Allergic?! Help please, do not know what to do!

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AlbertandEinstein

AlbertandEinstein

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Hi all, it's been a while since I've been on here but there are a lot of reasons - it's been a bad year.
I lost my dad to cancer last April, and since then everything else seems to have gone downhill! Albert and Einstein were a great source of comfort, and as I love them sooo much and was able to give them a great home, I adopted Thomas and Edison...
After a few weeks of them living "next door" to A&E, they all mingled very well and lived together in (almost perfect) harmony! Excellent right?!
Then, come October, after 3 weeks of feeling like I had terrible flu, I ended up in hospital for a few days with severe asthma (never had it before!)... SO, as advised, moved all 4 boys to my mums house (much to her disgust lol) as at the time I lived in a very small flat.
I have now moved to a large house, and literally last weeked moved them all back in with me.
Since the weekend, I have had nothing but problems with my breathing, hayfever symptoms, a really bad neck rash and am so scared about having another asthma attack I think I have to seriously think about finding them a new home.
Before anyone pounces on me, please understand that this is not something I take lightly. I am very very anti people who have pets and then get rid of them and have been in tears just at the thought of losing them.
I've built them a great home out of a few plant trays with a fence around they have their own room in the house, and have everything they could possibly need and more. Apparently I spend more on them a month than some of my friends spend on their kids - including time!
Now, I'm not sure how long I can suffer it but think that I will have to as long as possible as I really don't want them to be split up (but 4 is a big ask of anyone!) - they are afterall a mini family now! I also think that as they have been indoor piggies they should remain as such.
Also, Albert requires a monthly hair cut, and they all visit the vets every 3 months for a "manicure".
I feel such an utter cow just for thinking about this, and it upsets me no end but bottom line is my personal health has to come first.
I'd really appreciate other peoples comments/opinions, but do ask that no-one attacks me here - as I said, I haven't done anything as yet and am already upset enough. :...
Thank you for reading
 
oh no that is really sad, what an awful time you have had. Are any of your pigs rex's? its just that i was totally allergic to mine, but i have lost him now, all the others are fine. just an idea.

Hope you find what your solution x
 
This is awful! I can't imagine how you feel.

Are they indoor piggies?

I used to pet sit for a lady who had severe asthma, and she said after being near her long haired piggies her breathing problems became worse. I am not really sure how she managed but I pet sat for them for 4 years.
 
Hi yes, Thomas is a Rex. I had no problems at all with Albert and Einstein (Albert is Peruvian and Einstein a Crested), literally just been since I got Thomas and Edison.

Thank you - hadn't even thought about it just being one of them, just assumed that 4 had become too much....

Still, I can't split them up now ?/
 
Hi Gracie, yes they are all indoor piggies - far too spoilt. At first I thought it was the hay as I do get hayfever and can deal with that, but I've literally been having to take 3 or 4 antihistamine pills of an evening as well as eye drops and it still hasn't made a difference, and obviously hasn't helped with the chest/breathing issues whatsoever, which is my main concern....
 
the only way i could handle pepper was to take piriton before touching him and putting antihistamine cream on where he had touched me afterwards. I used to come up in big red lumps, wheezed when breathing and itched like mad.

perhaps you could try piriton or something similar before you try rehoming? it worked for me and honestly before i realised, i would have thought it was asthma, it was awful.

really really hope this works for you, i will keep everything crossed ;)

oh dear, just read your reply to the other poster! maybe not piriton then. such a shame, i feel for you x
 
Thank you - really appreciate the ideas, but I honestly have tried everything indoors..... Guess I really am just after reassurance that I'm not a total b****

I was thinking about calling the local farm tomorrow, as they are only 10 minutes away from me and I can "adopt" them and still visit as often as I like.

I did think about weening them into outdoor piggies but that still doesnt help come the winter months... It seriously makes me feel sick at the thought of finding them a new home so I'm really going to try and make it as good a compromise as possible.

They are all such gorgeous funny boys, and they have the best personalities I could play with them for hours but am finding because of the reasons above I am not living up to being the great mum I was with A&E....

I have had T&E since September time, so they have been with the other 2 since then....

Does anyone know if it is ok to split them, or should I leave them all together now they have grown used to it? The last thing I want is to rip a family apart and make a piggy depressed just because I am all of a sudden allergic to them?
 
The neck rash is something I get, but only when I have a piggy touch that area.

What litter do you use?

I feel bad for you - so hope you can keep them.
 
i think if you were ok before you may only need to rehome the two latest ones, i dont know if this is cruel or not if they are all bonded though.

Please dont think you are being a bleep bleep, its obvious you love your piggies otherwise you wouldnt have gone to this much trouble.
 
I hope so too - I really will do anything I can to keep them so fingers crossed.

At the moment they have a layer of carefresh, with a thicker layer of shredded paper on top - which for some reason they all seem to enjoy rummaging through when I dump it in a pile, so they kind of make their beds for me lol.... Too cute to watch, Einstein especially loves it.

I can handle the rash to be fair, I can also handle the sneezing, watery eyes and runny nose.... It realy is the asthma - as I said I ended up in hospital on nebulisers for a few days last year, and in order to get there was on my hands and knees crawling to my mums car.... If it wasnt this bad, I would put up with it, but just wanted people to understand the levels it reached, so you can understand my fear of getting to that again.
 
Thanks doglovinpiggylover (snap btw!)....

Would appreciate it if anyone has any idea as to whether splitting the 4 up is cruel or not?

I had Albert and Einstein for about a year before adding the other 2, and they have all been living together for about 6 months now.

Thank you for your comments so far - I am off to bed now, early nights are the way to go lately, as "The Boys" have taken up my downstairs breathing space lol!

Argh!
 
What a truly awful situation to be in. My daughter suffers from various allergies- grass, dust mites, cats, horses and hay and also our aby x (we have 3 smooth coated piggies she can handle these with no reaction). She takes a one a day anti-histamine (loratadine) and limits touching the aby but she manages to ride most week-ends and we also have 4 cats. You might want to look into acupuncture - if you can stand needles, a friend of my son cured his allergies through this method. xx
 
Sorry to hear about you problems. Regardless of what you decide to do you need to find some medication to get your allergies and asthma well under control. The way doctors work is that they start you on the basic cheap stuff and do not try anything else unless you go back and say that you are not happy with your control. If you have been hospitalised you should be seen by a respiratory specialist.

I had asthma for years with ok control and it wasn't until I went in to my asthma review and said I wasn't happy with my control that I got a much better medication.

All the best.

Paula
 
Is it possible to give yourself a small holiday from the later two piggies? (If they stay in their pairs then they will cope as they will still be with a friend.) Perhaps a relative or friend can look after them for a week perhaps? Then, if your breathing does improve over that time - and I think you need a while to know whether it will or not - then perhaps it would be time to think about letting go of the later pair.

Guinea pig hair does vary, as does the undercoat which is the bit that normally sets of asthmatic breathing and allergies. Different coats cause different responses in different people.

Just a thought, I do hope you can work through this and be comfortable with piggies at the end of the day - as you spent a long time with the first pair with no real problems it is possible that the second pair are causing the difficulties.

Very best of luck, Sarah
 
i have no advise sorry :( sure you will find lots of people will be able to help though. I just wanted to say I dont think your a beep beep I think your in a awfull position :(
 
I would go back to the doctor and work on getting your asthma treatment under control, if you are triggered by the piggies then it isnt under control yet - I speak from experience.

When you handle them, wear longer sleeves, gloves and perhaps even an apron or keep a specific outfit for handling the piggies in. Afterwards, change your clothes, wash your hands and face and come away from the place where you are keeping them. If this helps you to have some time with them and find that your reactions settle down then I think you can manage your time with them.

I have severe allergies (but am fine with small animals strangely enough, its the hay that sets me off) and cannot go near horses anymore as I have become super allergic - but when I lived on a farm, if a job needed doing and they needed my help I would help them out but do exactly what I had suggested above, plus take an antihistamine, keep eye drops handy too as that can help relieve the symptoms. I also got something like a barrier cream from boots - its a very small tub of what looks like vasaline and you rub a little bit under your nose - I can honestly say this really works and I have had better hayfever seasons because of this, and I also used the light treatment machine up your nose two years ago (brought from lloyds pharmacy) and I have not had to use it last year.

Allergies are just your bodies immune system going overtime and if you can calm down some of the reactions I find it stops the knock on effect that escalates into me feeling utter rubbish for the rest of the day. My inhalers are salbutomol for emergencies and becontide 400mg twice daily (the max dose), there are even stronger steroid inhalers that might be more suitable to you if you are having a bad time - and asthma can strike at any time, any age, even in adults.

Thought I would also add, if you end up having to rehome the last two piggies dont feel bad about it as your health does come first, but also if you cannot hold them and be with them then I know you would feel awful for having them but not being able to interact with them as much as you would love to. Lots of hugs as I feel you need them.
 
I think there has been some excellent suggestions to help with your allergies but if they don't work you could try them outside. I've always had my piggies outside. They've lived in sturdy insulated hutches and nowadays they live in a large shed and have done thoughout that very cold winter that we've just had. In the shed they have an open hutch, lots of hidey holes, tunnels and lots of hay to snuggle in. They are happy, healthy piggies. In the summer they can free range around the garden, if they want. They have a fantastic quality of life and it's lovely to see them grazing the lawn as a herd.
I do hope you can work something out but whatever you decide, I know you will do the best for your boys. x
 
Oh I really hope you can come to a solution so that you don't have to give up your piggies :( but your health comes first, and you're clearly a very caring and loving owner so nobody would berate you for having to do what you have to do :)
Hopefully you can try alternative medication to what you have already tried, I really hope this works out for you x>>
 
Thank you all so much for your lovely comments and advice.

I do indeed plan to go back to the docs and see if they can help a bit further, and I bought one of the nose machines last year so will give that a go as well.

I'm in no major hurry to just "be rid" of the boys at all - they have only been back home for 5 days but the house is a fairly large one and I do have an outside shed if things get any worse for the time being. Am just trying to be sensible and wanted some other perspectives - which all of you have given me, and I am very appreciative of.

I think I will also have a bit of a shopping trip and buy the gloves and creams to help in the meantime. Last thing I want is to say goodbye to my piggies so fingers crossed another alternative can happen with the above.

I guess there is nothing wrong at all with the guinea pigs having to make a few changes as well as me to keep us all together.... They may not know it but they really do have a good life here and I can't bear the thought of that changing.

Thank you again, you've all made me feel a lot better as well, as I was convincing myself that it's my fault somehow (even though I know it technically isn't!) xoxo
 
I just wanted to say you sound like a VERY responsible owner! :) I wish the best to you and your piggies. Definitely don't blame yourself, because I don't see what you've done wrong. :{

x
 
when you say nose machine, do you mean the laser type thing you put up your nose and zap and it makes you look like rudolph? For hayfever? i got one too and its marvellous, really really works for me.

Really hope you have a happy ending here xx
 
I really hope you find a solution to this .you are a very caring owner and your piggies are very lucky.perhaps you could try to rehouse them outside which I know isnt perfect, but as long as they have shelter (perhaps a shed) and plenty of bedding. you can also get heat pads you could pop in in the cold months.or another solution may be,( if it is one of them causing the problem) to have say 2 of them rehomed ,at least they would have each other and am sure if you found them a good home they would be fine as would the others after a little while.Really wish I had the room because I would help you and like yourself my girls ( have 5 ) mean the world to me and are treated like royalty !
Hope you find a solution
lynne xx
 
my daughter has hayfever astma. we keep our boys in house in winter then go out when weather warmer into hutch outside they are only usually outside for 3/4 months depending on weather. i took my daughter docs for tests due to sneezing all time near piggies and coming up in small lumps so i thought she was allergic to there hair . it was the hay and with them lying in it thats what was making her sneeze. she was allergic to hay all grasses and trees as well oak silver birch hazel . but she is not allergic to fur so get checked out it maybe hay and you can sort that out. my daughter sneezes everyday
 
shazbo said:
my daughter has hayfever astma. we keep our boys in house in winter then go out when weather warmer into hutch outside they are only usually outside for 3/4 months depending on weather. i took my daughter docs for tests due to sneezing all time near piggies and coming up in small lumps so i thought she was allergic to there hair . it was the hay and with them lying in it thats what was making her sneeze. she was allergic to hay all grasses and trees as well oak silver birch hazel . but she is not allergic to fur so get checked out it maybe hay and you can sort that out. my daughter sneezes everyday
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That is the same as me, I developed hayfever at 6, progressed to summer asthma at 11, full blown asthma at 16 and now in my adulthood I have oral allergy syndrome http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome which is mainly due to tree pollens and other pollens creating a reaction in uncooked food - or fruit and veg. Its a pain in the you know what but I cope (or ignore some of it) well without it running my life and I refuse to give in. My hayfever season starts in late feb and goes on to sept, but having moved from Bath to the seaside, my symptoms have improved (once I got used to the local pollens).

Another thing they recommend is finding honey made locally as the bees process the pollens about in the area you live in, you can build up an intolerance to the local pollens.

I couldnt believe how effective the nose machine thingy was - had to close my eyes during the treatment so I didnt see my nose lit up like a christmas tree :red but it worked so well.

Generally once you can get the reactions under control and take measures to prevent them from building up too much then I dont see why you cannot carry on doing things you really enjoy, I havent stopped eating fruit, I have had to avoid the worse offenders but other than that I know when a reaction starts and will stop eating it. And coming from someone who had blood poisoning because of an insect bite last year due to my silly immune system overreacting and creating the blood poisoning (it should have just been an itchy bite mark not a whole swollen leg mallethead ), living with allergies can happen - but you must take very good care, listen to your body and know when to call it a day (as in wash yourself, take pills and leave the area for a while until it calms down).

Oh and another thing is, try to find out if the doctor is prepared to give you a better antihistamine than the over the counter ones, a very bad year and me taking every different make of one a days there was (not recommended), I finally asked for something stronger from the docs and they were great.
 
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