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Allergies

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caviaporcellus

caviaporcellus

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I am not really sure where to post this as it is not the piggies that are ill.

I wanted some advice about allergies. As my daughter has grown older she has become more and more snuffly around the piggies and now her eyes often run when she handles them. This is quite difficult for us as I had an operation on my shoulder and cannot do the cleaning on my own.

I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and has managed to reduce the allergy in some way? Is it something that she is likely to grow out of again or is she stuck with it?

Thanks in advance
 
Antihistamine tablets like piriton or similar can help. As well as wearing long sleeve tops to reduce the chance of skin allergy developing.

Some breeds are more likely to cause allergies than others for example rex and swiss piggies can cause more problem due to their fur type. It may not be the piggies at all but the bedding material or similar so try a change of bedding type and see if that improves matters.

There is a good number of people on here who have a piggy allergy and keep piggies with a few special measures. I am sure one of them will be along shortly to give you more ideas!
 
Thanks, MerryPip

I am loathe to give her pills for it again as she did not get on with them when she took them before (sleepy and dizzy etc). I also don't like the idea of taking pills. I am more looking for practical things. It is definitely not the bedding as handling them away from the cage sets her off. We used to think it was just Spikey (who was long-haired) but it actually got worse after we lost Spikey rather than better. We use custom-made fleeces for our three storey cage so there is nothing there as we wash them in the washing machine same as all of our clothes.
 
caviaporcellus said:
Thanks, MerryPip

I am loathe to give her pills for it again as she did not get on with them when she took them before (sleepy and dizzy etc). I also don't like the idea of taking pills. I am more looking for practical things. It is definitely not the bedding as handling them away from the cage sets her off. We used to think it was just Spikey (who was long-haired) but it actually got worse after we lost Spikey rather than better. We use custom-made fleeces for our three storey cage so there is nothing there as we wash them in the washing machine same as all of our clothes.
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Hmm sounds like it's definitely piggy then! I think just being careful is the best non-pharmaceutical solution then like washing hands and face after handling them so none of their fur etc gets around her face. If it's a long term thing and tablets don't suit then a nasal spray like Beconase or Flixonase will help with the snuffles without making her head feel fuzzy or dizzy.
 
i am allergic to my girls, i take an antihistamine , non drowsy every day! it contains loratidine, if i take tablets that contain cetirizine it makes me really drowsy!, i am also asthmatic, sounds mad but i wear sunglasses & a dust mask while cleaning them and i'm fine. i hold them in a fleece blanket so they are not next to my skin, i didn't know i would be allergic to them but i can't get rid of them as i love them to bits! you can also get herbal remedies for hayfever and allergies if you wan't to try that route with her, it's awful having allergies rolleyes
 
gingersusie said:
i am allergic to my girls, i take an antihistamine , non drowsy every day! it contains loratidine, if i take tablets that contain cetirizine it makes me really drowsy!, i am also asthmatic, sounds mad but i wear sunglasses & a dust mask while cleaning them and i'm fine. i hold them in a fleece blanket so they are not next to my skin, i didn't know i would be allergic to them but i can't get rid of them as i love them to bits! you can also get herbal remedies for hayfever and allergies if you wan't to try that route with her, it's awful having allergies rolleyes
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Thanks, Gingersusie
We will try the sunglasses and dust mask today, if nothing else it will make us laugh.
 
I'm allergic to mine... Sneezing, sore throat, runny nose and sometime get a rash. Piriton sorts me out no problems, hopefully I'll grow out of it considering I wasn't allergic with my others when I was a teen.
 
Antihistamines are perfectly safe :) Get them prescribed by the doctor they will be free for her & she should take one just before bed so it won't matter if she s drowsy etc then :) My Rex girls make my neck terribly itchy so I pop a towel on my lap & neck to avoid actual skin contact :)
 
Poppy'sMum said:
Antihistamines are perfectly safe :) Get them prescribed by the doctor they will be free for her & she should take one just before bed so it won't matter if she s drowsy etc then :) My Rex girls make my neck terribly itchy so I pop a towel on my lap & neck to avoid actual skin contact :)
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Thanks for this. Unfortunately, they are not safe for me. They have side effects and I cannot tolerate them neither can my daughter. I have tried cetrazine, loratadine and piriton. I also don't like the nasal spray because of the nosebleeds. I don't like the idea of my children taking medication at all if they do not have to.
I was hoping for practical remedies like the hand-washing, mask and glasses solutions as sell as your tip about the towel on the neck which have, unfortunately, been of limited success.
I am feeling a bit desperate and am beginning to regret having pigggies.
 
My allergies are pretty severe and I unfortunately have to rely on a cocktail of drugs (inhalers, steroid nasal sprays and tablets for my allergy related asthma, 3 lots of antihistamine tablets, various topical creams etc.) to keep them under control but I'm not willing to change my lifestyle (having pets, working with animals etc.) so it's a compromise I have to make.

In terms of practicalities, buying good quality dust extracted hay, wearing gloves, long sleeved tops (basically any kind of barrier method), a blob of vaseline under her nose (stops pollen going up it!), keeping them in a well ventilated room, bathing/showering after contact will all help. If she has any problems with her breathing as a result of her allergies, please get this checked out by your GP. I've been hospitalised several times for allergic onset asthma attacks before adequate medication was sorted out.

It'd be good if you could work out what exactly she's allergic to. For a lot of people, it's the hay, not the guinea pigs. Using an alternative bedding (fleece, vet bed, shredded paper etc.) and providing hay in hay racks (off the ground so the pigs aren't lying in it so much) could also help when it comes to handling them if the allergy is to the hay, rather than the guinea pigs themselves.
 
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Things seem to be improving ... the improvement seems as mysterious as when it was getting worse.
 
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