hi! I am sorry to post at random, but I cannot figure out how to create a forum, so I need some advice about my guinea pig. I had a beloved guinea pig die about 3 weeks ago, before that we took her to the vet, for being lethargic, crusty eyes, labored breathing and being bonier that usual, the vet seemed to know what she was doing and said she had pneumonia. I treated her for 2 weeks and at the very end she died. My male guinea pig just started having crusty eyes, and my mom will not take him to the vet because she said it costs too much. The original estimate for my female guinea pig who passed was $866, so she is a little scared. But I just don't know what to do!
Please help! - Chloe
Hi
@chloe millar
I'm sorry for the loss of your first piggy.
That's a shockingly high vets bill! No wonder your Mom is nervous about taking her to the vet.
I'm really sorry to read that your first one died. Pneumonia can be very nasty. I'm going to tag
@Wiebke . May I ask how the original vet bill was split? Do you have separate costs there for consultation fee, registering at the vet (if applicable), tests, medication? Do you know if the vet checked your piggy's heart?
I ask because unfortunately I don't know the average cost for vet treatment in the USA and if we knew what tests and what treatment your pig was given we could perhaps gauge some kind of idea on how thorough he was for the money spent, and also if it's worth finding a different vet.
If you please let us know where you live (roughly) we may be able to recommend a good vet in your area.
With your current piggy issue (the one with the crusty eye) it's always best to get a vet to check this out. Many eye issues can be easily treated but it needs looking at in case there is something in it that won't come out on its own, or an infection. It's not necessarily the start of a cold but do keep watch for other symptoms. Losing weight is an issue that requires urgent vet attention as guinea pigs can go down-hill very fast once they start to lose weight. Make sure she is eating well and pooping normally. Watch out for any signs of breathlessness.
It is also worth checking to see if any of the bedding or the hay is dusty, as this can cause eye irritation and also lung problems and chest infections. Sawdust, for example, is notorious for doing so, but there are plenty of brands of pet bedding of other types that are dusty, and hay too.
I have requested that another moderator split this thread up and create a thread for you so that more people can respond. When this has been done your thread will be in the Health & Illness section of the forum.
When creating a thread you choose the section where your query would be most appropriate (in this case it would be Health and Illness), and click on that section. On the right-hand side you should be able to see a green rectangle button on the right (please see picture). Click on that and give your thread a descriptive title (something like 'advise for crusty eye - vet problem' or 'crusty eye after another pig died of pneumonia' or what ever you think is appropriate.
