Finding a Good Guinea Pig Vet
Finding a Guinea Pig Vet
Hello and welcome! This page is about finding a good guinea pig veterinarian that will best suit your needs as a guinea pig parent. If you're like me, you may have called a few vets and asked "Hi do you treat guinea pigs?" and got a big fat "no".
Here are some resources for finding a great vet that will know how to do more than just clip your guinea pig's nails.
If you'd like a more comprehensive guinea pig care guide, please sign up for the mailing list for the soon-to-be released Guinea Pig Guide website! You'll receive a hand-designed printable guinea pig coloring poster as a little thank you gift for signing up. : )
Questions to ask your local Vet
How to find out if your vet properly treats guinea pigs
Unfortunately, not all veterinarians know how to treat guinea pigs. Most emergency animal hospitals have exotic specialists available, but you may not live near one, or you may want a smaller, more personal and quiet office to take your cavy for a checkup!
The good news is, there are many veterinarians out there that not only treat guinea pigs but consider themselves exotic animal specialists.
Sometimes you may even come across a "small animal clinic", in which you're in luck.
Here are some questions to ask any veterinarian you're considering for guinea pig care:
1. The obvious question: do you treat guinea pigs? Some vets may be able to clip your guinea pig's nails, but they may not feel comfortable treating your piggie without sending you to a specialist for better care.
2. Do you have a list of referrals I can have that might treat guinea pigs?
If your vet does in fact treat guinea pigs, some good questions to have ready are:
1. What food or hay supplies do you carry in the office?
2. Do you have a clinic available here or do you know of one that's open 24 hours that will treat guinea pigs nearby in case there is an emergency?
3. How often should I bring my guinea pig in?
4. Do you have any other informational packets or could you talk with me some more about nutrition and other guinea pig health topics?
Where Do I Look For A Guinea Pig or Cavy Vet?
If you haven't had prior pets or have moved to a new area and aren't sure where to find a veterinarian, there are some great resources right at your fingertips online.
You can use websites like yellowpages.com to find businesses, or even typing "veterinarian" or "exotic pet veterinarian" into Google with your zip code should yield some results.
Some other websites you may want to look at are:
- Guinea Pig Vet Finder
This vet finder allows you to search for vets that treat guinea pigs! - FAQ: How to Find a Good Guinea Pig Vet
This website gives some great further information on how to find a vet and what action you should take once you find one. - Guinea Lynx :: Finding a Veterinarian
Guinea Lynx is a wonderful site full of information for your guinea pig questions and concerns. This part of their site gives great advice for finding the right vet to treat your piggie. - Guinea Pig or Cavy Vets
Another great info site for finding the proper veterinarian for your cavies. - VetLocator
Search for vets in your area. - Find A Vet / Veterinarian / Vet Services Directory
This website allows you to search for veterinarians by state, and then you can see what vets treat what breeds/animals!
Guinea Pig Videos on YouTube
I love this video a little bit too much... so cute!
Other Lenses in the Guinea Pig Care 101 Series
Check out the other lenses in this series to be on your way to becoming a guinea pig expert!
- Are you Ready to Adopt a Guinea Pig?
This is the first lens to help you decide if you're ready to adopt a guinea pig. - Preparing Your Home for a Guinea Pig
In this lens, you will learn the steps you should take in preparing your home for your new fuzzy arrival(s). - When to Have More Than One Guinea Pig
In this lens, you will learn about your options when adopting a guinea pig in terms of deciding whether to adopt more than one. - What Guinea Pigs Can and Cannot Eat
This lens is all about the dietary dos and don'ts of guinea pig care. - Where to Find your new Guinea Pig
This lens is all about the adoption process for bringing a new guinea pig into your home, and where you should look to find your furry friend.
Guinea Pig Items on Amazon.com
Was this information useful to you? Feel free to leave a comment with your feedback or any suggestions you have to add about guinea pig vets in your area!