[GPDD] (MISC) re: difficulties with parents

[Renee Roszkowski]

	Hi Laura. I'm sorry to hear that you are having difficulties
with your mom. I know a few people who have had the same problem.
Personally, I would try to gather some evidence and then ask my mom if
we could talk. Make sure it is a good time to talk, not right when she
gets home from work or is doing something like bills. I would try to
print out some articles that show how important it is to have a vet who
knows guinea pigs and how different their vet care is from cats and
dogs. Also, tell her that improper vet care can actually cost more as
the vet may not do the right thing first and may not know what to do.
They may try something that is actually more expensive than the proper
treatment. Try to find the articles on antibiotic sensitivities and
such. Also, print out some stuff on guinea pig nutrition that shows how
important it is to have good food. (you could try www.guinealynx.com)
Try to make her see the connection between how important a healthy diet
is for us and a healthy diet for piggies. It really doesn't cost that
much more in the end because you have to feed more of the lower quality
food to make up for what it is lacking. Plus, poor diet could leave your
piggie more susceptible to illness (just like humans) which could
actually make more and higher vet bills. 
	I would try to speak calmly and really tell her how much this
pet means to you. Just say it. "Mom, Pepper really means a lot to me. I
understand that to you he is just a rodent, but he is very special to
me." With gathering evidence, you could almost say something like, "I
was hoping to make you proud with how well I'm trying to take care of my
pet and how well prepared I was before getting him. I really want to be
responsible and do the best so I can be a good owner." You could even
make a deal with your mom. I don't know if you have any jobs or an
allowance, but you could offer to pay half, or whatever you can afford,
if she pays half so that she won't have to pay too much. You could even
offer to find a job or do extra chores to help pay more so she doesn't
have to pay so much. Offer to save for future vet care if she will allow
Pepper to go to the exotics vet. It really shows that you are willing to
do everything you can. You might even want to show her some rescue sites
that show just how big a problem it is when people think they are "just
rodents." Don't' say that, but show her and you could say that with all
the mistreated piggies in the world, you want to make sure yours has the
proper care so it will be happy and healthy. The Critter Corral is a
guinea pig rescue in Illinois. Rose, who runs the rescue, takes in many
guinea pigs every year because of many different circumstances, many of
which include "They're just rodents..."  www.crittercorral.org 
	 I might even try to do some comparison charts. Sometimes they
think higher quality is more expensive but it isn't. Call your vet and
get some prices for exams and possibly x-rays and antibiotics. Tell them
why you are calling. That way they won't think you are only shopping
around. Do the same for the exotics vet. Do a chart of the cost of oxbow
compared to something else. Be sure to include how much you are supposed
to feed of each. More than likely you will need to feed more of the
lesser quality one. Do the math and show how that adds up to more (or
the same) than the cost of the oxbow. I hope this helps. Just remember
to stay calm. That is most important. If after you've said everything
she still won't change her mind, just stay calm. Continue to do the best
you can. If Pepper needs to go to the vet and she won't go to the
exotics vet, do lots of research and bring articles. See if your vet can
do a phone conference with an exotics vet to help with treatment. Or
they can call a vet college too. Over time, maybe she will see how much
pepper means to you and will change her mind. And just keep trying.
Don't nag, but if an opportunity comes up, like a babysitting job or
something like that, you could put in the "Oh, good, I could use the
money for Pepper's food, or I could use the money to save for Pepper in
case he needs to go to the vet." Little things like that every so often
remind your parents that you are really thinking about Pepper and doing
the best for him. I hope all goes well. Good Luck! 

Renee, Mary and Molly, Patches, Kate and Dora, Flash