Pdsa

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kirst10

kirst10

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I am absolutely devastated - i just called up the PDSA hotline, explained my current situation to them and was told outright no, that i would not be eligible in order to have my girls seen?! I understand the criteria for people that are eligible but surely they must make exceptions!

The fungal infection both of my girls had last year is still dormant because they were never fully treated when i was in Telford and i've been forced to move back to Liverpool since. They get Nizoral baths once or twice every two weeks, (i dont want to traumatise them).
I'm on benefits, but I haven't been paid JSA in just over a month because my claim was closed 8 days after i started it on December 27th because someone messed up my claim and i wasn't informed until yesterday, despite complaining about not receiving payments grrrr. I've been searching for work since i got here, i was seriously ill for two weeks and had to have surgery, and now Nuggit has a distinctive fungal infection on her lower left eye!

The PDSA is a ten minute walk up the road and they're saying no because i'm not poor enough?! I can't get to a vet or pay, what the hell am i supposed to do?! My pigs are seriously damn ill, coughing and wheezing. I feel like screaming because i just can't dump them on a rescue.

Does anybody have any suggestions at all please because i seriously cannot cope anymore.
 
if you haven't been getting benefits then i would tell them you have NO income and couldn't be more in need of their help
 
4piggiepigs said:
if you haven't been getting benefits then i would tell them you have NO income and couldn't be more in need of their help
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Didn't even give me chance, the woman on the phone just said, "If you're not in receipt of Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit you are not eligible." I just thanked her for nothing and hung up. I can't even list the things wrong with my girls because i feel so ashamed. I swear I'm going to get up one morning and Nuggit is going to be lifeless.
I'm being forced to make a new claim for benefits, with no guarantee that i can get my owed benefits (i have literally been living off my dad who earns scraps, my sister who is a broke student and my boyfriend when he can afford to give me bus money). I don't know whether its worth me calling the RSPCA or not because for some reason the Liverpool branch doesn't even have a bloody address and i couldn't possibly get to it because i have no income at all.
It's just not right that the PDSA can just turn me away before they actually get the full story and they are right up the street from me.
I found a vet on the forum who is piggy savvy in Aigburth, but again its getting there and begging for charity. 8... I honestly dont know what the hell to do
 
Hi,

Don't give up, the PDSA really need to listen to you:(

I would suggest if it's only 10 mins up the road actually going in there and asking to speak to someone that could help you face to face rather than on the phone and be polite but persistant and explain the situation.

Explain that you are in reciept of benefits but they messed up your claim, or you could ring the JSA people and ask them if they could ring the PDSA and explain that you are infact in reciept of JCA and are currently waiting to receive money.

Unfortunately the unfairness of your situation is all too common and it seems the poorer we are the more we get kicked when were down. Good luckx
 
Sorry to hear about your situation. If you can phone your local RSPCA branch they maybe able to help with your vet bill. The RSPCA branch near me helped me pay for vet treatment for my piggie Patch (RIP) when he was very ill. I am also on benefits.
Regarding PDSA if they had accepted to help pay for your treatment, their policy is one pet per household, so would not have been able to help you with both piggies.
Hope you can get things sorted x
 
As said, go up there with your pigs, and proof of benefits you were/are/should be receiving and explain your story to them.

Hope you can get it sorted. x
 
As said, go up there with your pigs, and proof of benefits you were/are/should be receiving and explain your story to them.

Hope you can get it sorted. x
 
That's awful - the PDSA would prefer to let an animal go untreated then :o
Would a vet near to you allow treatment and let you pay in instalments or when your JSA comes through ?/ It's not Charity hun, it's about caring for your pets and if they had any compassion, would agree :...
Can't believe because you're not receiving benefits, the PDSA turned you down - could you not delve a bit further into this ?/
I'm going to have a look on their website grrrr 8:)
 
lily 74 said:
Hi,

Don't give up, the PDSA really need to listen to you:(

I would suggest if it's only 10 mins up the road actually going in there and asking to speak to someone that could help you face to face rather than on the phone and be polite but persistant and explain the situation.
Click to expand...

I think I'll have to, that and the fact that i'm not actually supposed to be on my feet much - I'm supposed to be resting, but i just want someone to look at them asap! I think if they saw me in person they'd realise I'm not just looking for free treatment for the sake of it.

Saysie said:
Sorry to hear about your situation. If you can phone your local RSPCA branch they maybe able to help with your vet bill. The RSPCA branch near me helped me pay for vet treatment for my piggie Patch (RIP) when he was very ill. I am also on benefits.
Regarding PDSA if they had accepted to help pay for your treatment, their policy is one pet per household, so would not have been able to help you with both piggies.
Hope you can get things sorted x
Click to expand...

I think i'll have to ring the RSPCA too yeah, it would just have been so much easier if the PDSA would listen - i'll have to try both first thing when i've got all my paperwork out infront of me - its Nuggit who needs treatment more than Poppet anyway but i suppose with there policy it would still stand against me really.

Guinea pig slave said:
That's awful - the PDSA would prefer to let an animal go untreated then :o
Would a vet near to you allow treatment and let you pay in instalments or when your JSA comes through ?/ It's not Charity hun, it's about caring for your pets and if they had any compassion, would agree :...
Can't believe because you're not receiving benefits, the PDSA turned you down - could you not delve a bit further into this ?/
I'm going to have a look on their website grrrr 8:)
Click to expand...

I think it's more the fact that they can only here not see my situation, they probably get all sorts of folk ringing up demanding free treatment, its just unfair that I'm ineligible - i'm not even entitled to Housing or Council tax benefit so i can't do a thing about that. I have found the one vet, but i'll have to call them once i've tried again with the PDSA and tried the RSPCA.

I know it sounds silly, but we really need some sort of pet/animal NHS =[
 
In my experience the RSPCA will usually provide a £50 voucher towards urgent treatment for people in desperate straits.
 
i used to work , years ago for the PDSA, as a nurse, then the system was seriously abused, people used to draw up outside in really posh cars, all they had to do was sign a piece of paper saying they could nt afford a private vet, they did nt need to supply any proof, if they said though that they would rather give the donation to us, then they would not be seen, sadly because the system was so abused , they have had to change their system, some times we could easily see 120 animals in one day .
 
The PDSA are very strict in their requirements, the RSPCA less so. Try the RSPCA. You will need proof of income and may have to make a contribution but it'll be at a much reduced cost.
 
I hope you can get some financial help from somewhere.

If you can't then I am willing to take them into my Sanctuary, but it would mean signing them over to me as obviously the Sanctuary would be funding all their treatment. I know you probably wouldn't want to do that, but I just want to give you another option in case you can't get any help. If they came here, I would keep you updated on their progress and you would be more than welcome to visit them.
 
Just as a suggestion....some vets (private) do offer payback schemes where you can pay them back (with intrest) over a period of months, they usually charge something that you can afford ie £10 a month. Might be worth a look into :)
 
i dont like the pdsa anymore, my 6 year olds bunny passed away last night after a pdsa vet see him less than 2 weeks ago and said he was fine, then they refused to see my piggie on sunday with a broken leg as i had the maximum 3 pets on my account(fair enough but i stated that one of the pets they see at the same time as the bunny was a gerbil who also passed away at the weekend as she had cancer), they said that as it did not die there in their presence that they cant get him off the account for a year otherwise if it was there in front of them the gerbil would be off the account straight away!
when they did look at my piggie they were more than likely going to decide to take the leg off
saw a cavy savy vet today who has put him on painkillers and cage rest for it to heal
i hope you can get soething sorted with them, the vet i saw today even thou they are a specialist and would obviously charge more they are quite happy to set up a payment plan so maybe you can go for this option
 
Just wanted to give you a little support. What an awful situation.

I agree that maybe you could contact a vet, and ask if they could take installments.

Chequers (one of my females) had an abcess lanced yesterday. I couldn't afford to pay all the bill at once, and they very kindly left the remainder on our account.
 
With regards to payment plans, most vets will allow you to do this if you make an arrangement BEFORE - be honest with them - you cannot afford the payment in full up front, can you arrange an installment plan.

Where I work, the policy is half up front, then the rest spread over a reasonable number of weeks/months.

What they DON'T like, is you having the treatment done, then say you can't afford to pay :x
 
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