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Help with a UTI - Pebble

Vet receptionist just called with some drop off details for Pebble tomorrow. She said make sure he doesn’t eat from midnight tonight! I said he’s a guinea pig. And she said well in that case ignore what I’ve just said!

Well this is filling me with confidence. NOT.
 
I'm sure not noticing Pebble is a guinea pig on the paperwork was an oversight on the part of the receptionist. Try not to worry, at least she didn't say 'so what' when you told her!
My vets aren't informing us of the costs of treatment beforehand unless we ask either. I thought this was now a requirement but maybe it hasn't started yet? I thought the general costs had to be displayed although I can see that is difficult as every case is going to different.
Good luck tomorrow Pebble.
 
piggieminder said:
Vet costs are so high. A scan alone is £1,200 at our vets. They are going to want to give Timmy one this time and I'm not sure I can start paying out that sort of money again.
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Is that a CT scan?
 
Gosh that cost does seem very high for a piggy
Has Pebble had an ultrasound or X-ray recently ? When my RB piggy Bobby had a uti and suspected stone the ultra sound scan and X-ray showed it up - it didn’t cost £1000 but it was 18 months ago
 
piggieminder said:
Vet costs are so high. A scan alone is £1,200 at our vets. They are going to want to give Timmy one this time and I'm not sure I can start paying out that sort of money again.
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I wouldn't be able to afford that either. There's absolutely no way. Hoping for the best for Timmy whatever vet route you decide on.
 
weepweeps said:
Just got the quote £1,000 for scan and surgery if there is a stone.

I can’t afford that 😢. Four years ago it was about £400.

My plan is to have to the scan to see if there is a stone. But not the surgery.
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I'm very sorry😢 I wouldn't be able to afford that either. I see you are going with the ultra sound scan. I'll be keeping you and Pebble in my thoughts and I'm with everybody else in praying that he doesn't have a stone.
 
piggieminder said:
Vet costs are so high. A scan alone is £1,200 at our vets. They are going to want to give Timmy one this time and I'm not sure I can start paying out that sort of money again.
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Sending you hugs. I do have a vet fund but Pebble had his teeth done in January. All of that cost over £500. The vet said at the time there is a real possibility that they will overgrow again. 😢
 
It's hard with repeat treatment I do feel for you and understand. Timmy's xray at Christmas was £500 plus the consult and meds. Timmy's on daily meds for his arthritis. Bertie has just had over £200 for a hay poke. Vet costs are certainly something we are having to take into consideration now when thinking about new friends for the single boys. We have a fund too but now we are all living on savings any way so it's more a case of which pot shall we raid this time!
I wish we could get this point over to people when they are thinking about having these 'cheap starter pets'.
 
The tragedy of soaring vet bills is that even caring and responsible owners think twice about some treatments.
When Phoebe developed her tumour she wiped out my vet fund and that was before the £1500 scan they suggested.
I declined- it wouldn’t have made any difference to the outcome.
It does make you wonder how many people will simply not go the vet or abandon their ‘cheap starter pet’ .
 
Merab said:
The tragedy of soaring vet bills is that even caring and responsible owners think twice about some treatments.
When Phoebe developed her tumour she wiped out my vet fund and that was before the £1500 scan they suggested.
I declined- it wouldn’t have made any difference to the outcome.
It does make you wonder how many people will simply not go the vet or abandon their ‘cheap starter pet’ .
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Sadly this is already happening if you take a scroll through piggy Facebook groups. It’s so upsetting when you think of the piggies desperate for veterinary help 😢
 
The cost of vet care can be outrageous... I ended up paying something like 700 CAD for my past girl, Tomie, to have a vet assessment and blood work- she had a thyroid problem, guess what isn't included on the standard rodent blood panel and requires a whole specialty blood panel? If you guessed thyroid hormones, you are correct! And that wasn't even a surgery, it was just lab work. The bills can add up so fast.

Fingers crossed there's no stone on imaging, poor little guy!
 
Thank you everyone for your kind words and comments. It’s really appreciated. I know I will feel terrible if there is a stone. But one thing at a time. I’m taking him in in 40 minutes.
 
weepweeps said:
Thank you everyone for your kind words and comments. It’s really appreciated. I know I will feel terrible if there is a stone. But one thing at a time. I’m taking him in in 40 minutes.
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Wishing you comfort and strength, I hope it goes OK 🙏❤️
 
The insurance is very restricted. Annual renewal which excludes pre existing conditions and a 4 or 5 year limit, i.e. no insurance for old piggies. No cover for dental work. I think medication might be excluded too 🙁 You have to provide the piggy's age and many of us aren't really sure of that. You have to maintain savings of over £1500 to keep guinea pigs, or face euthanasia when quality of life is poor. But then if the prognosis is uncertain, such as with an older piggy, you might want to have a few more months, or weeks of quality time under palliative care and pain control with a peaceful euthanasia at the end rather than putting the piggy through an operation 😔 I think if your piggy is lucky and has a long life, this dilemma could become a reality eventually.
 
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