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Unhappy With Vets After Neuter

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Liz47

Junior Guinea Pig
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I am (or maybe was!) confident with my vets and after questioning them decided to book Arnie in for a neuter so I adopt a sow after the sad loss of his brother, who was seen at this vets and I was happy and impressed with everything they did to try and save him. The vet does many neuters and seemed knowledgeable so I was happy. I got a call yesterday saying they was keeping him in overnight as his wound was swollen. Got a call this morning saying he was eating, toileting and moving around well so I could go pick him up. When I paid I thought the amount seemed huge compared to what I read other people pay, it came to £121.18. This includes:

Guinea pig castration - 35.66
General anaesthetic gpig - 29.64
Inject Vetergesic m/dose btl. Buprenorph (What I assume is pain relief?) - 7.30
Examination by vet - 21.50
Baytril dispense - 6.88

This doesn't include metacam which I had to ask for separately as the vet said he's been acting fine so doesn't need it, he was a post op check saturday morning so can have some then if needed. I said he's bound to be sore so he really ought to have pain relief so I now have metacam. I just thought oh well, I don't mind if the vets are a tad expensive if the ops gone smooth and that's that.

When the vet brought him through I opened the carrier to check on him and noticed his chin was wet, I thought he might have had something syringe fed so didn't think much of it until I got home and his entire stomach was soaking, from his chin down to his bottom. I tried to dry him gently but he's still soggy and noticeably uncomfortable and trying to clean all his stomach. It doesn't smell like wee, there was no wee on the puppy pad in his carrier so he hasn't been sat in wee on the way home and I have seen him wee normally in his cage so I rang the vets back to ask what this was. I was put on hold while a nurse went and asked the vet and she same back and just asked does he seem ok in himself, I said aside from being soggy he has been eating and toileting so she said that's fine just give him his metacam and baytril tonight and that was it. I had to then say wait, why is he soaking and was told they didn't know, maybe he's sat in his water bowl at home but I said he has a bottle not a bowl and he was wet when he was handed over and the receptionist said the vet hasn't seem him sit in his bowl here but that's what must have happened as there's no other reason for him to be soggy? So I don't know how long he's been sat in a water bowl at the vets when surely this is not good for his wound which does look rather swollen? And I paid £21.50 for an examination upon picking him up yet the vet never mentioned he was wet yet she must have noticed when she got him out the vet cage and moved him into his carrier yet nothing was said.





Do you think I should say/write to them to say I am upset about this or is it just one of those things?
 
I don't have experience of boar neutering but going by the ops mine have had I don't think the cost is expensive for an op. One of mine had a reaction to buprenorphine & had clear fluid running out of her bottom parts , so it might be what has happened to your boy, or it could be that he wasn't very alert after his op & has laid in his wee. If you are not happy with his care then you would need to write to the vet surgery & keep a copy for yourself. Whereabouts roughly are you? We have a vet locator at the top should you wish to look at changing vets :)
 
Thank you for your reply, will ask about possible reactions. He had the op yesterday morning and was told he has been active, but even if he wasn't he wouldn't still be wet now I wouldn't have thought? I've never read about any one paying more than £65 without complications for a neuter so thought was a bit much but I know they vary a lot.
 
I too would have thought that a little high - both the vets I use charge the same as a rabitt castration around the £65 - £70 mark - I would query the examination cost of £21-50 as I think that should have been included in the cost. - I have had two females spayed and that came in at the same price as your neuter and that is a much more complicated and longer procedure.
 
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Thank you, I dont suppose there's anything I can about the price as its just the way it is with some vets charging more than others. I'm just upset I was charged the examination fee yet nothing was said about him being soaking wet and no apology offered, they said they do have water bowls but as no one had seen him in it they said they cant know why he was wet.
 
Before they do the surgery they clean the area with sterile fluid, maybe they just used abit to much or it spilled maybe. Also perhaps he sat in his bowl at the surgery? Often they don't have drippy bottled and just put in shallow dishes maybe he sat in the water before he was put into the carrier and sent home?


*edit, they wouldn't know if he sat in it anyway they don't keep an eye on every animal 24 hours a day! So for them to say he didnt sit in it isnt realistic they couldn't possibly know if he did or not. Also of he's not use to drinking out of a bowl it's likley he dribbled abit. Maybe it's just build up from dribbling?
 
Thank you for your reply :) Yes I did ask if it could be antiseptic, but surely he wouldn't still be soaked when his neuter was over 24 hours ago and they said it wouldn't have been that. I am thinking he must have sat in the bowl at the vets yes, I was just upset they didn't say anything to me about it when they picked him up as the vet must have felt it and he was dripping. He is still wet now so don't think it was him dribbling. A different vet I spoke to later said it could have caused his swelling, since the wound was damp, yet I have got no apology and they said he must have done it at home yet he came home wet so it clearly happened there. He's been sneezing since he came back, not sure if that's related to being so wet and cold, stress from the op/journey in general or unrelated but another thing to worry about.
 
i have no experience of operations but i was ripped off on my first ever vet visit for a fungal infection to the tune of £150! Lesson learned, vet changed !

Good luck to Arnie, hope he recovers well from his operation xx
 
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