Think I need to give up my pigs

Hnrpiggies

Junior Guinea Pig
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Location
York, England, UK
Hi, guess I just need to discuss this with someone.

I’ve currently got 4 girls between the ages of 2-4 living together.
I’ve been off work sick after an injury since January so I can no longer afford vet bills and I think one has bloat. I’ve had to ask my parents to pay for the vets and they are but they’re mad about it. I’m taking her tomorrow.

My parents won’t allow me to have them in a big enough cage anymore. They used to be in a big c&c cage but my parents decided it took up too much room once they decorated the house. They’re currently in a 6ft two story outdoor hutch in our living room and I hate it.

Also, since my last pig died over a year ago, I’ve been almost traumatised by it. Vet told us she was fine but she started having seizures every few minutes for about 12 hours before I could get her in to be put down. I had to hold her down so she didn’t get hurt for all of this, even when she latched on to me with her teeth while seizing. Now I’m just constantly anxious I’m going to have another sick and dying pig. Every time I see something slightly off about one of them I start to full on panic in case I have to go through what I went through with my last pig.

That’s the second pig the vets have told us is fine and it’s died a short while after. There are no other vets that’ll see Guinea pigs anywhere near me and I don’t drive so can’t get anywhere else.

I really don’t want to. I love them with all my heart. But I feel like they’d be better off somewhere else.

The problem is, the two closest rescues, both over an hour away in completely different cities, are completely full and like I said, I don’t drive I can’t get any further. I don’t know how to surrender them to the RSPCA, I can’t find anything online for it, and I also don’t know if they’re full. There’s no other charities in my city like PDSA or anything so they won’t help me. And I don’t want to just stick them on a website and hope a random person takes them because for all I know they could end up somewhere worse.

So idk where to turn or what to do. I don’t know if I’m making the right choice. I don’t know if I can fix most of these issues once I start working again, though I don’t know when that’ll be as I still can’t walk.

Any advice here?
 
I don't live in the UK, so I can't really help with rescues, but from what I have read, the rescues are full at the moment because there are so many animals being given up post covid.
Maybe the rescues can put you on a waiting list?

Unfortunately guinea pigs can become very sick in a short time. I think that most of us who have kept guinea pigs for a longer time, have had at least one traumatic experience. It can be hard to cope with this situation.
I always try to concentrate on the happy memories, but I'm sure someone will be around soon to give you better advice on this subject.

The decision to give up loved animals is always heartbreaking, especially when forced to do so, because you can't look after them at the moment. Do you have other relatives or a friend who could help you until you're back in your feet again?
 
Your pigs aren't judging you x
And the sad truth is that if you advertise them locally you can't guarantee who wants them or why and you don't sound like you're in a position to go round checking. People who don't know any better might decide they want to try breeding them which puts older girls especially at great risk. And tbh those people would be the least of your concerns...

You can contact rescues - there are some great ones listed on the link on the green bar above - and ask their advice and whether they have waiting lists. They will ensure your pigs go to a home with good standards of care and to people who really want piggies. Some national ones like Blue Cross can advertise pigs in different areas - we went to Totnes to get George!

Bless you, to be honest you sound like you might be a bit depressed as everything is piling up on top of you. It is hard when a beloved pig dies and you can still be feeling the aftermath a looong time after. The Blue Cross offer a free and confidential pet bereavement support service which members have found really useful. Here is a link - do have a look Pet bereavement and pet loss

One of my girls recently had to tackle bloat. It was our first time and luckily it seemed to be caused by nothing more serious than overdoing the rich spring grass. The vet prescribed us painkiller (metacam) and gut stimulant (emeprid) to keep everything moving. We also used massage with an electric toothbrush and laying her on a warm hot-water bottle covered in a fleece which she seemed to appreciate. As she'd stopped eating anything for a short time I also gave her support slurry ('Recovery' - but mushed up pellets work too in the short term) Here's a link to the thread First time with bloat - and it's Louise Good luck at the vet and let us know how you get on x
 
I guess I’m just gonna wait and see what the vet says tomorrow to decide what I’m gonna do

I'm really sorry you have come to this decision, it's never easy when you love your pets. No one on here will judge you for making a decision in the best interest of your piggies and yourself. I had 4 piggies just over a year ago and decided they would be the last for a while. With a few shock illnesses I was left with one and rehomed her through this forum. Even though it was to someone I knew was an excellent owner and she is happy, it is still painful for me. It was 100% the right decision but not the easy one.

Have you spoken to local rescues over the phone? Like said above they may be able to add you to a waiting list or they may be able to help with arrangements to get the girls to another rescue that does have space.

It's always worth having a plan a and plan b in mind to be as prepared as you can, plan a being to go to the vet and see what they say.
 
Hi everyone.

I was definitely having a bad mental health day yesterday and finding one of my girls not doing so well while I’m struggling to even look after myself didn’t help. I think i freaked and jumped to the worst case scenario. I kind of just lost trust in our vet as he’s told me two previous pigs were fine before they died.
I’ve had Guinea pigs for about 13 years now and have had 12 in total, including some accidental babies so it’s not an easy decision to even consider. I’ve had to rehome some pigs before (after the babies came I had 9 pigs at once and I could absolutely not afford that, nor did I have space) and some never went to a good home, despite me knowing the person well.

She’s at the vets today at 16:30.
Her symptoms are:
•not really eating much hay or veggies, but will eat pellets
•haven’t seen her poop at all
•just kind of standing there all fluffed up not really moving
•haven’t seen her drink
•she seems to be in pain if I touch her abdomen in certain areas
•her stomach feels hard but I can’t tel if it sounds hollow of not

I hope they don’t tell me she’s fine and send her home. I can tell she’s not herself. This pig also suffers with extreme stress and anxiety though, so that may be contributing, may also be why I missed it at first. When I first saw her not moving I assumed she had been scared by something so I left her alone to avoid freaking her out.

Anyone know how they diagnose bloat so I can come up with an estimate for how much this is gonna cost? Can they diagnose just by a physical examination?

Your pigs aren't judging you x
And the sad truth is that if you advertise them locally you can't guarantee who wants them or why and you don't sound like you're in a position to go round checking. People who don't know any better might decide they want to try breeding them which puts older girls especially at great risk. And tbh those people would be the least of your concerns...

You can contact rescues - there are some great ones listed on the link on the green bar above - and ask their advice and whether they have waiting lists. They will ensure your pigs go to a home with good standards of care and to people who really want piggies. Some national ones like Blue Cross can advertise pigs in different areas - we went to Totnes to get George!

Bless you, to be honest you sound like you might be a bit depressed as everything is piling up on top of you. It is hard when a beloved pig dies and you can still be feeling the aftermath a looong time after. The Blue Cross offer a free and confidential pet bereavement support service which members have found really useful. Here is a link - do have a look Pet bereavement and pet loss

One of my girls recently had to tackle bloat. It was our first time and luckily it seemed to be caused by nothing more serious than overdoing the rich spring grass. The vet prescribed us painkiller (metacam) and gut stimulant (emeprid) to keep everything moving. We also used massage with an electric toothbrush and laying her on a warm hot-water bottle covered in a fleece which she seemed to appreciate. As she'd stopped eating anything for a short time I also gave her support slurry ('Recovery' - but mushed up pellets work too in the short term) Here's a link to the thread First time with bloat - and it's Louise Good luck at the vet and let us know how you get on x
I read your thread, it may be the fact I’ve been giving them fress grass off an enormous field near my house, for the first time since summer as my parents also decided to get rid of all the grass in the garden where they used to run around every day. Glad your pig is doing ok! It gives me some comfort to know they can survive if treated!

I think for now I’m just going to get her treated. I have an appointment at the hospital toward the end of the month where I’ll find out whether I need a third surgery or if I can return to work. Maybe I should start looking at new jobs that aren’t as physical as my current job. I think I’ll hold off any final decisions until then. I’ve been looking at alternative cage and housing options that my parents will consider too. Even if it means splitting them into pairs.

Both rescues have closed their waiting lists due to the amount of overcrowding at the moment.

Thank you all for not judging me. It really means a lot. Right before I posted I read a thread where people were discussing how they could never give up their guineas and how they never could so it made me a bit hesitant to post.
 
Hi everyone.

I was definitely having a bad mental health day yesterday and finding one of my girls not doing so well while I’m struggling to even look after myself didn’t help. I think i freaked and jumped to the worst case scenario. I kind of just lost trust in our vet as he’s told me two previous pigs were fine before they died.
I’ve had Guinea pigs for about 13 years now and have had 12 in total, including some accidental babies so it’s not an easy decision to even consider. I’ve had to rehome some pigs before (after the babies came I had 9 pigs at once and I could absolutely not afford that, nor did I have space) and some never went to a good home, despite me knowing the person well.

She’s at the vets today at 16:30.
Her symptoms are:
•not really eating much hay or veggies, but will eat pellets
•haven’t seen her poop at all
•just kind of standing there all fluffed up not really moving
•haven’t seen her drink
•she seems to be in pain if I touch her abdomen in certain areas
•her stomach feels hard but I can’t tel if it sounds hollow of not

I hope they don’t tell me she’s fine and send her home. I can tell she’s not herself. This pig also suffers with extreme stress and anxiety though, so that may be contributing, may also be why I missed it at first. When I first saw her not moving I assumed she had been scared by something so I left her alone to avoid freaking her out.

Anyone know how they diagnose bloat so I can come up with an estimate for how much this is gonna cost? Can they diagnose just by a physical examination?


I read your thread, it may be the fact I’ve been giving them fress grass off an enormous field near my house, for the first time since summer as my parents also decided to get rid of all the grass in the garden where they used to run around every day. Glad your pig is doing ok! It gives me some comfort to know they can survive if treated!

I think for now I’m just going to get her treated. I have an appointment at the hospital toward the end of the month where I’ll find out whether I need a third surgery or if I can return to work. Maybe I should start looking at new jobs that aren’t as physical as my current job. I think I’ll hold off any final decisions until then. I’ve been looking at alternative cage and housing options that my parents will consider too. Even if it means splitting them into pairs.

Both rescues have closed their waiting lists due to the amount of overcrowding at the moment.

Thank you all for not judging me. It really means a lot. Right before I posted I read a thread where people were discussing how they could never give up their guineas and how they never could so it made me a bit hesitant to post.

It's easy to say when you aren't in a situation pushing you to make that decision. Mental health really doesn't help us think calmly and rationally about these things. You know it's an option and there is no rush to take that step if it becomes necessary. You can always re-home them if you feel like that's the best option but you can't just get them back if you acted too soon so you need to be sure it's the right decision.

I hope you are feeling a bit better today and the vets visit is helpful
 
I am so sorry you are going through this and hope you feel better soon. It's good to examine options and have ideas in your head as to which way you can turn in the future if you need to.
It's easy to say I could/would never give up my animals when life is going well but no one knows what will happen to them in the future. Things can change in an instant for all sorts of reasons.
I hope your piggie recovers quickly.
 
I am so sorry that you are in such a difficult situation.
None of us know how we will react in any situation so we don’t judge but try to offer support.
The fact that you were even thinking about rehoming your piggies shows courage in making a difficult decision and a great deal of love in putting their needs first.

I hope that your own health improves and a third surgery isn’t needed.
I also hope there’s good news from the vets.
Holding you in my thoughts
 
Hi

Vet said it’s not bloat. Her poops look healthy so her digestive system seems to be working.
But she’s definitely in a lot of pain in her abdomen.
He couldn’t feel any lumps or anything though. So he just gave us pain killers and sent us on our way. He said if the pain meds don’t work, I can take her back for an X-ray but it likely won’t show anything.
She’s lost a lot of weight and still isn’t drinking anything but she’s eating and moving more.
It’s the same as my last pig which ended up dying. We took her in for weight loss got sent home with pain meds and she was seizing and her back legs were paralysed a few weeks later. So I’m kind of just expecting this to go the same way.

I’m wondering if it’s worth just having her put to sleep? Since she isn’t drinking and is in obvious pain. I’ve been trying to give her water through a syringe but she won’t even take it that way.

He basically told us he doesn’t think it’s worth trying to take blood or check her mouth for dental issues, due to the cost and difficulty and said to see if the pain meds help her gain weight.

I feel like she should’ve at least been put on antibiotics too just in case there’s some sort of infection causing the symptoms

He said there aren’t a lot of options when it comes to guineas.
 
Are you syringe feeding mushed pellets or recovery feed?
Are you weighing her daily?
Do you have another vet practice you can go to?
How old is she?
 
Are you syringe feeding mushed pellets or recovery feed?
Are you weighing her daily?
Do you have another vet practice you can go to?
How old is she?
She’s eating ok at the moment. She just won’t drink. So I gave her cucumber, which she ate fine.
I’ve always weighed weekly, but when I had my injury I couldn’t move to do it so often. I will be weighing her more since she’s lost a lot of weight.
She’s almost 3 years old.
I’m not registered with any other vet. Our closest exotic is over an hour drive, so getting there will be a struggle but even then I’m not currently working because I can’t walk properly so I won’t be able to pay for it all. I’ve looked into financial aid but I don’t qualify. Sick pay doesn’t qualify for some reason.
 
I don’t know whereabouts in York you are but is Stamford Bridge accessible for you?
Mark at Battle Flatts vets is excellent with guinea pigs.
Mine are registered there as well as where we live as we are retiring to East Yorkshire and due to Covid have been taking the piggies with us when we go over.
 
I don’t know whereabouts in York you are but is Stamford Bridge accessible for you?
Mark at Battle Flatts vets is excellent with guinea pigs.
Mine are registered there as well as where we live as we are retiring to East Yorkshire and due to Covid have been taking the piggies with us when we go over.
I’ve never heard of that vets, I’ll look into it thank you.

My parents have already decided the don’t want to help me pay for anymore vet visits, do they do payment plans?

It’s a long way from where I live but I may be able to convince my mum to drive me there
 
Good luck. I hope your piggy starts to feel better soon. Sending you a hug too 🤗
 
Sorry I don’t know if Battle Flatts do payment plans.
You would have to ask them.
Hope you can find a way forward that works for you.
 
I'm so sorry to read about your struggles and hope your piggy starts to feel better very soon. I understand how you feel about giving up your piggies. I have 8 beloved boys but I have lost 4 since December, all just over 3 years old. We just lost Benjy at 1am this morning after he had stopped eating and drinking - the vet thinks it was dental problems (overgrown molars) but it was too late to get his strength back up and syringe-feeding wasn't working. He died in my arms in the early hours today. We've just had a stressful house move (landlord was selling up) and also Benjy lost his beloved cage mate Nugget, who died unexpectedly in March. After that he settled down with Fluffy and seemed fine until about a week ago.

Like you I often think that my piggies would have a better life elsewhere. I love mine to bits but as a single mum of 2 teens, plus an elderly mum living locally who needs my care, I wonder if I am being vigilant enough with my precious boys, even though it feels as if I am always checking on them and giving them love and attention!

I really feel for you and hope that you can work this situation out. Sending a big hug xx
 
Hi everyone.

She crossed the rainbow bridge ❤️
She seemed to be doing a lot better yesterday but when we found her this morning she was gone. I was planning on taking her back to the vets but I didn’t get a chance. She made her way to piggy heaven

She is buried in our garden with her brother and sister.
 
Hi everyone.

She crossed the rainbow bridge ❤️
She seemed to be doing a lot better yesterday but when we found her this morning she was gone. I was planning on taking her back to the vets but I didn’t get a chance. She made her way to piggy heaven

She is buried in our garden with her brother and sister.
I'm so sorry 💔. She will be popcorning at the Rainbow Bridge with her brother and sister 🌈💕🌷.
Sending you big hugs ❤️xx
 
Sorry for your loss. At least she passed away at home. Be kind to yourself. It can be all too easy to experience a lot of self blame/guilt when grieving.
 
I am so sorry for your loss, you did everything you could but sadly sometimes it is just time
 
I’m so sorry for your loss. Just be gentle with yourself as you grieve.
 
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