any guinea pig money saving tips?

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  • Rummer
    Rummer Posts: 6,550
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    I did think about that dolally but I wasn't sure if it would be too expensive, I will call my vet and ask.
    Taking responsibility one penny at a time!
  • System
    System Posts: 178,076
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    it should cost about £40 to have him done.
  • Rummer
    Rummer Posts: 6,550
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    It would be £57 per pig at my vets and that would be too much money for us to spend at the moment.
    Taking responsibility one penny at a time!
  • dolally_2
    dolally_2 Posts: 268 Forumite
    Have you tried ringing around vets, they tend to vary wildly in prices and £57 seems at the higher end to me as it is quite a simple procedure for boys. £40 would be about right (although of course it depends on where in the country you are)
  • Rummer
    Rummer Posts: 6,550
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    Even at £40 I would have to save up so it is something I will focus on for the future and do a bit more research on, we were told before it may be risky for them so I am reluctant from that point of view too.

    In the meantime I want to do what I can to make their new home as comfortable as possible so all ideas would be welcome!
    Taking responsibility one penny at a time!
  • louisdog
    louisdog Posts: 249 Forumite
    Just over £30 at my vets for neutering so worth ringing around.

    Re shed comfort, nice cheap thing to do would be buy a "small bale" of hay from a farm or horsey place for about £4, it will be 3 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet, put a generous amount down each day for them to eat and also run through (I read it is like being in the wild as they run through long grass in the wild), a bale would last several weeks I reckon.

    Also mine love cardboard - they chew and toss around loo roll tubes and like to hide in tissue boxes etc.

    I bought a soil pipe joint for mine from Jewson or somewhere for a fiver as a hideaway, more robust than the pigloos you can buy.

    Think they might appreciate apple tree and similar branches to chew on.

    Hope that helps!

    Alex
  • FabuLass
    FabuLass Posts: 568
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    Well the night was last night....feeling terribly sad but it's funny that I knew the time when it came, and knew prolonging his life would have been cruel. We did the right thing and the vet was terribly kind. Thanks to all for your kind words x
    You'll make my day if I know I've been helpful to you in some small way,
    so please press my :T thanks :Tbutton x
  • So sorry.
    Big hugs to you.
    Sparky will know how much you loved him. x
  • Rummer
    Rummer Posts: 6,550
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    Oooh the soil pipe sounds good, I think they would really enjoy that! We were planning on getting our hay from a feed merchants now as there are so many of them it is costing a fortune in pet shop hay. We are going to buy the big sacks of guinea pig food too, although I am not sure who is the cheapest supplier, I will need to shop about. I prefer them to have the pellets and then they can't pick and choose the bits they like.
    Taking responsibility one penny at a time!
  • tiamai_d
    tiamai_d Posts: 11,987
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    Rubber matting you can find in a number of places that sell horsey stuff. It's not the cheapest, but it is robust and animal safe (you can bleach it, dettol it, hose it) lay it as a flooring and bring it up the sides by 6 inch or so.

    Head to B&Q and buy some of the cheap plastic piping (toilet waste pipe size). Chop up, use joints to make mazes it's excellent. Sand down any rough edges though.

    Feed merchant hay is usually better quality, or local farmers sometimes sell the little bales. It's all the rubbish stuff that the merchants refuse that gets processed for pet shops! Not chopped, which I think is a good thing (less dust, more exciting for animals). Watch out for mites though.
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