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Vet Bills

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guineapig-al

guineapig-al

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Hi, Forum Members, I am concerned about the hardship some members experience when several of their piggies require multiple visits to the vet or when the piggies get sick one after the other in rapid succession. It might happen that some members are so financially depleted after caring for one pig, that they neglect the vet care of the second piggy. My feelings on this issue are that denying healthcare to additional piggies because you have already spent on the first is grossly unfair and completely unacceptable. Trying to medicate the piggy with the meds left over from the first piggy is witchcraft. I would like to hear the common sense suggestion of all of our esteemed forum members on the above issue
Thank you,
Alexis
 
I have always had pets and always ensured that the ones I was taking on I could buy pet insurance for or had the financial means to pay vet bills. I'm a great believer in insurance & insure everything I possibly can. The UK is lucky in that you can get many types of pets insured, here in OZ only cats & dogs. So my poochie is insured, but the piggy boys not. So, if I was living in the UK I would definitely be looking into buying pet insurance.

When Peanut Butter was discovered at 2 months of age to have an overbite that meant lifelong dental treatment every month, my vet & I were able to agree on a reduced price for that particular treatment. So, it's worth discussing the price with a vet when piggy will need long or expensive treatment.

Also, I believe the UK has agencies that help low income people get vet treatment for their pets at reduced prices or for free?
 
Hi, Lilly, that is a wonderful answer. I researched pet vet charities and I made a list of the top six and posted that under a separate thread. RSPCA has vet clinics all over the UK, including two mobile units and they can help pay a private if their clinics are too far from where the piggy caretaker lives. The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) is the largest animal healthcare charity in the UK, they have treated at low cost or no cost over half a million pets. The help is definitely available.
 
Hi, Lilly, how are your piggies doing? Everything alright? Have a wonderful night. Take care now.
Thanks,
Alexis
 
guineapig-al said:
Hi, Lilly, how are your piggies doing? Everything alright? Have a wonderful night. Take care now.
Thanks,
Alexis
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Piggies are fine. It is morning here & they've just had their veggies. Peanut Butter has been having his monthly dental treatments for over 3 years now & has remained steady at his adult weight of 1200 grams.
 
We have the option of animal insurance here, however, its more like a credit card. If you don't use it twice a month they charge you almost 20% interest on it!
 
All my animals are insured, that's 2 dogs, 7 guinea pigs and 1 tortoise. I work in a veterinary hospital and get the majority of my animals treatment for free, but they are all still insured. All of my vet friends who treat their own animals, have them insured.

If you don't want to insure them, you should have the back up of savings or credit cards or whatever.

Don't take on an animal if you can't afford it is the bottom line,
 
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Amanda1801 said:
All my animals are insured, that's 2 dogs, 7 guinea pigs and 1 tortoise. I work in a veterinary hospital and get the majority of my animals treatment for free, but they are all still insured. All of my vet friends who treat their own animals, have them insured.

If you don't want to insure them, you should have the back up of savings or credit cards or whatever.

Don't take on an animal if you can't afford it is the bottom line,
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All mine are insured too. Amanda who are yours insured with out of interest? Mine are with exotic direct but they have got very expensive.
 
my dog and my rabbits are insured and i am now looking into insurance for my piggies that i just have one had a recent vets trip the first consultation and treatment was eighty odd pounds and second 77 i think so with 2 i shall definitely be taking out insurance the rabbits cost £12.00 a month with pet plan.
 
Mine aren't insured but they get treatment as and when they need it. For instance I noticed a lump on Minnie's back on Thursday & I think it may be a sebaceous cyst. She's booked in to see the vet today. Also 3 weeks ago Mother was acting different to normal so took her in to see the vet where it was discovered she had 2 swollen lymph nodes. I've been checking her daily but they seem to be getting smaller. As a precaution I'll take Mother in with Minnie this afternoon.

To cover large bills I've been putting £40 a month away in a savings account but for consultations & small treatments eg from £13.50 to £75 I just pay out of my own money & don't break into this savings account. I I do have one go down needing lots of treatment like Minky from last May to this March I spent in excess of £800 on her but I would do it all over again for any of my piggies.

Some people can be lucky & never have to go to the vets at all but usually we all have to go sometime. Over the years you build up a knowledge of ailments & you learn which ones need urgent treatment & which just need a supplement or somthing out of the first aid kit. Then if it's still persisting 1 or 2 days later you go the the vet.

I must stress though that if there's any doubt in your mind then phone the vet for either advice or an appointment.
 
Potential vet bills are something that every pet owner should consider and plan for BEFORE getting a pet. I don't insure my piggies as it would cost a ridiculous price for 9 of them, but I have savings and they have whatever treatment they need. One of the reasons I looked into training in cavy healthcare was so I would know when a vet was necessary and when I could solve the problem myself.
 
My insurance is now £750 per year for four piggies! Up until recently I have probably 'broken even' but I am seriously thinking of just putting the money in savings instead now! I have had two over the years which cost me in excess of £2000 each over a 3 year period but I still think I would be better off saving now :-( I just like the idea of insurance as knowing my luck they'd all be ill at the same time!
 
Wow that's a hefty amount Guinea Slave! My insurance was about £16 a month (Discounted for the first year) for the youngest 2 until one had an op in April & the renewal is around £25 a month for the pair now :( I have to do it though as the oldest one has cost me about £1700 so far & rising, as she is a bladder pig with ongoing treatment & I can't get her insured.
 
Yeh I know.... They've paid a lot out over the years so maybe they have decided I'm too risky! Who are you with?
 
Exotic direct is the only one that I'm aware of. I've just had maggies renewal through, £339 for the year
 
@Stewybus is a sebaceous cyst something to worry about? I only ask as I have one which my GP didnt give me the idea it was anything to worry about, and my dog has one too. Worried now!

The other option of course, though it is a sad one, is to make an economic decision about vet treatment and have the animal kindly put to sleep by a vet. If someone cannot afford expensive and lengthy treatment it is an ethical option. Must be heartbreaking though and its not a situation I want to ever be in.
 
Goth Mummy said:


@Stewybus is a sebaceous cyst something to worry about? I only ask as I have one which my GP didnt give me the idea it was anything to worry about, and my dog has one too. Worried now!

The other option of course, though it is a sad one, is to make an economic decision about vet treatment and have the animal kindly put to sleep by a vet. If someone cannot afford expensive and lengthy treatment it is an ethical option. Must be heartbreaking though and its not a situation I want to ever be in.
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A sebaceous cyst isn't as serious as an abscess but it's best to have them removed before they get too big. I've had Minnie to the vets & the vet squeezed the whitish coloured pus out of it. I've got to see if it returns which it almost certainly will & then I'll phone and make an appointment for her to have an op to remove it. She's also got a small wart on her neck which wouldn't normally be removed as a stand alone op but this will probably be removed at the same time.

Going back to the original thread regarding vet bills. If anyone has an animal that needs medical attention & they can't afford it, they should see if a rescue will take them in rather than have them pts for financial reasons.
 
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The PDSA looked after my late piggy Andy ,he was an emergency case and as they were not open they sent me to a private vet. They looked after him overnight and transferred him back to the PDSA in the morning. Despite their best efforts we had to put my little piggy to sleep. The cost? A donation was all they asked for. Knowing the cost of emergency vets and transport and intensive oxygen therapy , I gave them 50 pounds as that was all I could afford at the time, but have contributed another 50 since. They were brilliant to deal with, you do have to be in receipt of housing or council tax benefit to access their care though. Couldn't praise them highly enough
 
Shirley said:
The PDSA looked after my late piggy Andy ,he was an emergency case and as they were not open they sent me to a private vet. They looked after him overnight and transferred him back to the PDSA in the morning. Despite their best efforts we had to put my little piggy to sleep. The cost? A donation was all they asked for. Knowing the cost of emergency vets and transport and intensive oxygen therapy , I gave them 50 pounds as that was all I could afford at the time, but have contributed another 50 since. They were brilliant to deal with, you do have to be in receipt of housing or council tax benefit to access their care though. Couldn't praise them highly enough
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I'm glad you did the right thing and paid what you could.
 
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