When your guinea pig gets ill, it is important that you know how to choose a vet for a guinea pig. In fact, when a guinea pig is ill, all of the research should already have been done. This means that if you keep guinea pigs, then you need to choose a vet as soon as you can. Do not wait until your pet needs one, as you are unlikely to be thinking straight. If you take it to a vet who is not good with guinea pigs, then the poor thing could lose its life. By doing the research in advance of any illness, such as when you get a guinea pig, then it could save its life.
Not all vets are the same. Take where I live, for instance. I am surrounded by farmland, and although the three vets in the area are fine with cats and dogs, they mainly deal with farm animals. This means that they are not experts when it comes to small animals. I have to travel about 30 miles to get to a vet that is good when it comes to dealing with guinea pigs. However, sometimes even they may not be good enough if the condition is rare, and then I would go to an exotic pet vet, which is around 50 miles away. Exotic vets are expensive, but if you have a pet with a serious condition, and you want to save it, they are usually the only option.
Taking all this into account, here are a few pointers on how to choose a vet for a guinea pig.
* Animals do not really like to travel, especially when they are ill, as the stress can make their condition worse. So, if you can find a local vet that deals with small animals, then you are ensuring that any treatment needed in the future will be fast.
* It is very important that you feel comfortable with the vet. They need to put your mind at rest, and explain everything. If something does not seem right, then it probably isn’t. I have had vets keep referring to books when I have taken in a sick guinea pig, this is a red flag, find another one.
* The practice should be relaxed, with the staff showing that they are happy to explain everything. If this is not the case then visit another practice.
* Not all practices use the same treatments. For instance, operation wounds should now be closed with glue and not stitches, but some practices still use the older method. This puts the animal at greater risk of complications. So, make sure that the vet is well up on the latest developments.
* Neutering is best done when the guinea pig is young and healthy, as complications are less likely to arise. However, it is always worth keeping any health problems in mind when it comes to neutered males. I had a beautiful guinea pig that suffered from terrible bloat for three months. It was not until I took him to an exotic vet when he was near death’s door that the problem was discovered. Part of his intestines had slipped through the hole left when he was neutered, probably called a hernia in humans. This was very bad luck, and meant his gut kept getting blocked. Alas, he died within a couple of days of the operation, as there was too much damage to his intestines from the severity of the bloat.
* You should be able to relate to your vet as you do with friends and family. Even though you are worried about the health of your pet, the environment between you and the vet should be pleasant and relaxing. If your pet has an ongoing condition, then it is important you see the same vet every time, or something may be missed. Not all vets allow this, so ignore them.
* Trust is an important part of a relationship with a vet when it comes to a small animal, and not having cats and dogs roaming the practice is a way of showing this. Although these animals will be in the waiting area together, and elsewhere in the practice, they should not be able to get near to your pet.
* If your pet is being stressed by other animals, then the practice should ensure that you and the pet are put in a different area.
* Most guinea pigs live in at least pairs, and if you only have a single, then it is very important to get it a friend. When a sick guinea pig needs to stay with a vet for a time, if they are decent enough, then they should allow its friend to stay as well. This can help in the recovery of the ill animal. Especially if it has had an operation.
* One last thing, and that is to make sure that the premises are staffed twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. You would be amazed at home many practices leave all of the animals alone during the night.
Remember, you are paying for the vet, and that means that you are employing them. You are paying them for their expertise, but not all the vets are experts in the same thing. If for any reason whatsoever you are not happy with what the vet is telling you, go and visit another one. It could save your animal’s life.
How To Choose A Vet For A Guinea Pig
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