Guinea Pig Dental Sanctuary - Your thoughts please

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furryfriends (TEAS)

furryfriends (TEAS)

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This is something I have been thinking about for quite a long time.

As many of you are probably aware, I have taken in guinea pigs with serious dental problems and between my vet and myself, we have managed their dental issues and have enabled them to live a normal life.

I currently have two dental piggies who both came to live with me as they were unable to get the care they needed, and would require for the rest of their life, from a vet in their local area. I fund the treatment for both these piggies and it currently costs over £60 a month for their dental treatment. I would love to be able to offer help to other piggies with long term issues, but the only thing holding me back is the financial side of things. Very shortly the two lethal boys will be coming to live here, but a fund has already been discussed to fund any dental work they may require.

I have considerable experience in rehabilitating dental guinea pigs, and offering the help and support they need, from syringe feeding (sometimes throughout the night as well as at regular intervals throughout the day) to helping and encouraging them to start eating for themselves again, once their teeth are being managed by Simon my vet.

The vet I use is Simon Maddock of the Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton. He is a very experienced guinea pig vet and has considerable knowledge with regard to guinea pig dental issues.

I would welcome your thoughts and suggestions on:-

If a facility like this could work

How it would operate

Whether sufficient funding could be raised, and in what way this could be best achieved.

And I guess most importantly, whether people would like a facility like this
 
I think it's an amazing idea. Finding people with extensive knowledge of dental piggie problems AND the time to dedicate to them is so very rare, not to mention two of you.

I seriously think you should go for it. Perhaps run raffles and prize draws on the forum?

I have made a decision to donate more money to guinea pig charities on here myself so I know I will offer my assistance where I can to your good cause... In fact, I will be dropping you an email shortly about something.

You have my support and backing on this hun! What an amazing person you are to want to put in even more of your time and dedication and well as your own money. People like you make the guinea pigs world a brighter place, just wish more of us could offer what you can :). Massive well done to you and Simon the Vet :)

- Carma
 
I think its a great idea and could be a lifeline to a lot of piggys who have vets and owners with less experience.

I have a piggy with dental issues and have a little insight into some of the costs involved. I am lucky I have a great vet even though its a distance away its well worth the trip.

Not sure about the finances side of things as each of the pigs you take in would need dental work and therefore cost a lot to keep. I wonder if anyone handing one in could sponsor them to help out or in fact maybe you could have them all up for being sponsored (by anyone) with quarterly newletters or something to the sponsors of each.

Other than that fundraising, raffles, selling piggy stuff maybe....

Hope you can go for it,

x
 
I really like the idea of sponsorship! I think it would be nice for people to have a direct piggie link to the money they donate.

-Carma
 
I think it is a fantastic idea Debbie. You are the only person i know that has the experience to deal with pigs such as this & on differing levels.
Your dedication to these piggies is something to be commended because without you i know where they would be now. Yes Simon does the dentals but you are the one who gives the care & the love.

I think a facility such as this could work as long as you have a cap on the number of pigs you are able to care for comfortably.

Regarding how it would work; A possibility is a contract being drawn up between you & the owner that states whilst the pig is in your care they are responsible for any monies for their pigs treatment/care. The pig is still theirs, you are "fostering" if you like, they would be regularly updated on their pigs' progress & they would have an active role in making decisions regarding their pigs ongoing treatment.

I would love a facility like this & if any of mine have dental issues in the future they are moving in with you :)
 
great idea. Perhaps a way of raising funds could be a pig denplan type thing. A sort of backup for people they pay a couple of pounds a month for their pig to be covered incase of future dental issues or something. I for one am completely paranoid about dental issues and would feel better knowing there were experts to help x
 
It's a good idea but you need to look into the legalities of it, Debbie. Obviously Simon would be doing the dental/vet side of it but I don't know what you might need in terms of liability insurance just in case something went wrong.

You've got an amazing heart to be considering doing this xx>>>
 
This is a wonderful idea, there would be a lot of detail to sort out, but if you can make it work, it would be a fantastic service. x
 
Dental problems

Does Simon Maddock do his dental work without an anaesthetic Debbie? I am struggling with a nearly 4 year old boar whose problems started at Christmas. I think he must have got something wrong with his throat, ate less and hence his teeth overgrew. Have been syringe feeding him since Christmas and his teeth are cut every 7-14 days. He will occasionally eat carrot and broccoli but the only thing he will eat consistently on his own are defrosted peas which i squeeze out of their coats - yes, really. I stand there and do that! He will not eat grain or hay. My rodentologist found a lot of fluid in his throat which was pinky and he was treated accordingly and this has cleared up but I guess he has lost confidence in eating or else there is some chronic misalignment? Am thinking of seeing Simon for a second opinion although I live a fair distance away. Anything you can add is most welcome. Linda x
 
Are there any updates on this? I think that in this climate money would be stopping a lot of people from taking these pigs on, so a sense of how you would fundraise would be crucial in my opinion.
 
At the moment I really don't see how I could make this work. I am on a very limited income and have two dental piggies of my own.

I don't want to give up on the idea, but I also can't start something that I may be unable to continue due to financial reasons.

The only way I could see this working would be for me to foster the piggies and for the owner to pay for the dental treatment. Although I run a pet care business I wouldn't charge for boarding of the dental pigs, it would be simply for veterinary treatment that payment would be required. I would also need to look into whether my pet business insurance would cover me for offering a service like this, or if I would need separate insurance.

The idea isn't dead, but a lot more research needs to be done before I can commit to anything.
 
if it was my pig I'd be prepared pay board and vets fees. Just the fact that they were in good hands would be brilliant. Hope you manage to sort something out eventually. It's a brilliant idea x
 
I know some wonderful people who treat dental piggies from their home. They have a few otherwise hopeless cases living permenantly with them. No anaesthetic used. They've done my 2 piggies dentals with me standing right there watching. Within minutes my piggies were happily chomping on parsley. I could ask them if they'd be ok with talking to you about it.They're not officially a rescue or anything like that. They're trained rodentologists.
 
I think its a wonderful idea and its just a pity you are no where near me. Raffles and auctions to raise funds would be a good idea. As this is such a wonderful cause I'm sure many would get involved.
 
Debbie, Just a thought. I think you may be able to work it in a similar way to how some private horse retirement homes work. So how they work is, a horse comes to the end of their working life, and rather than the owner keeping the horse in their care they got to a retirement home where they are looked after and the owners pay the monthly costs. The owners are welcome to visit etc, but there is no obligation to do so.
So, perhaps people in areas where they can't find a decent vet to do dental work could approach you to take their pig on, and the pig stays with you on a permanent basis if it's regular work that they need, and then you have a set monthly donation to help cover costs from each owner, and you keep them up to date with the pigs progress. You'd obviously have to do this on a legal contract so that you all know where you stand and so that you have the rights to sign for any treatment, and that if owners can't be contacted for consent for certain things, you have the right to make the decisions etc. Just a thought, as this could possibly help financially.
 
All0about0the0animals said:
Debbie, Just a thought. I think you may be able to work it in a similar way to how some private horse retirement homes work. So how they work is, a horse comes to the end of their working life, and rather than the owner keeping the horse in their care they got to a retirement home where they are looked after and the owners pay the monthly costs. The owners are welcome to visit etc, but there is no obligation to do so.
So, perhaps people in areas where they can't find a decent vet to do dental work could approach you to take their pig on, and the pig stays with you on a permanent basis if it's regular work that they need, and then you have a set monthly donation to help cover costs from each owner, and you keep them up to date with the pigs progress. You'd obviously have to do this on a legal contract so that you all know where you stand and so that you have the rights to sign for any treatment, and that if owners can't be contacted for consent for certain things, you have the right to make the decisions etc. Just a thought, as this could possibly help financially.
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I think this would possibly be the only way it could work. I looked after a dental piggie for someone last year, and they transferred money to my account to cover all the vet bills. Before Archie became mine and was still a Cavy Corner piggie, they used to pay his vet bills over the phone directly to the practice. I never charge for boarding dental pigs, or for the petrol used taking them to appointments, but I am unable to fund the veterinary costs.

I would also need to think very carefully about how many dental pigs I could take on at any one time, as I can't risk spreading myself too thinly as these little guys need the very best care I can provide.

There is still a lot of things to consider and look into. I need to see if I need to take out further insurance, or whether the pet business insurance I have would also cover this. Also as I have a pet business, I would need to make sure that the dental sanctuary remained totally separate from my business or I could have problems with the inland revenue.
 
I think you have a fantastic idea. I love the sponsorship idea. You could try contacting your local schools. They are always raising money and they normally choose a different charity every year. You could also help to educate some of the families at the same time.
Or do like a lot of the big charities do and get lots and lots of sponsors and have them all pay £2.00 a month to sponsor a specific piggy, and then send out newsletters ect. You could advertise through the local papers.

I am sure that whatever you choose to do that it will be a huge success. You sound like you are an extremely dedicated and motivated person and I wish you and all your piggys the very best of luck.xoxoxoxo
 
I really want to get this off the ground soon. I am going to look at ways to raise funds and will also have a website that will give lots of tips for caring for guinea pigs with dental issues. The website will introduce the current dental pigs and their story to date, plus regular updates on their progress with lots of pics. It will also be possible to make donations to the sanctuary through the website.

With regard to the number of dental piggies I can offer places to at any one time will depend on various issues such as the severity of the problem they have, plus unfortunately the financial situation too.

However, I think we can make this work. Dental problems don't have to be a death sentence for piggies and although it can at times be an emotional rollercoaster, just watching Archie, Wilfie, Bill, Ted and Brownlow happily enjoying life makes it all worthwhile. All these piggies came to me so they can receive veterinary care from Simon Maddock, who is one of the best guinea pig vets in the country.

I really want to be able to offer this chance to other piggies who sadly develop dental issues, but need ideas for the best way to raise much needed funds.
 
Thats great news. Its such a wonderful thing you are doing and I wish you every success.
 
It may be worth approaching your local pet shop and fruit and veg shop about sponsership.

A regular bale of hay and the odd large bag of pellets would be a relatively cheap donation from the shops point of view, and it would be great advertising for them to have signs around the shop saying they are supporting a rescue. Best to approach a shop that you are in regularly enough that you get on well with staff and management.

Fruit and veg shops all have waste on a daily basis. Although they can't sell this, its because it only has a couple of edible days left, or one small part of the cucumber/lettuce/carrot etc is damaged. My local shop gives me about 4 carrier bags a week - all of it fit for humans, just not as pretty as they like their veg to look. Again, letting other customers know that they support a local charity is great advertising for them, and you are doing them a favour by removing waste.

Best to talk to the small veg shop, in my experience they are always very good. Cheaper too, and mine sells free range eggs and milk - cheapest in the town for both.

Chains that sell veg, like asda, tescos, etc tend to be horrors when you ask about the brocolli stalks, or loose cauliflower - its waste to them, but staff on the floor have to hunt down a senior manager, who then usually has to discuss with another senior manager before you get an answer. mallethead I've only done this about three times in the big stores - its just too ridiculous.

I know it doesn't answer the problem of expensive vegs bills, but it will cut your food bill.
 
I think this is a brilliant idea, we have 2 dental piggies in at the moment and I can't see them finding a home anytime soon. Although we will take care of them until a home is found, they are taking up a space which could be used for piggies that need rescuing. Whereas if they had a sanctuary to go to they would get the experienced forever home they need and it would free up a rescue space for piggies.
 
I read your post about this before and glad it has cropped up again.
I would be willing to donate a set monthly amount direct to your Sanctuary to help these dental piggies if that's an option - they deserve the treatment and dedication of people like yourself to live a normal life :)
 
All offers of financial help, ideas for sponsorship etc are gratefully received. Please keep the ideas coming in.

I really want this to work, but to be a success I need to have sufficient funds available and unfortunately I can't finance this myself. Dental piggies can have so many other issues arising. Wilfie is currently battling a very nasty abscess and Archie has been needing very frequent treatment on his teeth, although we are hopeful that we can soon revert to the fortnightly filings, rather than the weekly ones that have been needed to get him back on track.

As I am sat here at the computer I can see Archie at the food bowl munching away. Just watching him eating well makes me feel so proud. He was such a poorly little guy when he arrived here just over a year ago and although the past year has been rather a rollercoaster at times, it's hard to believe he's the same piggie. I just want to be able to offer the same chance to other dental piggies.
 
PiggiePal said:
great idea. Perhaps a way of raising funds could be a pig denplan type thing. A sort of backup for people they pay a couple of pounds a month for their pig to be covered incase of future dental issues or something. I for one am completely paranoid about dental issues and would feel better knowing there were experts to help x
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Having had a piggie with dental problems I would like to join a co op where I could pay in advance for the day my Beans needs dental work.:o
 
Hi
I think its a brilliant idea - I know at least one rescue who gets sponsorship for some of their piggies on e-bay so that might be an option -on a larger scale if there is perhaps a toothpaste company or factory near you perhaps they would sponser a piggy - on a smaller scale private dentists locally (or several ) - perhaps each dental practice in the area might be willing to sponser a piggy - at £300 a root filling I'm sure they can afford it !

Goo Luck
 
Five years ago I started this thread. Did I ever, in a million years, expect my idea of a dental sanctuary to become a reality? Not only have I achieved this, but TEAS is now a registered charity and going from strength to strength. Feeling very proud!
 
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