Weekly cost?

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catalyst

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Hi, We're trying to get an idea of the real costs of having two guinea pigs. I've seen estimates that range from £20/week to £20/month, which is a huge range of £240-1040/year!

We're planning to get 2 piggies. We'll buy a cage, hutch, accessories, etc, so there will be that initial outlay. Beyond that, what should we expect to spend each week for food, bedding, etc?

Thanks!
 
Hi, I have 4 piggies and spend around £5 a week on veg, £4 a week on hay as I go through a bag a week and each bag costs me £4 and £4 for a bag of dry food which lasts them 3-4 weeks. So I probably spend around £30-£40 a month on all 4

Most importantly, make sure that you have money set aside for vets bills as that is very costly should your piggies need to see a vet.

There’s also things like nail clipping to take in to account and whether you will do it yourself of take them to the vets to have it done as that will have to be budgeted for too
 
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I have two piggies and three rabbits but if I roughly divide my spend and try to calculate just the piggies, I’ll probably spend around £35 a month on the piggies. Hay is the biggest (probably around £20 a month just on hay) outlay as outdoor piggies their hutches are stuffed completely full in winter with wet areas being removed and replaced daily.
 
I personally find they have been my most expensive thing I have ever owned. But have only had guinea pigs for just over a year. I started off with just two! I do have 7, but I have spent so much on previous cages I've gone through about 4 different cages in the past year that have all been quite pricey. One was £190 (big mistake) one was too small (£40?) And one was outdoors (£120ish) and I've spent £50ish on C&C grids which I haven't all used but have used for storage. The ones that were the most expensive meant for like 2-3 Guinea pigs but I hadn't had a herd by then. I would recommend C&C grids I've been able to change my layout/extend my cage plenty of times without spending a penny due to these! I spend around £40 a month on hay and about £7ish a week on veg! (£1 per pig which isn't too bad really for food). But the real cost is vet bills, you'd be amazed how much money these creatures you can buy for a £10 cost! My auntie has two guinea pigs which were initially a present for my cousin. Recently one of her guinea pigs has dental issues and therefore they need to pay £200ish every month or so to grind the teeth down. and then out of the blue the other guinea pig developed a cyst which cost £500 to be removed! The vet bills really worry me tbh that's why I always try and feed my guinea pigs the best diet and a good quality hay from Haybox to grind their teeth down and limit veg and pellets where I can! They are also a big hobby of mine and initially I did spend alot of money on new hides and tunnels etc! I have spent a bit of money recently on fat quarters and guinea pig fleece and waddling so I can make my own tunnels, beds, pee pads etc which I will save money on in the long run! But have gone a bit mad with all the day quarters I have brought 😂. Best of luck! They are lovely creatures!
 
I spend about £30-£50 a month on hay for 5 piggies, £10 a month for puppy pads to go under the vetbed, £6 a month on pellets and about £10 a week on veggies, vet bills are the biggest outgoing by far! Honestly I find piggies more expensive than my dog 🙈🙈
 
Vet bills are by far the biggest cost- I usually allow £200 per month per piggy just to make sure. A simple haypoke/eye infection may cost about £100. A simple URI/UTI that resolves within a week may cost £100. If piggy needs scans or xrays you are probably looking at £200 plus. A bite wound causing an abscess perhaps £200-£300. Dental surgery £300. Upset tummy causing bloat or stasis £200-300.
Basic pain relief medicine for any minor aches and pains £20 plus a consulation fee of perhaps £30. A referral to an expert vet hospital and basic diagnostics... £300 to £500 perhaps? Arthritis in an elderly pig £50 per month pain relief.
Great you are doing your research but if money is an issue piggies are maybe not the best pet- all pets need vets and piggies seem to need the vet a whole lot, and there are very few insurance plans!
I spend £120 per month for 8 piggies on hay, bedding and food- but often I also spend £200 at the vet especially now some of my piggies are getting older. I have 4 piggies currently in excellent health but... even with the best care regime many piggies do need regular veterinary attention.
Unfortunately we see a large number of people here in the forum who only budgeted for food etc when getting piggies and then cannot cope with a very minor illness costing a couple of hundred pounds, let alone more serious health problems.
So if you havent currently got the means to provide vet care, always best to wait until you have better financial circumstances rather than risk the inevitable heartbreak that we unfortunately see here far too often!
 
We pay £20 a month for hay
£6 for nuggets every 3 Months ish
£5-6 a week on veg
Bedding for the kitchen area of the cage at about £13 every 5-6 weeks (the rest of the cage is on fleece)

We have been lucky we haven’t had to many vet bills a hay poke with medication was £70 and we treated them for some suspected mites which came to £42.

Other than that there are the odd toys or new bedding items but they are a luxury.
 
I agree that the vet bills are the biggest cost. I currently have a poorly pig and have spent £400 in the past 3 weeks on her. In that time I've had final appointments and euthanasia for a palliative piggy. Altogether nearly £600 in 3 weeks.

I used to have pet insurance, and now go the vet fund route, but the insurance can make outlay more predictable, if that helps.
 
I reckon for my three food and bedding costs work out at around £50 a month.
As has been said, vet bills can wipe out a vet fund in no time at all.
I save in a vet fund so there’s always money when needed but like @Black piggies I had vet bills of about £600 in a month for 2 sick piggies which pretty much emptied the pot.

Then there’s the temptation to buy that extra fleece tunnel or bed for them!
 
I spend quite a bit on my three piggies (probably about 100 euros a month). This is only because hay is incredibly expensive in Australia. This is probably not an accurate estimate of what you might spend, however.

I agree that vet bills are definitely the most expensive part of owning guinea pigs. For my RB piggy Violet, I spent over 300 euros in her last month. It is definitely a good idea to set aside some money for vet bills.

How exciting! I look forward to seeing photos of your future piggies 😊
 
I’d say to any potential owners to go with the highest estimate from your research, double it and then apply it to each pig to be sure!
Then have savings, insurance and a back up credit card! Vet bills can be huge. Our highest bill was just over £1000 in just over four weeks. The insurance covered over £900 of it.
If you can, save first so you’re always ahead. I’m not joking when I say if we were starting again, I’d have a grand per pig saved first. It’s been hard money wise.
 
I think the estimates above in the range of £20-30 "running costs" are about right. We have two, and they are outdoor so we go through a lot of have and bedding. Some things depend on what your approach is, e.g. if you use fleece cage liners, puppy pad etc. then you'll have a big outlay, but then they'll probably last quite a while before they need replacing. Whereas with something like hay or shredded paper for bedding you pay less each time but higher replacement frequency.

Take into account there are probably some things you've not thought of in your "initial outlay" budget that you'll want to add later (for us it was a horse bag for washing, and a dedicated guinea pig dustpan and brush!). Also, some things will need replacing less often than food but more often than cages, such as their houses / cosies, as well as water bottles.

Vet costs are extremely hard to predict. As an example, we spent probably £90 over the first three years we had ours (just a couple of checkups and a fit to travel certificate), but then £500 in two weeks recently. If you adopt your guineas from a reputable rescue they should have been vet checked before you get them so the risk of getting them home and finding they are unwell straight away is lower, but if you would struggle with an unexpected expense then I'd want to start with probably at least £300 set aside for each pig, and then you can add a little each month (so also set this aside in your monthly budget).

Also be aware that the anticipated lifespan of a piggie is 5+ years (some people on this forum have eight year olds) so its more of a long term commitment that a smaller rodent.

They are totally worth it though :D

One final thing to bear in mind is that most rescues have an unlimited returns policy. I.e. if you adopt some piggies and then it really becomes too much for you to cope with (financially or due to some other life circumstances) they will take them back. Obviously this isn't something to plan on doing, but it is another good reason to adopt from a rescue rather than buying your pets from a pet shop or breeder.
 
I agree with my previous poster - budget for the higher end of the estimate in terms of running costs (especially with a big hike in cost due to Brexit and and pandemic related shipping/transport problems) since they are often actually underestimated with all the little extras that are not factored in and PLEASE budget for unexpected vet cost.

I have had the odd month with leaving a £1000 at the vet's just for one piggy or two with coinciding serious health issues. The average healthy life span of guinea pigs is around 4-7 years but some guinea pigs can live beyond that.
Good care can prevent/minimise the risk of some illness and boost a healthy life span but you can never foresee accidental injuries (like eye pokes) and genuine health issues. Since vet care has made great strides, cost have gone up massively, too. It is more noticeable in the UK because of the free, tax funded NHS just how expensive health care is for both humans and animals.
Ideally you save up for a vet fund before you start and then budget a certain amount towards keeping it going as an integral part for monthly maintenance. If you can't do that now, then please wait with getting any pet (there is no such thing as a cheap pet) until you are able to so you do not have to live with the stress, heartbreak and inevitable guilt of having failed a being in your care. We sadly see that all too often on this forum, and it is not pretty; neither for the owner nor for us. It is great that you are doing your research beforehand and not after you have got your piggies once you are running into trouble.
Many (but not all) UK vet clinics will accept a payment plan from registered clients but that still leaves you with a considerable sum to pay upfront and to pay back over the coming months while you may rack up more bills with a more complex or chronic health problem.
You may find this link here helpful re. insurance and vet care information: A guide to vets fees, insurance and payment support.

I would also recommend that you are doing your research into good quality housing, bedding, cage furniture and furbelows. It is worth saving up first so you can start correctly and don't have to upgrade on the go. We can help you with that part.

By far the best place to adopt from is one of our carefully vetted recommended good welfare standard rescues so you can neatly avoid the usual pitfalls that await unwary new owners and buyers, and will have the rescue to fall back on if things go badly haywire at any stage. Good welfare standard piggies are always correctly sexed, guaranteed not pregnant and carefully personality matched.
Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs
New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

Our Wannabe and our New Owner information collections may be of help for doing your research:
Are Guinea Pigs For Me? - Wannabe Owners' Helpful Information
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
Trying to remember back to when I had 2 pigs.

£15 veggies
£5 pellets
£10 hay
I can get 20kg pine shavings for £8
I use fleece and reusable puppy pads and towels when they're indoors and I use the same detergent that I use on my own clothes with a splash of vinegar which I always have in the house anyway.

I can only echo the above re vet fund. Please set some money aside for any trips you may need to take with the pigs.
 
We have had guinea pigs for about 6 months now, so still newbies. What really took us by surprise was how much space these critters need. The two sows we got (exact age unknown, but the oldest was about 3 1/2 years and the younger around 2 years) came with a 104 x 58 cm cage that seemed big when we put it in the car, but it was actually way too small for two adult guinea pigs. After watching them for a few weeks and feeling bad about the cramped quarters, we upgraded to a 122 x 58 cm cage, but that was still too small for them to move about much. We tried opening one side of their cage and giving them access to a larger area while we were at home, but that required them to either jump over the side of the cage base or use steps on either side to get across, risking accidents (apparently pigs aren't very agile). It also meant that they had two relatively small areas to run around in instead of one large space, and it was really annoying to clean.

So my recommendation would be to get something flexible such as a C&C or DYI cage that you can expand/shrink as required. That's what I wish we had gotten from the outset - store cages are expensive, and large cages are quite ugly and hard to find a place for.

Instead of a cage we have given the pigs some floor space in our living room, in front of a window. We have covered the floor with vinyl, a layer of thin door mats, with polyester bath mats on top. (Bath mats directly on vinyl won't stay in place). The lower part of the wall with the window is protected with vinyl, and on the sides we use grids bought from Kavee to prevent the pigs from gnawing on wires and other unhealthy stuff. The front part isn't closed when we are at home - the pigs never venture outside their space, and it makes cleaning a lot easier - but we have extra grids that we put up if we leave home for more than an hour or two. Their total area is 4 x 6 grids (140 x 210 cm), and they use all of it. If we need to reclaim some of that space, it only takes a few minutes to remove a couple of grids and rearrange the mats. We can also move them to another room if we have visitors that are allergic to or just dislike guinea pigs.

Vinyl, door mats, three sets of bath mats, and grids have cost os around £250 (and we've wasted about the same amount on failed experiments with cages and different types of bedding). Going forward I expect our weekly costs on washing, hay, greens, and pellets to come to ~ £15 per week. We eat lots of greens ourselves, so about half of what the pigs get are leftovers. Each pig gets 1tbsp pellets per day and the occasional pea flake.

We haven't had any vet expenses so far, so no idea what that may come to. We don't have a vet fund per se, just some room in our budget for general unforeseen expenses. We may have to up that amount a bit based on the vet costs that previous posters have quoted 😐
 
i have 15 Piggies.bedding is £60 month,veg £60 month,hay £16 a month,pellets £15 a month,i put £200 a month by for vet bills.i have two piggies on longterm loxicom which is £40 a month.so as you can see there is a big outlaye.the vet bills are the biggest cost.i love all my piggies,but I'm looking to downsize as they go to heaven.the cost is alot now i rely on my private pension !
 
I’m thinking my pigs are neglected! I don’t spend very much on them really 😬 A couple of pounds a week on veg (a lettuce, a cucumber, some celery, some coriander, all of which we share with them…), £25 on hay every couple of months. We bought a big bag of nuggets that has lasted forever (it’s a few weeks past it’s best before now it has lasted so long, sorry pigs!) so next to nothing on that. We use fleece so no bedding costs, just a run through the washing machine. We have had 2 haypokes, a grey nose and a “lump” seen at the vet so far coming to probably £250-300.

Other spends are
Cage - second hand C&C grids £25
Correx - about a Tenner maybe? Postage was ridiculous, I got two sheets just in case to warrant the post cost!
Water bottles - I’ve been through a few. Now got glass ones at about £8 each.
Bowl - don’t need it really, they prefer to forage for salad in hay. I bought two, dropped one.
Fleece - a couple of blankets from b&m
Absorbent layer - mattress protector from tkmaxx
Horse wash bag to put in the machine - about £15 I think.
Clippers - for nails. Two pairs because I misplaced one.
Hand vacuum for spot cleaning - £25
Outdoor run for nice days - £75?
Carrier for vet trips - donation to rescue

I think that’s it. I agree with what someone said about how long they live. I’d expected about 3 years but they are now 7 and clearly elderly but rumbling on nicely. I’m anticipating a few bigger vet bills in our future too.

So for 5+ years of happy ownership it seems decent value to me.
 
Well done for researching costs. I find it heartbreaking when any animal is taken on and then suffers because people have not done their homework. Great advice above. I have 6 boys in 3 pairs. I spend £22per week on hay and wood shavings (I don’t use fleece liners) Around £12 a year on pellets and around £20 a week on veg (I eat any left overs). As mentioned do consider unexpected vet costs. Hay poke on a Sunday and a runny nosed piggie on another Sunday cost me around £500 in total. My local emergency out of hours be charge around £140 surcharge before any examination/treatment costs. Good luck in whatever you decide 🙂
 
I stopped counting the money I spend for my 3 guinea pigs. For the veg, I think it's around £10 to £15 weekly. The hay, we buy it in bulk. I have a subscription of 3 boxes of meadow hay from Haybox every 6 or 8 weeks, depending on how fast they finish it. That's around £28. Hubby buys the Oxbow orchard and timothy hay in multiples. The pellets also. I don't know how much he pays for it but it usually lasts around 2-3 months depending on how many he bought.

Puppy pads, hubby is the one who buys it too and it's usually lasts around 4 weeks for the 100pieces in one box. So a box is probably around £15. I buy all the fleece stuff and the bath mats for my piggies and I have probably spent a few hundreds for all they currently have.

Like what others said, vet fees will cost the most. We have probably spent quite a few thousands for vet fees since we started keeping guinea pigs in 2012 (hubby has been keeping guinea pigs for much longer time before I met him though). Just this year, we probably have spent at least £1000-£1500.
 
I spent at least £100 a month on my 3 plus weekly veggies. Some months were a lot more if I bought new beds etc I have paid thousands in vets bills, I paid £600 for Lexie’s op and aftercare before we lost her, I paid £1500 last year for saffies op which gave her another 11 months and then another £1400 this year but we still lost her and probably another £600 for Luna and we lost her to. This was for surgeries/intensive nursing in the hospital, everything I could do to try and save them.
 
We budget £100 / month for our two to cover their bedding, hay, veggies, nuggets and the occasional treat.

Vets bills are extra on top of that.
 
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