Brisbane Southside Guinea Pig Sanctuary

14/04/2025

Hey everyone, wanted to put a post up after last night/this morning.

Since coming back from our break over new years, I really have struggled to get back into the swing of the ‘public’ things of rescue. It’s due to a mix of things but compassion fatigue has been a big one at play. Last night’s dumping was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Like, why couldn’t they have contacted *literally anyone* (I understand rescues are full, but most make exceptions for medical cases) or at least put him by the door where there was shelter instead of leaving him in the rain. At least we were able to him some dignity in his final momements. It was the epitome of (excuse my language), “rescue is astronomically fu**ed right now”.

We’re currently full to the brim (with little-to-no adoptables with an ageing population of pigs) and it’s been challenging. Then add having to turn people away daily for surrenders and/or try to convince people to take their pet to a vet when they don’t see the issue or have the funds to provide them that care. Even the ‘good’ messages such as wanting to book in for grooming (currently don’t have a fully functional right hand, I’ll post a grooming update when I can) or visits is guilt inducing because we just can’t accommodate it right now.

So, when you’re already not doing so great and come home at 3am to find a dying guinea pig in a plastic shoebox in the rain, you just get mad.

For the moment, our focus is caring for our pigs and contactless orders. It’s what we do well and we like it. It’s what we can manage right now between rescue burnout and ill health.

I’m going to try and do some update posts soon. Both Harley and Parker have had a rough run, and we also said goodbye to Vegetable the other week 🌈.

I hope everyone has been keeping well (or as well as they can be with the current scariness of the world). Thank you for listening to my ranting and supporting us while things have been hairy. ❤️

14/04/2025

We’ve been out of action as I’ve been chroncially unwell lately. It’s currently 3am and I’ve come home from the emergency department to find a dumped Guinea pig sitting on our cooler box.

This pig is obviously unwell and has been for some time. In addition to being rained on.

Whoever did this, shame on you.

26/03/2025

We’re very sorry, due to unforeseen circumstances we are cancelling this Sunday’s Open Day. We will be in touch with those who had grooming bookings and pre-orders.
Once again, we’re very sorry! We hope to see everyone next time. ❤️

16/03/2025

Starting the week with a happy update ❤️

Harley had her repeat ultrasound late last week and in awesome news, her gallbladder has returned to a normal size! Her bladder inflammation was also reduced and her blood test revealed that she was no longer anaemic. This is a big win and it means that she’s narrowly avoiding a rather intense surgery!

We’re monitoring closely at home and we’ll be keeping tabs on things with monthly ultrasounds but for the time being, we’re very relieved.

With the funds allocated for her surgery, we’re now working through some other procedures that were bumped back like Parker’s lump removal, Seb’s lump removals, etc.

I wanted to say a quick apology for the lack of social media posting lately. We’ve had unprecedented messages/emails of late (often ones that take quite an emotional toll) and I’ve become a bit deflated and scared of my phone 😅 On top of some intense medical cases here.
Things are getting back to normal but please be mindful that we’re not vets or paid admin workers, we’re volunteers.

We hope everyone has a great week, give your pigs a boop on the snoot from us! 🐹

11/03/2025

Yesterday we said farewell to our sweetest golden oldie, Phoenix 🌈❤️

Unfortunately he stopped responding to treatment and he was beginning to become more uncomfortable. So after speaking with our vet, we decided to help him cross the rainbow bridge to prevent any worsening or suffering.

We are all in awe of how far he got! A lot of this is thanks to Dr Liz for the insane amount of effort she and the team at UPV put in to helping us with him. He was in pretty bad shape when he arrived but quickly earned his happy old man badge. Even with his wild dental issues, kidney disease and liver problems he still carried on as per usual. Whether that was cheekily messing with Otto, doing his happy old man stomps when the pellets and veg came out or getting allll of the head scratches.

So freaking proud of him and I hope he’s having a party over the bridge with unlimited treats and scratches 🌈❤️

08/03/2025

Good morning everyone, I hope everyone is doing okay with this weather ⛈️

For the time being, we’re not offering pick ups due to the ongoing weather situation (many traffic lights are out around us—we want you to stay as safe as possible) and low hay and pellet stock.

We have enough hay for our pigs for 2-3 more days, but not enough to be fulfilling orders I’m sorry! We did so many orders earlier in the week, we blew through more than what we expected we would.

I’m hoping that we will be able to start working on orders later tomorrow or Tuesday, but we’ll be sure to keep everyone updated.

Again, stay safe!! 💚

04/03/2025

A quick note from us on TC Alfred ⛈️⛈️⛈️

Please make sure you take measures to keep you and your pets safe! Things like having an evacuation plan (even something as simple as having a carrier/pillow case/box/basket on hand if you need to leave), making sure you have enough food/water for both you and your pets, etc.

If you have outdoor pigs, please bring them inside to safety.

If you’re in last minute need of supplies, please let us know and we will do our best to help. I am off of work today caring for my mum who has been in hospital but I will be around to prep contactless pick ups for anyone needing hay, pellets, critical care, etc (please message first). If your pets are on medication, make sure you have enough for the next few days as clinics may be forced to close.

We also have some spare pop-up play pens if anyone is in need one for bringing outdoor piggies inside or possible evacuations.

Please stay safe!!

04/03/2025

AWLQ's Adopt Guinea Pigs and Rats on the Gold Coast are needing a hand! Please reach out to them if you’re able to help 🐹

** THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH - EVERY-ONE WILL HAVE A 'HOME' FOR THE WEEKEND!
STAY SAFE ❣️
❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜

Dear Supporters
In response to the latest update on Cyclone Alfred, we are taking swift action to reduce the number of animals on-site in anticipation of the closure of our Animal Rehoming Centres.
We urgently need foster carers and volunteers to temporarily foster an animal from today and tomorrow, but only if you are in a safe position to do so. If you're able to foster, please reach out. Your support would mean a lot to us.
Contact: [email protected] and visit the Gold Coast Animal Rehoming Centre to collect them before 2pm on Wednesday.
Please note, our Animal Rehoming Centres will be closing at 3pm on Wednesday to prepare for Cyclone Alfred. For any medical emergencies please call the after hours emergency nurse.
Your support and understanding is greatly appreciated while we work through this situation.

03/03/2025

Some updates on the piglets 🐹❤️

In big news, after a long chat with Dr Liz and further diagnostics we decided not to go ahead with Harley’s exploratory laparotomy (well for the time being at least) last Friday. We were both feeling apprehensive about surgery expectations and the risk involved so we shifted to repeating the ultrasound and running an additional set of bloods (more info, the better). Bloods have showed that her liver levels are still elevated but no worse than they were last time and she is slightly anaemic. 🩸The ultrasound also showed that her spleen no longer appears enlarged, free fluid has reduced and no stones are currently present in her gallbladder but it is still on the bigger side of normal. Her liver still looks worse for wear (quite scarred) but it has not deteriorated. These results have definitely shifted the plan! Especially considering how well she’s going at home. She’s going back in on Thursday (weather permitting) to have a quick scan of her gallbladder. If there are any negative changes (stones forming, more inflammation, further enlargement) we’re going to look at removing it. Gallbladder removal would be a big procedure but we want to make sure it’s our only/best option before going ahead. We don’t have anything set in stone, but we feel confident in getting in as much groundwork as possible before diving into big procedures!

Pancake’s consult went well for the most part! We’re going to continue giving him daily subcut fluids and increase the dosage of these when needed. Since we’re upping the fluids, he had a quick X-ray of his heart and lungs to make sure they were normal (additional fluids *could* flare heart/lung issues). They came up pretty normal! There was a slightly odd structure in his lungs, but it very well could’ve been his positioning (awake X-rays can make clear pictures tricky). While the dehydration episodes have been worrying and they signify his kidney disease is progressing, he’s been doing very well at home since. Fingers crossed it stays that way 🤞🏼

We hope everyone has had a good start to their week! We’re in for some rough weather here, please make sure you, your family and your piggies are safe with TC Alfred rearing his head. We’re gearing up here, if you’re in need of any last minute hay/pellets/etc please let us know! Depending on the weather, we will likely not be offering pick ups on Thursday and possibly Friday ⛈️

Stay safe! Have a great week ❤️

28/02/2025

Our auction is now closed! Thank you to everyone who joined in!! I’ll be messaging everyone tomorrow. Have a great evening!

*please note bids after 7pm will not be accepted.

28/02/2025

Just a few hours until our auction closes!

26/02/2025

It’s been a busy week so far! Parker had his small dental procedure on Monday and it went really well. Recovery has been good and with a change in meds, his appetite is improving. We are quite happy with where he’s at! 😇

Pancake had on off day yesterday, so he’s off for a revisit this week. His kidney disease has been stable for a while, but he’s been a bit up and down lately. 🤒He’s struggling to stay hydrated at times, so we’ve had to bolster his daily subcutaneous fluid rate and it’s keeping him happy and stable for now. It’ll be good to check in with our vet on Friday and make more solid plans.

Phoenix’s culture results came back today. The bacteria is resistant to the antibiotics he is currently on 🙃 Now we’re adding in a topical antibiotic which we’ll apply into his nose…fun (this is sarcasm, a pig burrito will likely be utilised 🌯). Hopefully this will help nip the infection 🤞🏼

Last piggy at the vet this week will be Harley! Thanks to everyone’s support at our Open Day last Sunday, we’re able to go ahead with her surgery on Friday. She’s had a bit of weight loss but is otherwise bright and well, so it’s very good timing. We’re nervous, but optimistic! I’ll be sure to post an update Friday evening and keep everyone in the loop ❤️

A quick reminder while we’re here, we’ve got just a couple days left for our auction! It’ll close at 7pm on Friday and all funds will be going towards our vet bills. So be sure to join in for some goodies!! 🥳

22/02/2025

Open from 9am until 2pm today! See everyone soon 🥳🐹

21/02/2025

Presenting Phoenix, The King of Complications 👑💀

Phoenix is one of those pigs where we take 1 step forward and 10 steps back.

The latter end of last year was rough with a big mishap in foster care setting in motion his kidney disease and his right nostril deciding to be a perfect area for his inscior to grow to through. Since then, his ‘flare ups’ have been flipping between either problem. Now, both are causing havoc at the same time. 🫘+👃🦷=😩

We managed to get his weight up to 910g (honestly, that was a miracle) but he’s once again dropped down to the low 800s. He’s also much more face shy which sent alarm bells for his snoot-tooth problems.

He visited his favourite place yesterday…the vet 😅 (he doesn’t love it, but he is very compliant and does take the opportunity for alllll of the pats). During his consult, Dr Liz managed to dislodge a fair whack of pus that was building up in his right nostril (which landed in her hair…ooops!!). He’s been on ongoing antibiotics for a long time now as he goes downhill without them, but now it seems they aren’t dealing with the ongoing infection. So, another sample has been sent off to see what other antibiotic might be effective in treating him.
We’re also now ordering in a medication (lack of stock is making this difficult) to see if we can manage his kidney related weight loss. It’s not without risk, it’s undocumented in piggies and *can* cause issues with blood pressure. But, it’s worth a shot.
He’s also got a stupidly stubborn amount of Protozoa in his poops. We’ve done multiple rounds of treatment for this with no resolve. We’re now trying a different kind of anti-parasitic and hoping this does the trick. Protozoa is not a super serious condition (in most cases) and is very common in pigs with other more serious health concerns. Immune systems, right? We’re hoping we can get this under control, even a little win is a win.

The odd bit in all of this is how behaviourally, he’s being a superstar! He’s active, with a killer appetite. If his muscle tone wasn’t so low and incisors not-so-obviously weird, it would be very hard to tell something was actually very wrong (this is why it’s super important to monitor weight and keep up with regular vet visits!).

Now we wait for his results and for the new kidney med to come in, fingers crossed 🤞🏼

Just a quick reminder that we’re open this Sunday from 9 till 2! Vet bills are really adding up at the moment, so we’d love a good turn out 🥳 It’ll just be (a slightly unwell, very fatigued) me on Sunday and we are chock-a-block with grooming appointments so there may be a bit of a wait at times. I’d really appreciate everyone’s patience!! Look forward to seeing everyone again ❤️

19/02/2025

A very hungry and judgemental Dora would like to remind everyone that our next Open Day is on this Sunday the 23rd 🐹🌾

We’ll be open from 9am until 2pm for all of your piggy needs ❤️
Located in Runcorn, please message us for the address.

18/02/2025

Auction is now open! 🐹❤️

18/02/2025

All of the items for our Auction kicking off at 4pm today! ⏰

There’s lots available, a range of bundles, year supply of hay, pellet bundles, toys, treats and more!

A quick reminder for how things are going to run:
Click on the pictures and scroll through to see their starting bids and descriptions. As of 4pm this afternoon, bidding opens. To bid, simply comment under the item you’d like to join the running for with the dollar amount you’d like to bid. The highest bid as of close of auction at 7pm on the 28th of Feb will win the item. Winners will be contacted to arrange payment and pickup/postage.

Rules:
Please do not delete your comments/bids.
Please do not bid after the auction has closed.
Please bid in whole dollar amounts (for example, $5 to $6 not $5 to $5.10).
If payment is not made within 5 days of being contacted after the auction, the item will go to the next highest bidder.
Please note that we do not post overseas.
Auction is not affiliated with Facebook.

Thank you in advance everyone! Reminder that bidding opens at 4pm!!!
All funds made this auction will be going towards Harley’s upcoming vet care. 🐹❤️

16/02/2025

Help us cover vet costs with our Online Auction! 🏥❤️🐹

When: The auction will open at 4pm Tuesday the 18th of February and close at 7pm Friday 28th of February.

How it works:
This album will be filled with items for sale with a description listing the item number, what it is and its starting bid. Just scroll through to see items and their descriptions.
Once the auction opens, bidding begins! Simply comment your bid. The highest bid as of 7pm on the 28th of February wins the item. Winners will be contacted for payment and arrangement of pick up/postage of their item/s.

Rules:
Please do not delete your comments/bids.
Please do not bid after the auction has closed.
Please bid in whole dollar amounts (for example $5 to $6, not $5 to $5.10).
If payment is not made within 5 days of being contacted after the auction, the item will go to the next highest bidder.
Please note we do not post overseas.
Auction is not affiliated with Facebook.

Thank you in advance for all of the support!! Happy bidding 🤩❤️