My guinea pig has worms, can't afford vet care. What are my options?

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Woody. Congrats on your guinea pig, but I'm sorry he has mites. He really does need to see a vet to have it treated. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ I hope this helps!

There are a couple of reasons why Squeakers could be losing her hair, and mites is one of those reasons. Other reasons include lice, a fungal infection, or barbering (pulling off their own hair). Because you aren't sure of the cause of her hair loss and also since you can't find any mite treatment, she really does need to see a vet for this problem. I would see if you can borrow money from family and friends to afford the vet, and I can give you some resources that may help. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ I hope one of these resources helps you, please call a vet today to make an appointment for her. Best of luck.

Abscess means infection. Clover needs antibiotics and that is not something you can do at home. The longer you leave an infection in the body the worse it becomes. You need to what is best for him. If you cannot afford a vet it is best to surrender him so he can get the proper care. You can also try to see if any of these organizations can help but they are mostly for dogs and cats. ( https://www.dogingtonpost.com/need-help-with-vet-bills-or-pet-food-there-are-resources-available/ )

You can buy a puppy wormer over the internet or in any pet shop over the counter. Worm your puppy now and again in 2-3 weeks. Save up for vaccinations (three courses) to protect him from deadly viral diseases including rabies.

It depends on the type of worm, if any, your pet has. Some dewormers tear for a lot of parasites, such as Fenbendazole, while other only treat for a few, such as Pyrantle Palmloate. I wish we could help but in order to point you in the right direction your pet needs to have a fecal examination first to determine what intestinal parasite is present and then the appropriate dewormer can be recommended. Perhaps a local low cost clinic or even a local humane society may be able to help do a fecal exam for Shiloh and get you on he right track towards proper treatment. Also here are some financial resources that may be able to help you afford treatment for him: Redrover.org Carecredit.com

Thank you for submitting your question. There are several options for an owner if treatment is cost prohibitive. Most veterinarians will work with you to offer less expensive options such as forgoing diagnostic tests and treating based upon symptoms. While this cannot ensure a positive outcome, it may work. Most clinics will offer financing options such as Care Credit as well. Otherwise there are rescue groups that will take animals and assume care for them depending on the condition. Finally, there is euthanasia if the condition is severe enough. If all of these options are ignored and the animal is allowed to suffer unnecessarily, then it may be considered abuse. I hope this information helps!

If your guinea pig was hit and now appears sick or injured it may be due to an injury from the hit, or may be caused by another issue such as infection or illness. If the discharge is bad enough that it is causing the eyes to crust shut and Kovu doesn't want to eat or drink on his own, he does need to be seen by a vet to determine the underlying cause and get treatment - he may require antibiotics or other medications to help him overcome the issue. if you're having trouble affording care, this site may help give you some tips and ideas about how to make it more affordable so that Kovu can get the help he needs: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html