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How To Find A Good Vet

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BlueBird

BlueBird

Junior Guinea Pig
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Nottingham, UK
Hi there,

So thankfully, I am not posting this because my piggy is ill, but I have a tendency to be over organised and this is one of the things that I don't really want to be doing during a crisis.

So back in the day when my family had piggies, we just took them to our nearest vet and frankly, they were just plain appalling! I remember a very old vet at the practice 'trimmed' (!) one of my guinea pigs teeth when she had growths in the corners of her mouth and left her with no front teeth! It was pretty brutal thing to watch when you were 10 years old. More than one visit to the same practise had been for mystery illnesses which they could not diagnose at all and just sent me off with anti-biotics - (I got the impression it was just to shut me up and sadly did not solve the problem 90% the time).

So now with a new piggy, and being her primary carer, I don't want to fall into the trap of going to a vet that does not have the experience (or even worse, no interest) in guinea pigs who will just send me off with anti-biotics on the off chance that that might solve the problem.

I have been doing some light research into my local vet practices but if I'm honest I have no idea how to tell whether they are good or bad for piggies. Advice on the internet seems to be to take them to an exotics vet but I am unsure whether this is advice for the US or whether it is relevant for the UK too. One of my local-ish practices seems to have an interest in rabbits, however, I am conscious that this is just as likely to be irrelevant to my search as it is a good sign.

I have the other complication that I am reliant on public transport so in an emergency I can't really hop in the car to travel hours to get to a good vet. Thankfully, the city has good public transport but distance is a factor I need to consider. It's also worth mentioning that the vet locator on the forum doesn't have a vet practice that I would realistically be able to get to if I have a piggy that is ill.

Does anyone have any advice on how to tell whether a vet is a good piggy vet or not? I will be asking local rescues where they take there pigs, but they aren't exactly easy to get to so I'd like to know whether there are good vets closer to me just in case.

Thanks all! :)
~Scribbled
 
I started by picking the vet that was easiest for me to get to, and asking if I could pop in for a quick chat.
I already knew she was good with rabbits, but was able to ask her questions about her guinea pig experience too.
She was honest and admitted that although she sees a few and has a small animal qualification, she wasn't an expert.

I asked if she had links to a specialist guinea pig vet and she said she did, and in fact has already consulted them (via telephone) on my behalf.
She said if there was a complex problem she would happily refer us, but has also given me the details to use in case of emergency.
So far (thankfully) our only issues have been an eye problem, mites and a fungal infection, so the local vet has been fine, and easily sorted all of them out.
If there was anything more serious wrong I would be prepared to travel to a specialist vet, but for day to day things I don't think it is always necessary.
 
Hi there & welcome to the forum.

if you have a look at the toolbar at the top of the website there is a vet locator & a rescue locator, click in them and add your postcode & these are vets or rescues that have been tried & tested by members & have been recommended. the locator also gives suggestions of the actual vet/s to ask for, as some specialise in guineas at the practises or different guinea ailments.

there are a couple of other members from Nottingham on here. they may be able to give you recommendations as to your most local recommended vet.

does your girly guinea have a friend? Guineas often tend to be healthier when kept with company. they are social/herding creatures & are wired for companions generally.

my vet is not a specialist/exotics vet, they are actually a large rural practice, but there are 3 vets that seem very good with guineas, one of them has his own guineas so he's always pleased to see my 3 visit, he was very good when my Ellie was Diagnosed with heart problems, he could hear the murmur & was happy to trial meds. it was just a shame i didn't see him a few months earlier which i think would have made a big difference, he's only young but he's very forward thinking & has a definite interest in the guineas.

Its lovely to see you are doing your homework before the need for a vet. hopefully we will see some pigtures of your little lady soon :)

xx
 
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Scribbled28 said:
Hi there,

So thankfully, I am not posting this because my piggy is ill, but I have a tendency to be over organised and this is one of the things that I don't really want to be doing during a crisis.

So back in the day when my family had piggies, we just took them to our nearest vet and frankly, they were just plain appalling! I remember a very old vet at the practice 'trimmed' (!) one of my guinea pigs teeth when she had growths in the corners of her mouth and left her with no front teeth! It was pretty brutal thing to watch when you were 10 years old. More than one visit to the same practise had been for mystery illnesses which they could not diagnose at all and just sent me off with anti-biotics - (I got the impression it was just to shut me up and sadly did not solve the problem 90% the time).

So now with a new piggy, and being her primary carer, I don't want to fall into the trap of going to a vet that does not have the experience (or even worse, no interest) in guinea pigs who will just send me off with anti-biotics on the off chance that that might solve the problem.

I have been doing some light research into my local vet practices but if I'm honest I have no idea how to tell whether they are good or bad for piggies. Advice on the internet seems to be to take them to an exotics vet but I am unsure whether this is advice for the US or whether it is relevant for the UK too. One of my local-ish practices seems to have an interest in rabbits, however, I am conscious that this is just as likely to be irrelevant to my search as it is a good sign.

I have the other complication that I am reliant on public transport so in an emergency I can't really hop in the car to travel hours to get to a good vet. Thankfully, the city has good public transport but distance is a factor I need to consider. It's also worth mentioning that the vet locator on the forum doesn't have a vet practice that I would realistically be able to get to if I have a piggy that is ill.

Does anyone have any advice on how to tell whether a vet is a good piggy vet or not? I will be asking local rescues where they take there pigs, but they aren't exactly easy to get to so I'd like to know whether there are good vets closer to me just in case.

Thanks all! :)
~Scribbled
Click to expand...

@Kerrie74
(Tagging this member for you, as she is from the same area and also has got mobility issues)

It is good to find a decent general vets and out of hours service for emergencies and routine stuff. I still would recommend to look up your closest specialist for those cases that really need one. It can make all the difference.
I often travel on the bus/taxi and train to Northampton with piggies of mine, but have found a general vets and a decent out-of-hours service for run-of-the-mill issues and emergencies in town. It can be a matter or trying until you have found a clinic and a vet you are happy with.
 
Hello, depending on where you are, I'd try Byron Vets on Nuthall Road, there's a vet there called Ben that seems ok with guinea's. They did have a exotics vet connected to the surgery but sadly she's left. My guinea's will be seeing him from now on, unless I can get to Ellie in Alfreton, but that's if I can get my son a lift to there.

My son used to go to a vet near us but after several ups I don't want to use them anymore.

As for specialists in Nottingham, there are non sadly, not that I know of anyway.
 
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Thank you all for the tips. Finding a good vet is a daunting task and yet one of the most important things I need to sort out and after a bad experience I know how bad any random vet can be. I guess it's just a matter of phoning around. Any recommendations as to what sort of things I should be asking? I don't want to come across rude. I did email the rabbit vet but his reply was a bit sort so I hope he was just busy and not offended. :/
 
Hi :) A few could be
- how many surgeries they've done on guinea pigs (and then asking what types they've done, neutering etc)
- what equipment they have that caters to guinea pigs if it's needed
- what they'll do in an emergency (like bloat or heavy bleeding from injury)
- if they deal with a lot of guinea pigs
- rough estimate of guinea pigs they see a week or month etc
- their knowledge of guinea pigs (like knowing the difference between male/female, knowing not to feed muesli and knowing to give hay at all times)
 
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