Christmas Day vet trip - just a much needed vent!

[WorldsMostExpensiveGuineaPig]

Just need to vent as it’s been an expensive day 😩
One of my guinea pigshas injured her eye, probably hay poke or possibly a scuffle with another pig. Yesterday evening I didn’t notice anything so it may have happened in the night, but it was swollen, ulcerated and painful this morning and I had had no choice but to take her to the vet. It cost me £310!!! FML!!! It would have been less than half of that if it wasn’t Christmas Day. £310 😩

If the eye doesn’t get better she might need to have it removed and I actually dread to think how much that will cost. I’m trying not to think about that and hoping these drops work miraculously. At least the poor thing isn’t in pain now as they’ve given her painkillers too.

What a bloody nightmare! To make it worse, I’ve had a bad cold which has made my asthma worse and I had a wheezing/coughing fit in the vet waiting room. It will certainly be a day to remember 😩

I'm sorry about your guinea pig, but I think you're being Unreasonable to complain that prices are higher on Christmas Day.

Our animals always seem to get ill on Sundays/Bank Holidays. A few years ago we had to have our cat pts on a bank holiday Monday which cost a fortune. Its part of being a pet owner though.

I wasn’t complaining at all that prices were higher.
I am just ranting that it’s Sod’s Law that the first time one of my numerous guinea pigs has ever been injured happened to be on the most expensive day of the year.

I totally understand how you feel. Similar incident here last week and 300£ vet bill too.
my kitten had constipation. Emergency vet etc.
sigh.
but at least she’s well now. I hope your little Guinea pig will be ok too. You are a lovely owner to care so much. That’s how pets should be cared for so we are nice people!

They were really lovely at the emergency vet, especially when I nearly had an asthma attack. I am grateful they were open today as she was in so much pain.

An what a rough day! Hope your piggie is better.
It’s always easy to think you don’t need insurance for small animals but having had guinea pigs in the past, bills mount up when it comes to health care. I’d suggest looking at small mammal insurance or creating a fund for future visits, it will make things a bit easier.

i only say all this because my cat caught me out last year and even insurance wasn’t enough to cover. Lil bugger.

I have a small herd of adopted pigs and sometimes foster for a local rescue and I’ve never had an injured eye. They generally don’t cost much in vet bills.
Today’s dramatic pig is the youngest and most feisty of the group and it’s horrible to see her so subdued.
But £310 is a lot of money for us and I am still not quite over the shock, although the wine has helped!

In my case I really struggled to find a vet. It was a weekend and I had to make lots of phone calls and it was hours before I could actually get my kitten to the vet. I even tried one who comes to the house but he was busy with another emergency. I don’t know what he would have charged but i knew I had to pay whatever she needed

@OutOfOrder67 I looked at insurance but it seemed a lot, especially as I often adopt them quite elderly. I have 6 pigs at the moment and I may look at insurance again or perhaps put money aside each month just for vet visits.
In the past 18 months I’ve had to pay for 2 pigs to be put to sleep (elderly pigs after a stroke) and for teeth to be trimmed twice. I’ve had 8 guinea pigs in that time so they’ve barely cost anything until today. The rescue would also help with bills for fostered pigs.
My dog, on the other hand, has always been insured and we’ve claimed a couple of times.

Awk poor baby I totally get the timing being a pain in the arse

If it makes you feel any better a couple of years ago we had to take the dog to the vet at 7pm on a Saturday (she had stabbed herself in the mouth with a stick, there was no blood somehow so just knew she was being strangely quiet and subdued) we were £400 before the vet had even clapped eyes on her then when she was put under for a stitch we had to pay a significant amount more for her as she jumped up to the next weight level…she was 0.1kg over 😑😂