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What Would You Do

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Stayc1989

Stayc1989

Teenage Guinea Pig
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I have just been into my local petshop (which I am not going to name just yet) and I went to look at the Guinea pigs and they had babies for sale with bald patches so I lifted up the pigloo where they were all hiding and saw even more with bald patches and one had crust all around the eye. I saw in a top high up cage a little grey face looking at me and when it turned around was completely bald all over its back! When We left the shop I called the rspca straight away and they said they are going to look into it and let me know and I have to ring the local council Aswell but I feel bad that I didn't buy the one in the top cage. Should I have bought it and should I go back and get it? I told the rapca I would go back tonorro and look at them again but I feel so bad that the one in the worst condition might not get chance of a happy home what shall I do?
 
:D Maybe wait until the RSPCA has been to the shop, and seen the piggie in really bad condition. If they just see those that are not too bad, the shop might get off too lightly. But trying to sell a piggie who has (perhaps?) mange, is completely unacceptable, and they should get a big fine, or something - I hope. Then when the RSPCA has been, you can go back and get the sick piggie - if they let you in the shop!
 
Having some experience on the pet shop side I think it is great that you contacted the rspca. I wouldn't take any of the sick piggies as it is the pets shops responsibility to pay for and complete treatment. Shame on them for not taking action, fungal infections spread so fast in baby piggies at pet shops, I know from experience -__- but the fact that they are still on the sales floor and not in treatment is awful and it may be the fault of the breeder as the often arrive sick, which I also know from experience. Let the investigation begin and I'm sure they will follow up later or remove the piggies of need be to get them care.
 
You can't rescue them all. The RSPCA and local council are the proper authorities to deal with this. Well done for contacting them as that is absolutely the right thing to do.
 
I feel so bad for them though, I actually bought one from here in Dec 2014 and he had mange so it must be the breeder that's not looking after them properly or treating them, but the petshop just lets it get worse selling sick piggies :( seems like this problem has been going on for ages. The reason I bought mine was because he was the last one left and the shop closed down and re opened under a new name. I asked the lady on the rspca helpline if I should have bought the piggy and she said I could buy it but obviously thy need to see the animal in that situation to be able to do anything. I was wondering if I recorded me buying it on a secret camera if I could use this as evidence for the rspca because I feel so bad for the piggy I just keep thinking of it stuck in that cage itching all over and lonely and upset makes me so sad. I'm definitely ringing the council tomorrow about this place and I'm going to ask them to investigate the breeder who they get their animals from.
 
I think you did the right thing, and you need to try and let the rspca see the piggie in the worst condition, so they will know that the shop are still selling really ill animals.
I know it must be hard though.
Can you ask them to let you know when they have visited, and then go back for the really sick one?
 
Exactly what I would do or tell them you are willing to take a pig if they remove them but this is obviously a bigger problem that needs to be seen to be addressed I would wait for the RSPCA to give you the next move so they can do all they need.
 
Plus if the RSPCA want to bring a case against the shop they will need to feel the situation is bad enough to seize the animals, and then record all the details of their condition at one of their rescue centers.
 
Thank you I said I will go back to the petshop tomorrow and call them again if things have got worse so I will ask them to let me know what's happening and when they've been, I will say I would like the big piggy and if they do take them away I'd be willing to adopt him/her. I never thought about it like that so I could be doing more harm than good buy going and buying him/her thank you for all your help I will keep you updated about it all :)
 
Still waiting to hear back from the rspca. I haven't been back to the petshop since because I've been really busy but going to hopefully nip down tomorrow and see if any things changed. I decided not to ring the council just yet until the rspca have said they've been down and looked at the animals because I was thinking about it all Sunday night and I was thinking if the council do something before the rspca get chance, the petshop could move all the poorly animals and there would be nothing for the rspca to see but once they've said they've been down I will call the council. I'm really hoping something will be done about it.
 
This is why it is important not to make too big a deal out of it and just wait, when things started going south at my pet shop I reported it internally like we were supposed to, I should have just went to the media cuz I lost my job either way.
They fixed the problem internally and no animals died so I was really happy but then the Managment retaliated because they all got in trouble for neglecting my animals. I didn't care as long as the animals were taken care of but they cut my hours and eliminated my position so I couldn't work with the animals anymore and when I reported that, it came back as a "misunderstanding" that I really didn't want to work with the animals anymore. I quit and am going to start a job in the ppl field soon.
I really hope something good comes of this. I feel very strongly about pet shops taking the responsibility they signed up for when deciding to sell live animals. Stay strong, be patient but don't give up!
 
Thank you, I'm sorry for how they treated you for looking out for the animals :( but good on you for doing so :) I can't stand animal neglect when they can clearly see somethings not right. I hope the rspca can do something to help. It really upsets me seeing things like that there's no need to treat them like that.
 
I'm off to the petshop to see if any things changed, still haven't heard from the rspca yet so haven't phoned the council yet. This time I'm prepared so I will take some pictures of them if nothing's changed.
 
I rang the rspca before I went in the shop to see if they had been down yet and they said they couldn't tell me anything yet but will hear from them in the next 28 days :/ I went in the shop and saw the big one still in the top cage so asked a member of staff if we could buy it and they said it's currently off sale as its under treatment along with another 2 which were being bathed in the back. The babies and mum were still there and doesn't look like they've been treated though and still had bald patches so my OH persuaded me to get the smallest girl who looks very much like my boy fudge who has not long passed away. I took her to the vets who said she has hay mites and by the looks of things mange too so I already had some Xeno 50 mini that they said I could use on her so she's just had her drops and hopefully when she's all better she can go in with my girls. At the min she's very quiet and just hiding away, I've left her alone but kept checking on her she has really thin fur on her back and a couple of bald patches. So looks like the shop has started to clean their act up but they are still selling unwell Guinea pigs but at least she has seen the vet now and started treatment. I just hope the rspca keep checking on them and make sure all the Guinea pigs get treatment because my boyfriend had to point out that the mum who was in with the babies had bald patches on her back to the member of staff he said "is that one under treatment too" and she said "which one?" And he showed her the mum. But at least they are aware now and hopefully do something about them too. I will post pics of her in a couple of days when she's not as shy :)
 
Just thought I'd update you all about the petshop. Took my new little baby back to the vets again on Monday and she also has ringworm! I quarantined her so she hasn't passed it onto my others but I am very upset and feel so bad for her. Anyway she's on treatment now and hopefully will be all better soon. My boyfriend phoned the shop and they gave me a refund and said that they are now treating all the other Guinea pigs for it and the rabbits as its highly contagious. So they aren't for sale at the moment. I'm quite glad I bought her now because even though I have had to take her to the vets and stuff at least now the Guinea pigs at the shop are getting the care they need and will hopefully be treated better from now on :) still not herd from the rspca though
 
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