How A lot Does It Value to Have Guinea Pigs? Value Breakdown

When you’re pondering of adopting guinea pigs, it’s necessary to study their care and the price of that care first! Guinea pigs are sometimes seen as low-cost “starter pets,” however nothing may very well be farther from the reality.

It could value as much as $120 to undertake two guinea pigs. Since they’re social animals, that is the naked minimal. Begin-up prices can vary from $190-$400+, and month-to-month prices can vary from $75-$270+ relying in your finances and preferences.

On this article, we’ll speak about how costly guinea pigs might be and the way to save cash whereas caring to your cavies.

Pet Guinea Pig Prices Breakdown

How A lot Do Guinea Pigs Value to Undertake?

Adoption charges for guinea pigs can vary from free to $60. Remember that guinea pigs should be saved in pairs or teams, so it’s best to finances to undertake at the least two.

How a lot you pay to your guinea pigs will rely on the place you undertake them from. It’s not unusual to seek out guinea pigs being rehomed at no cost, regardless that it’s advisable to cost an adoption payment everytime you rehome a pet.

We advocate adopting your guinea pigs from a shelter, rescue, or rehoming state of affairs. A good breeder is another choice, however please by no means undertake from a pet retailer! That is the equal of adopting a canine from a pet mill.

Begin-up Prices

Shopping for a Guinea Pig Cage

Most pet retailer cages are each costly and unsuitable for guinea pigs. Please needless to say the naked minimal cage dimension for 2 guinea pigs is 7.5 sq. toes, whereas the advisable dimension is 10.5 sq. toes or bigger.

Many piggy guardians, together with myself, agree that even the advisable cage dimension is just too small for a lot of pairs. Males, particularly, profit from extra space.

There are pre-built cages that meet the minimal, together with the Midwest guinea pig cage. Nonetheless, I like to recommend constructing your individual C&C (cubes and Coroplast) cage as an alternative because it’s cheaper and extra versatile.

A C&C cage might be constructed to any dimension or form and might be modified in the event you transfer home or wish to improve your piggies’ enclosure.

The price of a C&C cage will fluctuate relying on the scale of the cage, however a set of cubes goes for round $40 and a big sheet of Coroplast prices round $30.

Cage Equipment

Cage equipment for guinea pigs might be very low-cost and even free, however you can even spend a ton of cash on them! It will depend on your finances, preferences, and the place you store.

Listed here are the prices of some fundamental equipment:

• Water bottle (one per pig): $7-$15 every
• Meals dish (non-obligatory): $5-$10
• Hay bag (non-obligatory): $8-$15
• Hides (at the least one per pig): $8-$20+ every
• Toys: $5-$10 every

Meals dishes and hay baggage are non-obligatory as a result of you’ll be able to choose to scatter feed veggies and pellets and hold a hay pile to your piggies to eat from and burrow in. That is truly preferable, in my view, because it offers added enrichment.

Keep away from objects which can be unsafe for guinea pigs, together with treats that include yogurt or seeds, salt licks, and objects with holes your guinea pig can get their head caught inside. 

Many hay racks are unsafe as they both have holes so small it’s troublesome to your piggies to eat hay, or giant sufficient for them to get their heads caught. Search for hay racks or baggage with holes that your guinea pig’s complete physique can match inside.

Preliminary Bedding Prices

Bedding is one other value that varies drastically in value. Paper bedding prices round $20-$25 per bag, and can have to be changed weekly.

Fleece liners value anyplace from $24-$50+ relying on the place you purchase from, or in the event you make your individual. Customized liners from small companies value essentially the most however could provide the very best quality in the event you don’t wish to make them your self.

Maybe the most cost effective bedding possibility is chenille tub mats. They value as little as $7, however you’ll want a number of to line your cage. They can be utilized by themselves or along with fleece.

Grooming Provides for Guinea Pigs

You’ll want the next provides to groom your guinea pigs:

• Brush or comb, relying on fur size
• Nail clippers (human or cat clippers work properly!)
• Scissors or clippers to trim longhaired piggies’ fur
• Cotton pads and coconut oil to maintain skinny pigs’ fur moisturized
• Guinea pig shampoo in case your piggies want a shower (this could occur very hardly ever!)

A lot of this stuff might be bought on the greenback retailer in the event you’re brief on money, and can nonetheless doubtless final your piggies’ whole lives. The more expensive gadgets might be guinea pig-safe shampoo and a pair of clippers if you wish to shave their fur.

When you forego the clippers, the above provides can value as little as $25.

Provides for Guinea Pig Well being Checks

Guinea pigs ought to have weekly well being checks at house, which embody recording their weights, checking them for frequent indicators of sickness, grooming their coats, trimming their nails as wanted, and boar cleanings as wanted.

You’ll need the provides for this, in addition to some first-aid gadgets in case of emergency. Listed here are some stuff you’ll wish to have available:

• A kitchen scale that measures in grams – $10-$40+
• Q-tips (helpful for boar cleanings and cleansing ears) – $4-$8
• Coconut oil (see above) – $1-$12
• 1 & 5 ml syringes and a tablet cutter (in case your guinea pig is prescribed medication from the vet) – $11-25
• Vital Care or the same product (in case your guinea pig stops consuming) – $10
• Tweezers – $1-$5
• Gauze – $5-$15
• Plastic gloves – $5-$10

I additionally advocate conserving any further prescription gadgets from the vet in your emergency equipment, as long as they aren’t expired. Don’t use them with out the recommendation of your veterinarian, however they’ll prevent cash in the event you’re prescribed that medicine once more. 

For example, I hold ache drugs and antibiotic ear ointment in my pets’ emergency equipment as this stuff are prescribed typically. I additionally frequently type out any expired merchandise and hold a observe of what I’ve for reference throughout future vet visits.

How A lot Do Guinea Pigs Value Month-to-month?

Meals

Your guinea pig wants limitless hay, a cup of recent greens, and ⅛ cup of guinea pig pellets day by day.

You possibly can anticipate to pay at the least $30 for timothy hay (extra for orchard grass), and a small bag of pellets from Oxbow prices round $12.

The value of greens will fluctuate relying in your location, with some individuals paying as little as $20 a month and others spending as a lot as $80. Usually, you’ll be able to anticipate to spend $40-$50.

The typical piggy proprietor will spend round $80-$100 complete on meals every month.

Bedding

When you use reusable bedding solely, you gained’t have month-to-month bedding prices. However for disposable bedding, you might pay as a lot as $20-$25 per week, or $80-$100 per 30 days.

Cleansing Provides

Cleansing provides you might want to your guinea pigs embody:

• A selfmade vinegar and water answer to scrub the cage and gadgets: $3-$5 for a bulk container of vinegar (ought to last more than a month)
• Spray bottle: $1-$10
• Unscented laundry detergent: $5-$20 per container (ought to final two or extra months relying on dimension)

Please needless to say guinea pigs have very delicate respiratory methods, and can’t tolerate harsh or scented cleaners. You must also hold candles, air fresheners, and different scented merchandise exterior of the room.

Enrichment

All of us love spoiling our pets, so enrichment prices can get out of hand shortly! Nonetheless, a median expense could be shopping for a number of toys and cage equipment month-to-month.

Chances are you’ll select to purchase puzzle toys comparable to deal with balls or snuffle mats, chew toys comparable to willow balls, or new tunnels or hides to make the cage extra fascinating.

This may increasingly value anyplace from $5-$10 for a few new toys, to $50+ if you are going to buy a big haul of things! Most individuals’s budgets will fluctuate from month to month.

Treats

Treats are one other space that ranges extensively, however be sure that to not overdo it! You need your piggies to have the ability to eat all the treats you purchase, and also you don’t wish to be feeding them an unhealthy food regimen.

A bag of guinea pig-safe treats usually prices $5-$10, and is usually going to be lots for the month!

Veterinary Prices for Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs shouldn’t see an everyday small pet veterinarian, aka a canine and cat vet. These vets typically don’t see many guinea pigs and don’t have the training or expertise essential to deal with them.

As an alternative, deliver your guinea pigs to an unique pet vet. These vets are typically extra pricey since they’ve the identical training as canine and cat vets, and so they underwent further education to study exotics. It’s necessary to be ready for that value.

Your guinea pig ought to see the vet:

• As quickly as doable after adoption
• Yearly throughout their younger maturity
• Each six months of their senior years
• Everytime you discover modifications in habits or indicators of sickness

The price of veterinary care will fluctuate relying in your space and your particular person vet. It should additionally rely on whether or not your guinea pig turns into unwell and even develops a persistent situation.

Some piggies by no means must see a vet exterior of wellness visits, however most will get sick sooner or later of their lives. I like to recommend conserving an emergency fund to your piggies’ vet bills or buying pet insurance coverage.

Can You Get Pet Insurance coverage for Guinea Pigs?

In the USA, Nationwide is the one insurance coverage supplier that insures guinea pigs. They provide a wide range of plans with totally different protection and deductibles.

The extra you pay to your plan, the extra it’s going to cowl. I personally haven’t discovered wellness protection to be worthwhile, however in the event you don’t have a big emergency fund, then emergency protection is good.

Alternatively, you’ll be able to put aside the cash you’d pay to the insurance coverage firm and begin your financial savings fund that approach. When you select to take action, I extremely advocate beginning this fund earlier than adopting your guinea pigs. You simply by no means know when one thing may occur!

Ideas for Saving Cash on Your Guinea Pigs

• Purchase in bulk when doable. Hay, pellets, bedding, and extra might be bought in bulk, normally for cheaper costs. Simply ensure you don’t purchase greater than you should use earlier than it expires, otherwise you may find yourself losing cash as an alternative of saving.
• Reusable bedding is cheaper over time. When you can, I extremely advocate spending extra at first to keep away from lifelong disposable bedding prices, even when it means ready an additional month or two earlier than adopting your guinea pigs.
• Store round for hay. It could typically be purchased in bulk from farm shops and even immediately from native farms for a small fraction of the value! You will have to attempt a number of sources so as to discover high quality hay this fashion, however its price it for the cash you’ll save.
• Attempt making DIY toys and hides. Use delivery bins to make hides and stuff rest room paper rolls with hay–your piggies gained’t know the distinction between these and dearer gadgets.
• Search second-hand gadgets. People who find themselves now not conserving guinea pigs could give away outdated gadgets at no cost or low-cost. Make sure to clear and sanitize this stuff completely, although, particularly in the event you don’t know whether or not the previous piggies had any contagious illnesses.
• Store gross sales. It could appear apparent, however profiting from gross sales can prevent some huge cash long-term! Personally, I wish to refill on pet gadgets after I discover a good sale, as long as they aren’t the kind of factor to run out earlier than I can use them.

Are Guinea Pigs Costly Pets?

Many individuals declare that guinea pigs are costly when in comparison with different pets, comparable to canines and cats. Personally, I haven’t discovered this to be true. Their feeding and vet prices are much like cats in my expertise, and decrease than the prices to care for big canines.

The prices of recent veggies also can add up shortly, as can high quality guinea pig pellets and hay. Your major expense for any animal might be veterinary prices, which may run into the 1000’s in case your piggy has a well being disaster.

Please do not forget that all pets can get sick, and veterinary prices can add up in a short time. That is very true for specialists, comparable to unique pet vets, and for emergency care.

General, it’s necessary to finances to your guinea pigs’ care. Some individuals solely think about start-up prices, however these are sometimes the most cost effective a part of proudly owning a guinea pig. You’ll additionally want a month-to-month finances, cash for routine vet care, and both pet insurance coverage or an emergency fund in case of damage or sickness.