Allergy to guinea pigs

Persimmon & Clementine

Persimmon & Clementine

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I am kind of allergic to guinea pigs. I developed the allergy after I got my guinea pigs. What do I do? Every time I am around them, my eyes feel very very itchy, and I will start to sneeze. How can I deal with it, and will I get used to guinea pigs around, and the allergy will go away, or will it worsen? It is worst espically when it is spring, allergy season, because it is going to be double allergies, like, I am dealing with two allergy at the same time.
 
Are you allergic to the pigs or is it actually their hay which is setting off allergies?
Generally if you are allergic to something, the allergy will remain. You will need to take an antihistamine every day to help ease symptoms.
 
I think it may be the hay, because every time I am around normal grass, it is the same symptom, so maybe the hay is setting off the same reaction.
 
Welcome to the forum. With most people it's the hay that's the problem, some are worse than others. Experimenting with different hays might help?
I find the nasal spray antihistamines more effective personally.
 
Persimmon & Clementine said:
My guinea pigs have thimothy hay
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Try a different type. You may find you aren’t allergic to a different type of hay

If not, then as I say then try taking an antihistamine every day. If it is particularly bad and nothing is helping, you may find it easier to get someone else to feed and clean them to minimise your contact with their hay
 
I wonder if it’s the hay …. It might sound weird but if you wear a filter mask when you feed them and clean them out I’m sure your symptoms will reduce greatly ! A daily anti histamine will help when you’re out and about too
Good luck
 
Persimmon & Clementine said:
My guinea pigs have thimothy hay
Click to expand...
I've heard of people who prefer meadow hay as Timothy gives them an allergic reaction. I'm more bunged up in winter and my nose drips while I am cleaning and handling the hay, but use an air purifier which helps.
 
I find pulling handfuls out of the bag releases hay dust. I suppose the bales could be broken up outdoors and possibly stored in containers already broken into handfuls.
 
I’ve got a large plastic garden sieve that I use to get the dust out of readigrass - it really works
 
I used orchard hay when my neighbors watched the piggies and I was out of town.

They said that they were not as allergic to the orchard hay compared to the Timothy hay I was using when they first visited my guinea pigs. I also provided them with gloves to handle the hay with along.

I have an air purifier on 24/7 for just me also, though.
 
I was told I had a guinea pig allergy years ago when a doctor gave me a bunch of skin tests. He told me it wasn't a huge reaction so I could keep my guineas till the end of their lives but not get any new ones. I didn't follow that... I have a slightly bunged up nose permanently and just accept it.

I do have a nut allergy but I refuse to let the doctor test all the nuts because I knew about it, so why test? That has actually improved. The healthier I got psychologically-speaking, the less reactive I got to nuts, so there is that.

It is interesting to read about the hay allergies tho and what you can do to mitigate.
 
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