I Don't Know If This Is Insensitive, But...

[TheCavySlave]

Okay, so, I don't know if this sounds insensitive, but how common are life illnesses? I mean, how likely are elderly piggies to get a serious, long-term-care terminal illness? I know I'm thinking years ahead, but I don't know if I should be prepared or if I need to calm down.

 

[sport_billy]

Try not to dwell to much on the future. The future happens and we can't change the past all we have is now and the moment in front of us. Just enjoy each day with your loved ones including your pets and you'll have no regrets should anything happen.

Piggies are like humans, the older we get the more chance we have of getting something wrong with us. But please try and enjoy the here and now. X

 

[VickiA]

As @sport_billy says piggies are like humans - it just depends on their constitution. Some piggies seem teflon coated and never have a day's illness - we had one like that who lived to over 8. Other piggies seem accident prone and catch illnesses. Others seem to just muddle by with the occasional old age complaints (stiff joints etc). It's just the luck of the draw. What's important is to enjoy them and not to spend worrying about the future too much. You can't change the future and worrying about it only steals your precious good times now.

 

[*kate*]

I agree that it is mostly the luck of the draw although Piggies that start life living in awful conditions can have problems that follow them through life.

 

[Wiebke]

Try not to dwell to much on the future. The future happens and we can't change the past all we have is now and the moment in front of us. Just enjoy each day with your loved ones including your pets and you'll have no regrets should anything happen.

Piggies are like humans, the older we get the more chance we have of getting something wrong with us. But please try and enjoy the here and now. X

Your question is not at all insensitive, and in fact very sensible. Responsible ownership means that you want to plan ahead and be prepared and able to face potential future issues.

It is very hit and miss whether you have a piggy that develops a chronic problem during its life. The majority are thankfully healthy although, like with humans, they can be plagued by more issues that come with old age and a slowly failing body.

Generally, it is well worth either saving up several hundreds of pounds in smaller weekly or monthly instalments or get insurance in case you are unlucky to be faced with a serious problem or a string of issues that require lots of tests and/or repeated operations/expensive meds and treatments, which is usually when costs are quickly piling up.

It is one of the most upsetting aspects of being a loving pet owner when you have to make life-and-death decisions very much with the limits of your finances in mind; it is heart-breaking having to pull the plug halfway through as it generally leaves you with a major case of guilt over feeling like you have betrayed your beloved pet - and guinea pigs have got the kind of interactive personality that manages to nest straight in your heart.
Unfortunately, vet cost have started to rise very quickly in recent years as more and more things become treatable where veterinary medicine is concerned.

 

[Freela]

It's really going to depend on the pig in question. Like humans, the likelihood of chronic illnesses increases with age. However, some pigs never have a chronic illness (one of mine lived to be 6.5 without any major illnesses at all.) Other pigs develop issues early that follow them (my current elderly pig, Sundae, has had issues with her bladder since age 2. She has still lived to be 6.5 years old at present.) So keep your fingers crossed, there's really no way to know for sure.

 

[TheCavySlave]

I try and keep them as happy and healthy as possible. Finances aren't a problem at the moment (touch wood) but I can only imagine how awful it is if you can't afford to treat an ill piggy.
I suppose, even though we have to know what can happen, we have to think of now, and cuddles,a nd carrots. If my boys could talk, I'm sure they'd tell me not to worry. Honestly, they seem healthier than me