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Poorly pig in pets at home!

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Lorraiine

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Luckily for this pig I saw in pets at home, I had attended a Animal management course and know about what to look out for if an animal has a medical issue. Thankfully I did is all I can say...

I saw this beautiful little black piglet, with a white tuft on the top of his little head. I asked the women who came over if I could have a hold of him.

I cuddled him and he was very relaxed and sweet. So I decided to give him a brief check over, from nails, mouth, bottom, ears, and then I stumbled on his poorly eye :(

I said to the employee helping me, "does his eye look a bit odd to you or is it just me"

And she replied "no, it looks fine I think it's just the way his eye is" I knew she was incorrect! so I said actually it looks like his eye is not right as his eye is releasing discharge and his eye is bigger than it should be! I said can't he be seen by your in store vet? And she whisked him off, still telling me "it's probably nothing" but it clearly is a huge health problem.

The vet was actually closed, so she told me she would put him out the back and he shall be seem tomorrow by the vet ASAP. Fair enough I thought!

I then said "surely you won't sell him as he has this issue" and she had to think for a few seconds and I said "you should infact put him up for adoption as it's clearly not a healthy guinea pig" I wouldn't think it would be fair to sell to a uninformed customer a (unhealthy pig) let alone sell any guinea pigs at all.

I hate the fact I noticed this pig's bad eye and not pets at home! And I also hate the fact the worker tried to ensure it was fine, little did she know I knew my information.

It's angers me at the lack of knowledge and the push to make a sale of these pigs even if they are sick or unhealthy! :)>>>
 
Sadly it's not even uncommon... I've seen plenty of piggies with eye infections for sale in pet stores. It's not that the staff don't know... it's that it cuts into profits to give vet care to sick animals, or to give them for adoption rather than selling them for profit. My cousin worked for a pet store and told me horror stories about how animals are shipped and what their condition is like when they arrive. It's very sad! Hopefully that poor piggy gets the help he needs.
 
It just seems to be training issues in p@h, either that or some workers care more than others. Added to that the fact they are in it for profit and just depend on people buying the animals and hoping that's the last they hear it sickens me. They didn't hear the last of me when my two came with URI's, they got the vets bills, and right enough I was fully reimbursed with no questions. I know now I shouldn't have bought from them, but if all those who did buy sick piggies without knowing asked for vets bills to be reimbursed it could help them stop selling animals as it wouldn't be worth it for them.
 
I think if I had the space I'd take in sick pets from pet shops, get them vet care and then send the bills to the pet shops! I'd feel really bad if I saw pigs in the pet shop that were ill and walked away from them :(.

I went to Holland at New Years and I saw some awful looking guinea pigs in the pet shop there... Eye problems, snotty noses, extensive hair loss, and these were only little tiny babies! If I could, I would have brought them home with me, poor little loves. 8...
 
It is awful, I don't at all condone it.
I felt a complete evil monster leaving him there but I've only just got my two boys, three at the moment wouldn't be possible plus I'd only give pets at home a chance to order more pigs in, meaning I'm making them money and of course they will get more in :( it's a hard world out there for our dear old guinea pigs. I'm just glad I'm giving my two boys a good life now :) veggies, floor time, all the hay imaginable, and lots of kisses and cuddles, what more can a piglet want :D
 
You did the right think, GOOD ON YOU!
Let's hope the little one will be ok :{
Maybe you could follow up and go check on him in a day or so? :)
 
I have to say I went around locally looking for cages today with the kids and was horrified by some of the establishments I visited. One had kittens in a cage which I reckon were 7 weeks old maybe and one of them was munching on a dead mouse. Meanwhile an adult cat was sat in a cage some distance away which may have been mum? I then went outside and the piggies were rumbling at eachother in really grubby cages, they had avaries inside which stank and the little hamsters were stood up on back legs bobbing from side to side like crazed animals, awful and the kids asked to leave quickly. We then went to a large aquatic firm who had small cages with big bunnies in which could have done with much more space and they were situated under the reptiles so it was quite hot. I really know what people think of p@h but at least they had freshly cleaned cages with space. I think the problem with these large stores is that they employ kids who know nothing really about the guinea pigs. On the way home I called into our local rescue and had a cuddle with the latest arrival which then made me wonder where I could fit perhaps two cages lol noooooooooooooo
 
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