Pets at Home

D

DM03030121

Hello, I am thinking about getting 2 guinea pigs.

I DO NOT HAVE A RESCUE CENTRE ANYWHERE NEAR ME

Buying 2 guinea pigs from pets at home, do they check the GPs out via their vets? Make sure they are not pregnant and are the sex they say they are etc
 
They do a quick health check before they hand them over but it's just done by a normal member of staff. There have been plenty of cases of missexed piggies and pet shop pregnancies from pets at home so be careful and maybe read up so you know how to sex them yourself before you go.
 
It’s very much dependent on the branch, our branch is pretty good and he clearly knew what he was doing when he was sexing our pigs and we have been very lucky they are very well bonded and without any health issues.
But miss sexing does happen and girls do get pregnant in pet shops. If you feel it’s the only route and you cannot get to a rescue a little further afield make sure you have a Piggie savvy vet lined up who can give them a health check and double check the sex.
It’s also worth getting a cage ready before you get them as the ones they stock in store are not big enough.
 
Pet shop piggies are usually young, usually around 8/9 weeks of age at the point of sale. Sows have their first season between 4 and 6 weeks of age. A pregnancy cannot be determined until the last few weeks of the 10 week pregnancy, so if you get an 8 week old piggy then they can only be 2-4 weeks pregnant so its not possible to tell you, as a customer, that they are not pregnant. You have to take the risk that they aren’t.
 
When I got Velvet (RIP) and Betsy from Pets at home nearly 5 years ago, Velvet was pregnant but didn't show until I had had her for 10 days. My P@H did a free health check with their in house vets (Vets4Pets) and I took Velvet and Betsy along and the vets confirmed Velvet's pregnancy. I immediately went and spoke to the Manager of P@H and he said I could take what I wanted from the shop for free to help with the extra cost and when Velvet had had her pups if any were boys we could have an extra cage or hutch for free. I replied that I didn't have the room and would they pay for any boys to be neutered and to my surprise they said that they would! The Manager also told me that they would pay for anything to do with the pregnancy and went to tell them at the Vets that this would happen and true to their word, they did this. About a year or so later, I was in P@H and I heard 2 members of staff chatting saying that a year ago lots of piggies had come in pregnant. It turned out that the breeder had gone on holiday and had left strict instructions that the boys were to be separated at 3 weeks and the boys hadn't been separated.

Velvet went on to have 3 pups, Christian (RIP), Dennis (RIP) and Meg.
 
My only options really are pet shops (pets at home) or breeders/ads on pets for homes for example.

i have done a google check on the local pets at home and read the reviews and it is mostly 5 star with reviews from people buying the pets and getting advice before buying.
 
As a forum we recommend rescue centres first and foremost. Its simply not possible for everyone to do that though.

Of the remaining options - pet shop, breeder, ad sites - then I would prefer a pet shop over breeder and definitely over ad sites.

At least with a pet shop you do have some consumer rights. There are risks and as long as you are aware of them and can handle them, then thats fine.

Id avoid ad sites at all costs. The risks here are greater. Sometimes they are genuine people looking to rehome their otherwise beloved pets due to circumstances beyond their control. They can also be breeders looking to offload older stock, piggies with expensive health issues that they don’t tell you about; or youre told they’re bonded, but actually you find they can’t stand each other and that’s the real reason why they were being given up and then you need to separate, buy more cages etc
 
Betsy said:
When I got Velvet (RIP) and Betsy from Pets at home nearly 5 years ago, Velvet was pregnant but didn't show until I had had her for 10 days. My P@H did a free health check with their in house vets (Vets4Pets) and I took Velvet and Betsy along and the vets confirmed Velvet's pregnancy. I immediately went and spoke to the Manager of P@H and he said I could take what I wanted from the shop for free to help with the extra cost and when Velvet had had her pups if any were boys we could have an extra cage or hutch for free. I replied that I didn't have the room and would they pay for any boys to be neutered and to my surprise they said that they would! The Manager also told me that they would pay for anything to do with the pregnancy and went to tell them at the Vets that this would happen and true to their word, they did this. About a year or so later, I was in P@H and I heard 2 members of staff chatting saying that a year ago lots of piggies had come in pregnant. It turned out that the breeder had gone on holiday and had left strict instructions that the boys were to be separated at 3 weeks and the boys hadn't been separated.

Velvet went on to have 3 pups, Christian (RIP), Dennis (RIP) and Meg.
Click to expand...
That was good of them to offer stuff for free.
 
Piggies&buns said:
As a forum we recommend rescue centres first and foremost. Its simply not possible for everyone to do that though.

Of the remaining options - pet shop, breeder, ad sites - then I would prefer a pet shop over breeder and definitely over ad sites.

At least with a pet shop you do have some consumer rights. There are risks and as long as you are aware of them and can handle them, then thats fine.

Id avoid ad sites at all costs. The risks here are greater. Sometimes they are genuine people looking to rehome their otherwise beloved pets due to circumstances beyond their control. They can also be breeders looking to offload older stock, piggies with expensive health issues that they don’t tell you about; or youre told they’re bonded, but actually you find they can’t stand each other and that’s the real reason why they were being given up and then you need to separate, buy more cages etc
Click to expand...
Thank you, then my only option would be pets at home. I believe that is the only pet shop that sell pets near me.

do you know the rights I would have if they were pregnant? Or missexed?
 
It’s not the recommended route but we know some people can’t get to or don’t have a rescue nearby.

Do you happen to have a pets corner near you? The same rules would apply. Sex them before you leave. The same risk is there with sows.

I would also get in touch with a vet as soon as you get them and book them in for a check within a week of their coming home with you. If there are any illnesses you can claim back the vet costs from the shop.

Do you have a vet fund started up already?
 
The problem with pet shops is that it really doesn't matter how good they are at sexing the piggies and keeping the sexes separate as the breeders that take them in need to ensure they have separated all boars from any sows at 3 weeks of age or 250g whichever comes first, which they don't regularly do. At that stage they can impregnate a sow. Any female siblings won't have had a season at that stage so will give them some grace but the sheer numbers they are breeding makes it impossible to routinely check and separate appropriately so obviously a number of pregnancies are bound to happen. Yes you have rights in terms of vets costs, additional cages etc but what you won't get is compensation for emotional distress if something goes wrong and mum or any pups die.

Have you perhaps tried the local RSPCA? What I will say is that our rescue list is not exhaustive. There are many, many more rescues that deal with piggies regularly but either we haven't been made aware of them, haven't had the opportunity to vet their standards, or they don't meet the high standards we request in terms of housing, care and rehoming policies to be a recommended rescue.

Personally I have "adopted" from pets at home adoption centre, purchased from a small breeder, and rescued from both our recommended and other rescues. I think doing your research, asking the right questions, finding out how much they know about care and also how interested they are in you and the home you will provide will give you answers in terms of who you trust. At the end of the day you go with your gut feeling and if your gut says pet shop then you take the chance just try and be prepared for it. The breeder I purchased from previously asked me more questions about my set up, companions and care than pets at home did. She was also happy to show me all the areas of her set up and answered all my questions
 
Do you have a vet fund started up already?
[/QUOTE]
no i dont. Closest pet shop that sells pets is pets at home. Then the next closest is pets at home again but 30mind away instead of 10mins drive away.

no i dont.
 
As people have already said I think it definitely depends on the individual store. I think there are some good, well run PAH stores with good welfare standards but they are not all like this. It's all about doing your research.
 
Lady Kelly said:
The problem with pet shops is that it really doesn't matter how good they are at sexing the piggies and keeping the sexes separate as the breeders that take them in need to ensure they have separated all boars from any sows at 3 weeks of age or 250g whichever comes first, which they don't regularly do. At that stage they can impregnate a sow. Any female siblings won't have had a season at that stage so will give them some grace but the sheer numbers they are breeding makes it impossible to routinely check and separate appropriately so obviously a number of pregnancies are bound to happen. Yes you have rights in terms of vets costs, additional cages etc but what you won't get is compensation for emotional distress if something goes wrong and mum or any pups die.

Have you perhaps tried the local RSPCA? What I will say is that our rescue list is not exhaustive. There are many, many more rescues that deal with piggies regularly but either we haven't been made aware of them, haven't had the opportunity to vet their standards, or they don't meet the high standards we request in terms of housing, care and rehoming policies to be a recommended rescue.

Personally I have "adopted" from pets at home adoption centre, purchased from a small breeder, and rescued from both our recommended and other rescues. I think doing your research, asking the right questions, finding out how much they know about care and also how interested they are in you and the home you will provide will give you answers in terms of who you trust. At the end of the day you go with your gut feeling and if your gut says pet shop then you take the chance just try and be prepared for it. The breeder I purchased from previously asked me more questions about my set up, companions and care than pets at home did. She was also happy to show me all the areas of her set up and answered all my questions
Click to expand...
I have tried RSPCA but the closest one to me is a 40min car ride, not far but i cant drive.
I will have to think about everything
 
Zanzan said:
As people have already said I think it definitely depends on the individual store. I think there are some good, well run PAH stores with good welfare standards but they are not all like this. It's all about doing your research.
Click to expand...
Thank you, that is what I am doing, gaining knowledge by asking here as well as looking online for info.

from the reviews the pets at home i would use seems to be ok, a number of reviews with people asking and getting advice about the guinea pigs/ other pets.
 
Yes the free ads or local ads are always a mixed bag, you have to prepared!
Piggle and Puggle our first piggies came from a luckily genuine local ad where through no fault of her own a lady ended up with babies- the lady was a nurse who worked night shifts and her 12 year old daughter who wanted baby piggies apparently conned her dad into letting a friend who had 2 boars stay over one weekend... fairly harmless stuff, 2 sister sows with 4 accidental babies between them and we took the 2 baby girls home.
Theo boar was in the free ads being given away age 11 weeks old as: "free to anyone who will collect, noisy smelly male guinea pig child lost interest...!" He was so going to be snake food we offered money to reserve him then picked him up straight away, poor little chap... also completely healthy, never needed any vet care except neutering!

But then there was Jezzy and Clover... nice enough but clueless owners who had kept them in a hamster cage for 2 years eating unlimited muesli and pellets and 6 carrots a day. Super obese, permanently damaged feet from being so fat and not even enough space to lie down... plus Clover had a random broken leg that had never been diagnosed or treated.

Then... my most special flower Blodwen...! Psycho nutter breeder owner, fake info, threatening behaviour, name change like witness protection for Blod, ringworm and emergency dental on arrival, possible neurological damage, inbred, partially sighted... Blod is lovely but not quite right, her vet bill accomplishments are now well over £1000 and soon she is going to see a specialist vet and cost at least another £1000 possibly twice that! I think Blod is worth every penny, but I am very lucky to have that many pennies to spend on my precious girl :)

If you arent able to go to a reputable rescue, just be aware of the possible vet bills and possible heartbreak if you bring home a bit of a lemon...! Blod says she isnt a lemon she is a bootiful princess, but if I hadnt had the vet funds... it wouldnt be a good outcome :(
 
Id definitely recommend you start a vet fund now before you even get your piggies.
They are not cheap pets to keep if they do need vet care, something as common as a haypoke can be £60 or so And you’re bound to encounter a few of them. It can be well over £100 just for an out of hours consultation and then medications on top of that. More complex issues and surgeries have the potential to run towards four figure sums.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Id definitely recommend you start a vet fund now before you even get your piggies.
They are not cheap pets to keep if they do need vet care, something as common as a haypoke can be £60 or so And you’re bound to encounter a few of them. It can be well over £100 just for an out of hours consultation and then medications on top of that. More complex issues and surgeries have the potential to run towards four figure sums.
Click to expand...
Blod agrees... 4 figure sums is where she's at now, and I honestly could not imagine being in the awful position some people we see on the forum find themselves in where they cannot afford the vet bills and have to make awful decisions about euthanasia based on household budget... just too traumatic and sad, please save up first!
Piggies are expensive, I always have at least £200 per piggy easily available for routine vet things and the same again I could access on my credit card or from my savings if needed. Or in Blod's case... well, I knew what I was letting myself in for, I have a special Blod fund where if she gets well I could maybe retire a year early instead- she's worth it!
 
Piggies&buns said:
Id definitely recommend you start a vet fund now before you even get your piggies.
They are not cheap pets to keep if they do need vet care, something as common as a haypoke can be £60 or so And you’re bound to encounter a few of them. It can be well over £100 just for an out of hours consultation and then medications on top of that. More complex issues and surgeries have the potential to run towards four figure sums.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I am glad I am doing research, as a kid we had rabbits and guinea pigs and they were no bother at all, would go to the vets once a year for a check up and all but 2 rabbits passed away naturally. Think over the years we had 10 rabbits and 2 guinea pigs (not mixed together)

just doing research into even getting them appears to be a risk. I think even though I can give them a good home, love, food, water and plenty of room to run around etc, if anything goes wrong then that is when I may struggle, sad to say.
 
PigglePuggle said:
Blod agrees... 4 figure sums is where she's at now, and I honestly could not imagine being in the awful position some people we see on the forum find themselves in where they cannot afford the vet bills and have to make awful decisions about euthanasia based on household budget... just too traumatic and sad, please save up first!
Piggies are expensive, I always have at least £200 per piggy easily available for routine vet things and the same again I could access on my credit card or from my savings if needed. Or in Blod's case... well, I knew what I was letting myself in for, I have a special Blod fund where if she gets well I could maybe retire a year early instead- she's worth it!
Click to expand...
Just posted a similar message to what you said really.
 
Welcome to the forum.
Good for you doing so much research first.
My boy Micah is a PAH Adoption Centre rescue.
He had been bullied, separated from his initial group so his injuries could heal and then simply put into an enclosure with another group of boars. He was bullied, separated and put in the Adoption Centre with a note that he had to be kept alone as he couldn’t live with other guinea pigs.
He now lives very happily with 2 wives.
That branch of PAH were clueless but well-meaning.

As others have said, be aware.
Every animal deserves a loving home, no matter where they come from.
I think that your future piggies are going to land well and truly on their paws.
 
Merab's Slave said:
Welcome to the forum.
Good for you doing so much research first.
My boy Micah is a PAH Adoption Centre rescue.
He had been bullied, separated from his initial group so his injuries could heal and then simply put into an enclosure with another group of boars. He was bullied, separated and put in the Adoption Centre with a note that he had to be kept alone as he couldn’t live with other guinea pigs.
He now lives very happily with 2 wives.
That branch of PAH were clueless but well-meaning.

As others have said, be aware.
Every animal deserves a loving home, no matter where they come from.
I think that your future piggies are going to land well and truly on their paws.
Click to expand...

This... people are welcome on here no matter where they get their piggies from. Of course rescues would be ideal but its not always possible (said from someone who can't home from many rescues due to having an outdoor set up and can only home from the others from around April-Sept). The fact you are asking questions, doing research and thinking this all through shows what a caring owner you will be
 
Merab's Slave said:
Welcome to the forum.
Good for you doing so much research first.
My boy Micah is a PAH Adoption Centre rescue.
He had been bullied, separated from his initial group so his injuries could heal and then simply put into an enclosure with another group of boars. He was bullied, separated and put in the Adoption Centre with a note that he had to be kept alone as he couldn’t live with other guinea pigs.
He now lives very happily with 2 wives.
That branch of PAH were clueless but well-meaning.

As others have said, be aware.
Every animal deserves a loving home, no matter where they come from.
I think that your future piggies are going to land well and truly on their paws.
Click to expand...

I think clueless but well meaning summes up most PAH workers. They're all animal lovers and probably all have pets of their own but it's hard to be an expert on every animal they sell or sell things for.

My boys are both PAH piggies and I now know better and would adopt instead but my boys were happy and healthy and still are. I was definitely clueless but well meaning when I bought them.
 
If its the financial implications of illness which is causing you most concern, would you be able to save up a decent sized vet fund and then revisit getting them in the future?
You really are doing well in researching everything first.
 
Merab's Slave said:
Welcome to the forum.
Good for you doing so much research first.
My boy Micah is a PAH Adoption Centre rescue.
He had been bullied, separated from his initial group so his injuries could heal and then simply put into an enclosure with another group of boars. He was bullied, separated and put in the Adoption Centre with a note that he had to be kept alone as he couldn’t live with other guinea pigs.
He now lives very happily with 2 wives.
That branch of PAH were clueless but well-meaning.

As others have said, be aware.
Every animal deserves a loving home, no matter where they come from.
I think that your future piggies are going to land well and truly on their paws.
Click to expand...
Thank you.
I know yesterday I was determined to get a pair now not so much, and that is just down to the realisation that if they need to go to the vets with something wrong with them, I may not be able to afford the bill. Which is a shame but the reality. :/
 
Wolverine0492 said:
Thank you.
I know yesterday I was determined to get a pair now not so much, and that is just down to the realisation that if they need to go to the vets with something wrong with them, I may not be able to afford the bill. Which is a shame but the reality. :/
Click to expand...
Good that you are being realistic, shows that once you can afford you will be an amazing piggy owner :)
 
Piggies&buns said:
If its the financial implications of illness which is causing you most concern, would you be able to save up a decent sized vet fund and then revisit getting them in the future?
You really are doing well in researching everything first.
Click to expand...
Maybe, but it would be quite some time i would imagine :/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top