things like fast growing tumours and such still sneak up undetected sometimes. Be prepared for the worst and hopefully you'll be surprised by the best, I say.

 

[Parabella]

My girls went for their first checkup a few days ago and it was $95 per pig for just a normal checkup in Sydney. My vet said that they really only need to go in regularly when they hit the 3 to 5 year mark as that's when their teeth can start causing issues. But yearly checks to make sure they are health and happy are also good too.

 

[scoottie]

My vet charges 55 per pig I just paid 125 for both pigs and antibiotics