Allergy Sufferers Want Guinea Pig

[Jutta Kennedy]

Hi , my daughter and I need help we'd love two guinea pigs in our family.The problem is we suffer dust allergy and asthma. I have got PVC floors fitted so I can keep house clean. Can experienced pig owners help and give some adivse what to get paper or hay? which cages , outside in sunny position in the garden or in hutch or no hutch? We love to see your reply. hugs

 

[salembinx]

Hi , my daughter and I need help we'd love two guinea pigs in our family.The problem is we suffer dust allergy and asthma. I have got PVC floors fitted so I can keep house clean. Can experienced pig owners help and give some adivse what to get paper or hay? which cages , outside in sunny position in the garden or in hutch or no hutch? We love to see your reply. hugs

My granddaughter had oral allergy syndrome and asthma and suffers the usual hay dogs cats allergy. She has had no problems with piggies at all even the hay does not bother her, but soon as she steps outside it starts. The allergy specialistvsaid it's impossible to tell which hay sets people off because they ate so many different types.
My piggies are indoors and I have six. To be honest it's trial and error really . Piggies have to have hay to eat so there is no way round it x I hope it helps xx

 

[salembinx]

My granddaughter had oral allergy syndrome and asthma and suffers the usual hay dogs cats allergy. She has had no problems with piggies at all even the hay does not bother her, but soon as she steps outside it starts. The allergy specialistvsaid it's impossible to tell which hay sets people off because they ate so many different types.
My piggies are indoors and I have six. To be honest it's trial and error really . Piggies have to have hay to eat so there is no way round it x I hope it helps xx

Sorry she still suffers from it . Pressed the wrong key xx

 

[gogoguineas]

I think everyone is different, I have asthma and dust allergies but my indoor piggies don't bother me. I get a bit itchy and rashy when handling them but I just take an antihistamine. at least 85% of their diet needs to be hay and they should never be without it so I'm afraid you will need plenty of it! I buy mine from hay for pets on line which is not dusty at all so that really helps

 

[Hank288]

If it is just the dust from the sawdust and hay etc and not the guinea pig hair then you could use and indoor cage with a fleece for bedding. But as previous advice says there is no getting around the fact that they need hay. My boyfriend has no asthma or anything like that but guinea pig hair irritates him and makes him itch. so it really depends on what might set off your asthma. My piggies live outside in a hutch as it allows the dust to circulate and the hairs are not in the house annoying the allergies.

 

[AuntyC]

It would be an awful shame to get some piggies then find you can't keep them due to bad reaction. Have you any friends with piggies that you could spend time with at their place, to see what happens? I am allergic to hay, but use inhalers, nasal spray and a bedtime antihistamine tablet which keeps it at bay! You could perhaps have an outdoor arrangement for summer and bring them indoors for winter? Please note that a hutch in direct sun will be far too hot for piggies, they can die from heatstroke. Good luck with your search x

 

[Freela]

Is there any opportunity to spend time with other guinea pigs before bringing home your own to see if she can tolerate them? I have a bad allergy to sawdust, but it is kept at bay if I use paper bedding (and fleece would have even less dust.) That said, one of my daughter's friends is so allergic to the hay we feed to the pigs that she has to stay on a different floor of the house, and hay really is the major staple of their diet and not really something you can go without. Some people are even allergic to guinea pigs themselves (one of the vets at the practice I go to has to wear rubber gloves to examine pigs because they give her hives!)