Injury limping

[pinky]

My guess is he either caught it on something which means it could be sprained or broken or he may have been bitten by something. I don't think there's anything you can do at this point other than to take him to a vet to have him checked.

 

[guineapigfied]

ill try my hardest, even when i had money my dad didnt even think that it was worth it for a $35 "gerbil" UGH.

 

[pinky]

Why don't you keep them at your mom's all the time?

 

[guineapigfied]

they are my responsability im not dumping them on her. also im not with her all the time one weekend every 2 weeks, not much...

 

[pinky]

Well, if it was me, I'd put them back in my room and clean around them. If won't work, I'd take them to my mom's since it's only for a couple of days anyway or do you plan to keep them outside all the time? In that case, I'd rehome them to a home where they'd be kept indoors. If there are so many issues like your dad not wanting them in the house and difficulty covering the costs of their needs, it's not fair to them to put them at risk living outdoors and not providing the care they need. It's not a bad thing to rehome if that's what you need to do to give them the proper care. Just screen the people and make sure you ask for a rehoming fee to get them to a home that will properly care for them.

 

[guineapigfied]

my mom is an hour away, DEFIANTLY NOT ALL THE TIME!!!! uh no! Ive actually been trying to rehome my skinny, but im not going to give him away with an injury like this, its just unfair. my dad is fine as long as they are in my room.

 

[pinky]

my mom is an hour away, DEFIANTLY NOT ALL THE TIME!!!! uh no! Ive actually been trying to rehome my skinny, but im not going to give him away with an injury like this, its just unfair. my dad is fine as long as they are in my room.

If he needs medical treatment and you can't provide it, rehoming him to someone who is willing to cover the cost is the humane thing to do and the fair thing to do for him. Not telling the person about the injury would be unethical but if the limp doesn't get better and you can't afford the vet cost, I'd still rehome him. Your guinea pigs are depending on you to provide what they need and to care for them. I can understand that your dad has the last word about keeping them elsewhere in the house, but they'd be better off in a home where they are safe indoors instead of outdoors.

 

[guineapigfied]

ok thank you, I wish I couldve provided for him but it looks like i will have to rehome him then ill neuter his friend. best i got.

 

[Onetwo]

Yes because you are a child DOES mean that you cannot care for them like an adult can. An adult can jump in their car and drive to an emergency vet at 1am. An adult can open a credit card in an emergency situation to pay for vet fees. An adult has the last say on if an animal can be inside their home etc...

I would bring them back to your mothers house and offer to pay for all the supplies and care for their every need when you are at her house. Maybe ask if you could set up a webcam pointed at their cage so you can watch them online when you are at your dads?

Or appeal to your dad and ask him to entrust the guinea pigs decisions to your care or ask if you can live with your mom so that they can get the proper care.

Please read the links that I posted previously about the dangers of housing guinea pigs outside. Everyone always thinks it will never happen to them but believe me we get tons of posts all the time about guinea pigs getting sick outside unbenounced to their owners. Being found dead in their hutches, being ripped apart by preditors, being stolen by people, being murdered by messed up people. Believe me just because they are fine now doesn't mean they will always be fine. Something WILL happen one day and it will be the guinea pigs that have to pay that high price. We just don't want to see that happen to you. We bearly know you but we already care about what happens to your guinea pigs and you.

If you cannot provide the best of care in the best of conditions then they probably should be rehomed. Its a very hard thing to do believe me when I say it hurts LESS to rehome them then to have them get extremely sick, watch them die over a long period of time and not be allowed to bring them to a vet because of a parent or money situation.

You are still young and you can always adopt a pair of guinea pigs when you are older and have your own place! Pretty soon you are going to be into boys (or girls), clothes, music, sleep overs, after school activities and the like. Guinea pigs live for 7-9 years So in 4 years what are you going to do with them when you go off to college? Do you think your dad will care for them when you are gone? Most colleges require you to live on campus for your freshman year and there are NO pets allowed. At 4-5 years old it would be very hard on them to be rehomed. Most shelters would automatically euthanize a guinea pig that old.

I personally think teaching your mom and step dad the proper care of the guinea pigs and having them take them would be the best choice other than rehoming. But we can only tell you our opinions from our personal experince and all the thousands of post here and on Guinealynx. Believe me when I say many of us have seen and heard it all. You are not the first preteen I have posted to about divorced parents and crappy situations.

I wish you all the strenght in the world to make the right decision. Please keep us updated!

 

[Onetwo]

Where are you located? We might be able to point you in the direction of a local rescue who will get him vet checked and take good care of him!

 

[guineapigfied]

I already know of a shelter around me I go there for supplies and donate everytime i do, but I am not putting my pig there, im not putting extra work on them ill find him a home and check to see if they meet my qualifications and see if they can provide the care he needs (XD thatll be tough)

 

[pinky]

ok thank you, I wish I couldve provided for him but it looks like i will have to rehome him then ill neuter his friend. best i got.

If you can't afford vet care for him, how are you going to afford neutering the other one? And why would you neuter the other male? Don't you only have two males? If you have a female, too, rehome her and spend the neutering money on getting this guy medical care.

 

[Onetwo]

Shelters and rescues are different. Rescues tend to be privately funded and usually only euthanize if its the only last resort. Shelters euthanize sick, injuired and perfectly healthy animals if they cannot find them a home (or if they have too many and not enough space, money or resources.). I would not bring a sick or injured animal to a shelter its a pretty high chance that it will be put down. We know a lot of people looking for guinea pigs and a lot of rescues who could be of great help. If you could rehome him tomorrow that would be the best because if his foot/leg is broken immediate vet care is needed and waiting to find the perfect home isn't plausable. Where as finding a local guinea pig rescue would be a very good thing. PLEASE post your city and state so we can help!

 

[guineapigfied]

i have 2 girls also, but with the rehoming fee i would neuter my male and so i dont have to get another pig.

 

[pinky]

i have 2 girls also, but with the rehoming fee i would neuter my male and so i dont have to get another pig.

If you're keeping them outside and aren't providing medical care, I'd rehome them all and not selectively withhold medical care for one of them. It sounds like you're just trying to get rid of the male and don't want to provide any care for him. You'll spend money you don't have on neutering but not on the injured one that needs care. It doesn't make any sense. Neutering will cost a lot more than a rehoming fee and if there are complications, you will end up with more medical bills. From what you describe at your household, you don't have the support to keep guinea pigs there.

 

[MissJean]

i have 2 girls also, but with the rehoming fee i would neuter my male and so i dont have to get another pig.

Unless you have the world's most generous vet, a re-homing fee doesn't seem like it would cover the cost of neutering.

 

[Onetwo]

You can't charge a rehoming fee for an injured animal! Thats not right considering he needs immediate medical attention. Since he is a skinny you need to be very careful that he doesn't go to someone who would breed him. Skinny pigs are some of the worst treated of the guinea pigs. Plus they tend to live significanly shorter lives than their haired counterparts. Why not take up our offer to help you quickly find a rescue to take him in. Then you would be SURE that he will get the proper vet care, housing, not be breed and what not. You could also rehome his cage mate with him. It will help you a ton with their smell because boys tend to create a cloud of stink when they smell females (and when they are with other males too) that way you will only have 2 females to fend for. Will cost you a lot less headache in the long run! Please let us help you find a rescue for the skinny. There are TONS and many of us run some from our own homes.

 

[guineapigfied]

part of the money will come from the neutering fee, and they im not withholging mdical care, as soon as im at my moms they will get the care they need, but that cant happen right now.

 

[guineapigfied]

like i said it would be unfair if i rehomed like this, yall said i need to rehome him to someone who can care for him?! make up ur minds. like i said they would need me to approve them, i wouldnt rehome to a breeder. i already know my shelters and guinea pigs rescues and rabbit rescues i used to foster animals from them. I am espically attached to his cage mate, he helps teach children the importance of animal care and he was rehomed to me, he doesnt deserve to go to a fourth home after what his past owners put him through.

 

[pinky]

part of the money will come from the neutering fee, and they im not withholging mdical care, as soon as im at my moms they will get the care they need, but that cant happen right now.

You guinea pig needs medical care. That's what needs to be done now. If you won't provide medical care, surrender him to a reputable rescue. They will probably require a surrender fee from you to cover some of the costs for him. They will get him the medical care he needs and will find him a good home that will properly care for him. You said you're at your mom's for a very limited amount of time when I suggested you keep them there so that doesn't sound like a viable solution. Those guinea pigs depend on you to care for them. Neutering isn't the answer if you can't properly care for them. It doesn't matter if you have them separated in two cages or your male neutered and caged with the females. You're still are obligated to properly care for them. It sounds like as long as they are healthy and can work around your needs, you'll keep them. You need to consider what they need and work around that. Medical bills will always pop up and it's a part of owning a pet. If you're not willing or able to provide that, allow them to live with someone who is willing and able to.