Getting Along Tired of Excuses

[WEAVER]

Ok, I have been this forum for almost a month now and I have to vent!!! I am not trying to sound incompassionate, or start any fights but some people are really beginning to get the best of me. Let me explain. . .

If you have a pet and your pet becomes ill, don't get on the forum and get the rest of us upset and worried about your animal when you are not going to do anything about it!!!! A pet is a family member, take responsibilty and understand this when you adopt one. Would you sit at home and watch your child die because you do not have money to take it to the hospital??? That is cruel and I am tired of so many people thinking it is ok to do it and than come on here trying to get our compassion. If you want a pet, understand it is going to cost money, not only for housing, bedding, food, but also the vet visits. If something is wrong with your animal--yes, please ask the people on the forum for advise, but if someone knowledgeable tells you to take it to the vet, TAKE IT TO THE VET. If you have no intention to do that, please do not even mention it on the forum. People that DO CARE about animals get upset and it is depressing me to see how many of you come on here and pretend to care about your animal, and yet when your animal gets sick or is basically dieing you just sit at home at watch it which a million excusses of why you can't take it to the vet. Am I the only one feeling like this???:boggled:

 

[Percy's Mom]

Not at all. I completely agree with you. The monetary reasons you mentioned are exactly why I decided not to adopt a pair of brothers I was making plans for after all. We decided as a family that we can afford the needs of a dog, 2 cats, 2 guinea pigs, and a hamster, but 2 more guinea pigs would put us over the edge. As cute as they are, people just shouldn't adopt if they can't afford to take care of any and all needs, including vet bills.

 

[WEAVER]

Cavy Spirt--I am sorry I listed this in your e-mail. I meant to start the thread in the kitchen. I was so upset over something I read in the Cavy Chat and came here to vent that I was not even thinking straight Sorry.

 

[Maggie]

I belong to a poultry forum, which isn't what you're talking about but I have a point! I posted the SAME exact rant on that message board, because there were tons of posts about seriously ill birds that people kept asking - "What's Wrong with him?????"
The internet is fast, but NOT FAST ENOUGH in an emergency situation! Many times these posts weren't answered in time, and one member even got mad because their favorite bird died on them before we could help them. We had to explain to them that there aren't vets monitering the boards 24/7, and we're sorry that we couldn't get to them fast enough.
After I posted my rant, I got supporting replies, but also the explanaiton that some people don't live very close to a vet, and truley CAN NOT AFFORD IT. Many people can't afford to send themselves to the doctor, let alone their pet/family-member. Also, with poultry, there are hardly any doctors that are able to treat them. (So many have refused to treat them, and have used the phrase: a sick chicken is a dead chicken. It's cruel but true... ) I also got the reply that a knowledgable owner should be able to recognize common diseases, and should be capable of treating the animal themselves in those situations. Many aweful-looking diseases have easy treatments. (Ex: One of the members explained they had a 'critically' sick bird, who was merely suffering from a vitimin deficiency, which she was able to recognize and treat, the bird recovering fully)
But back to guinea pigs.
Some of these things are the same for them, and some vets don't know how to treat gp's either.

And that's my rant.

 

[ScottandDebbie]

The monetary reasons you mentioned are exactly why I decided not to adopt a pair of brothers I was making plans for after all.

Like Elizabeth posted above,
Scott and I would love to adopt a couple more piggies, but we simply cannot afford to do this and care for them optimally.

It can cost large amounts of money in vet bills and meds to care for these little ones when they get sick. We have spent over $700 for one vet bill alone. I realize that is an extreme, and not the norm, but in that particular illness, it was decided this was the best treatment in preventing death. We did what we had to, to care for this little guy, who had been placed in our care, and it was our desire to do our very best in caring for the little life that we were entrusted with.

And Just on a daily bases... It does cost money to *properly* feed, and care for these precious little creatures.

Scott and I always want to do our part in helping out the shelters when we know there is a monetary need. There has to be a huge financial obligation in running these rescue shelters. I can only guess the huge cost of their monthly vet bills, and for supplies.

WEAVER... It breaks my heart when I read about a little cavy who is very ill, and needs to be seen by a vet, but yet the advise from knowledgeable members seems to go unheeded (for whatever reason).

 

[WEAVER]

Maggie--To a point I understand what you are saying. I do believe though if someone can not afford to feed themself than the last thing they need is another mouth to feed. About a vet being far away, my vet is 45 minutes from me. I live pretty far into the country, but if I noticed something wrong with my animal I would get them there as quickly as possible.

About the vet not knowing how to treat guinea pigs. . .maybe that is true, but there are many good vets who can. The important thing is to think ahead of time and find one before you actually need one. Bring your vet for a well-piggy check up so you can meet them and find out about the knowledge they have at that time. I am also I firm believer that a animal is better put to sleep than sitting at home dieng a slow and painful death while their owner is sitting behind a computer doing really nothing about it.

The forum is a great place to find out information on how to take care of guinea pigs and they do have some medical advice, but even the mods tell people to take their animals to the vet.

 

[Percy's Mom]

After I posted my rant, I got supporting replies, but also the explanaiton that some people don't live very close to a vet, and truley CAN NOT AFFORD IT.

Then they truly should NOT have a pet. If you can't afford it, don't have it. Being adorable and loving and a great companion and hoping that the only thing that will go wrong with an animal is something you recognize and can treat just is NOT reason enough to have a pet.

 

[zambonigirl]

It's really sad, too, that the animals don't show their pain until it's nearly too late, but human beings hop around for an hour (okay, maybe not that long, but OW!) after stubbing a toe (especially the little toe! OW!). We tend to translate our own experiences onto our pets-"Oh, it'll be better tomorrow. We'll just put a little ice on it."

But can't afford it? I know of very few vets where I live that wouldn't work with someone if they needed help. If you get the right vet, they will do what they need to in order to keep from putting down an otherwise healthy animal.

 

[WEAVER]

Another point I would like to make is that if you take your animals to vet regularily your vet gets to know you and knows that your animals are loved and taken care of. The vet respects you and over time trusts you. I believe that if that is the case the vet would see that you do whatever is in your power to keep your pet healthy and he will do the same. You can not expect to just call the vet when an emergency comes up, never before stepping into his office and expect him to put his neck out. Why should he suddenly care when you did'nt before now. He can not save every animal from the kindness of his heart as much as he may want to.

 

[JennG]

As someone who just went through a few vet bills to get my precious girl back to her normal self, I understand. I hated it when I found her paralyzed Thursday evening and couldn't find an emergency vet plus kids were in bed and hubby wasn't home. It was so frustrating and very scary to watch Angel not act like my Angel.

If you're going to own a pet, you better have the money to back up at least the basic vet expenses. I spent over a few weeks for vet bills and meds and xrays about $150. And since it was after Christmas, my vet was willing to work with me. Luckily, I'm now able to start stashing extra money away in case of an emergency. And every pet owner should have a stash somewhere for emergencies.

I've always pointed out that if I HAD to choose between my children and my girls, I'd have to choose my children but I shouldn't be put into that situation if I plan financially. Of course, you never know what the future holds and situations do change. (ie: Hurricane Katrina, divorce, job loss, etc...) Some things are just not in our control.

I guess my biggest complaint, gripe, *itch, is the kids that "own" animals but don't have their parents to help support them financially. Yes, my kids claim to own certain girls (they've decided who belongs to who) but ultimately the girls are my responsibility (and they're all mine!) Anyways, I think parents need to step up and make sure their kids' pets are going to be taken care of properly. Or don't allow the kids to "own" pets until they're capable of earning enough money to take care of it theirselves.

Ok I'll jump off my soapbox.

 

[Lost_Soul]

Cant afford a pet...DONT get one..plain and simple!

 

[nonamian_girl]

I agree with you Jenn, I have been put into that situation a lot (being a kid with no financial support from parents) and it's not a pleasant place to be, especially when you know that your pet needs to see a vet but you can't do anything about it . Hopefully I'll be able to put away some emergency money soon.

 

[Chloë-Jasmine]

It's just me and my love, so money can get tight. We had to borrow money to help pay for the new place. But, I know if it came down to it, my grandma or Shane's would lend me the money for my pigs. As of now, if one of them say got mights, or a small illness, I could afford the vet visit and the medicine. But if one of them needed an operation, I can count on my family members to lend me the money because they know that's what makes me happy. So even if money's tight, if you know you have someone to help you out, then pets are okay. I actaully gave my friend mega **** for not taking her guinea to the vet when the pig's vagina was swelling and bleeding and she stopped walking. She was like, 'I don't have the money.' I was like, 'ask your mom. What was the point of getting her if you're gonna neglect her. And don't say it's not neglect, cause it is.' I went on like that until she felt guilty enough and took her. Sadly though, 3 days later she passed away. Apperently, she hadn't cleaned the cage frequently enough and she had an infection. Now, I thought 'that sounds sketchy to me, I've never heard anything like that on cavycages. Wait a minute, that's because everyone cleans their cage enough!' I figured I was going to get the 'See it was just a waste of money!' But she just called and cried for a bit. I know she learned the hard way but now she knows the sooner the better. But the sad thing is she is getting rid of the rest of her pigs, because 'they don't love you back' so I think her pig dying really got to her because she loved them. But I already made a thred about that so I will stop here.

 

[Matt & Guins]

Unfortunetely this seems to be happening on many different animal forums.

I often read some other cavy forums and it amazes me at the amount of posts I read that state titles such as "urgent", "HELP!!" and "cavy dieing" etc - and the stupid people just wait and wait and wait for someone to basically reply and tell them to get it to a vet!

I mean for god sake, if they suspect that its urgent and the cavy is suffering why doesnt it seem to be an automatic response for these people to take it to a vet?



Matt

 

[WEAVER]

Thank you everyone for listening to me vent about this topic. I am glad that some people do care enough to do what is in the best interest of their pet and to be a responsible owner whether your an adult or a kid.
I ask that if you are going to "BUY" your child a guinea pig, relieze that you are the one with the cash and therefore the financial burden, all the financial burden is YOUR responsibility. Do not teach your child it is ok to watch a animal die suffering because you are to cheap to take it to the vet!!
For all of you out there who have watched your animal suffering and never took it to the vet, you can live with that the rest of your life. My point is, don't take it to the forum and upset the rest of us because you choose to make a VERY BAD decision.
If you own a guinea pig now and he/she has never had a visit to the vet, let this be a wake-up call. I know that some people don't have the knowledge, but when someone shares their knowledge with you, react on it.

After reading this thread no one can say anymore they did'nt know---now you do!! GET A PET, YOU WILL NEED A VET!!!

 

[BabyGrl]

I want to add on that it might be a good idea to have your emergecy fund BEFORE you buy your pet. I lost my job about a month after I got my boys and did not have much set aside. Luckily I have parents that have given me money that I can use for my boys. I had to make a vet visit for one of my guys and it was rough scraping the money up but I still did since it is my responsbility. It just would have helped to have that set aside before hand.

 

[Hansel]

This was told to me by a financial advisor once, "If you were to loose your job, you want to have enough money in your savings to cover all of your expenses for at least 3 months." This is very good wisdom to live by. Babygrl is exactly right, have some money put away beforehand, so many people who get their pigs from stores need some sort of medical attention right off the bat. Even if you go for months without having any problems, you will be set for you first vet visit.

 

[BabyGrl]

So true Hansel and let me tell you when you don't have it, it totally sucks. It sucks even more when you depend on that second paycheck and then your unemployment is denied. I look so forward to the day that my husband is finished with school and has a great paying job and we can actually save money. Then I can work because I want to not because I have to.

 

[Maggie]

I completely agree with you guys - if you can't afford a vet, then don't get the pet in the first place!!!
I also live far out in the country, Weaver, so I know where the closest vetrinary clinic is and that they treat pets, including gp's, and I also have a livestock vet nearby in case my hogs get sick. (not guinea pigs- hogs )
I'm glad we all agree on something for once! Well, it's a hard topic to disagree on anyway...
I'm a teenager, and the only one in the family raising animals, and quite I few I might add. I was told in the beginning that I was responsible for the animals, and I had to buy everything. (I have an income that allows me to buy feed for my animals, and I also have an emergency fund that contains $500)
BUT, before you guys say what you feel - My parent have also agreed to care for my animals when I'm not able to or have somehow run out of money. (My father has fed my chickens before while I was at camp and thankfully has paid my feed bill in hard times, I always return the favor of course.)

 

[Access]

I don't think you'll find a reasonable person who disagrees with what you say, the only thing to consider is that even in the best of intentions financially things can change. Until we have vets who will treat our pets for free, it's impossible to gaurantee you will always be able to get treatment for a sick animal. Even if you have an emergency fund, that fund can be drained by prior sicknesses, as bad things have a nasty tendency to come all-at-once rather than nicely staggered for our convinience. Once you run out of money you have to start making difficult choices, it's never an easy thing.

On the other side, many people I talk to here are devoid of any kind of fiscal 'common sense'. People -- friends, work associates, etc. come to me and say things like "I have $1000.00 in the bank, what should I spend it on. New computer? PSP? mp3 player? Digital Camera? Upgrades for my car?" Saving the money or investing it never even enters their mind, and when I try to explain that, it just goes in one ear and out the other.