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Am i allergic to piggies?

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We've had our 2 girls for 3 weeks now. Yesterday i had yukky eye and i couldn't open it this morning. Now my eyelid is swollen. I've never had anything like this before although i've searched some internet sites and it may just be conjunctivitis. Our piggies are indoors at the moment until the warmer weather comes in so i wonder if it might be the hay/straw that's going for me and not the piggies themselves?
Going to see the doc this afternoon but i just wondered if anyone else has had allergy problems or know of anyone and what are the symptoms? I get heyfever in summer so it may just be the hay (I hope so!) :(
 
I would go to the doctors and then your GP would tell you to make an apppointment to go to the hospital for a sratch test. I had it for guinea pigs. I was all clear. I had it for nuts and now I'm allergic. The doctor will also tell you wether it is conjunctivitis.
 
I have a bit of an allergic reacton to my guinea but especially hay/sawdust. It gives me an itchy nose, my nose runs and I sneeze sometimes. I don't get mucky eyes but sometimes they itch. I would see a doctor to be on the safe side x
 
Sounds like you could have an allergy going on there. I was the same had 11 pigs indoors and suffered with hayfever and mild conjunctivitis. I'm only just getting back to normal (put pigs in the shed) for me it wasn't the fact of having 1 pig in it was the amount of pigs I had indoors. I have 1 boar in at the mo and I'm fine. I also had readigrass in the house which played a part.

You need antihystimines (I can't spell that) Telfast is good, also Sudafed but remember that decongestants make nasal stuffiness worse!

Good luck!
 
If it is green and yucky, then that is more than liekly a bacterical infection, as you say some form of conjunctivitis ( but a bacterical one).

Allergic conjuncivitis (i.e. an allergy to the animals or their bedding), would more than likely present itself a red watering puffy eyes, but not with manky green sticky stuff coming out of the eye. It could be that you have rubbed your eye after holding the animals or cleaning them out and transfered some bacteria to the eye, but this isn't an allergy to the guineapigs as such. I have had conjuncivitis twice over the last few years that has happened after getting some guineapig bedding in my eye after cleaning them out and then rubbing the eye.

It could also be that it is purely coincidental and a bacteria has got into your eye that is unrelated to the guineas. Be very careful bacterial conjunctivitis is incredibly easy to pass ot the other eye and pass to other people, do not touch the other eye and get some drops asap ( although it is a self-limiting condition generally, in the 5-7 days you wait for it to disappear it will move to the other eye and back again LOL) The drops are now availaible without prescription, over hte counter, at pharmacies to treat conjunctivitis. They will also have a quick look at your eye and ask a few questions that help advise if you are following the right course of action by suing the drops. If the eye responds well to the drops, then an allergy to the guiena pigs themselves isn't likely.
 
I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to my piggys hair. Whenever I cuddle them my skin breaks out in red blotchy patches that itch like crazy. I don't mind though I love my girls.
 
Thanks everyone, i went to the docs and she gave me drops. She said it was an infection and after reading Popcorn's post, i'm certain its bacterial. GP says it could be a mixture of guinea pig hair and my contact lenses interfering with my eyes. The fact that I also have tonsilitis isn't helping either! >:(
Anyway, i'm getting laser eye surgery at the end of the month so hopefully it'll help, although i'll need to stay away from piggies for a while afterwards! :'(
 
punkdoutstar said:
I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to my piggys hair. Whenever I cuddle them my skin breaks out in red blotchy patches that itch like crazy. I don't mind though I love my girls.
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i am sure if you went to the doctors you could get injections to help you not be allergic to your piggies. i know they can do it with horses and bees so why not guinea piggies?
hoping the laser surgery goes well and you'll be back with your piggies in no time. sending hugs :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: girls send :-* :-* :-*
 
Awww I'm allergic to the hay, sawdust, wood chips and megazorb ::) but oh well. I take piriton when it gets very bad, I get itchy eye's and nose and sneeze like a trooper.

My kids think it's very funny and the guinea pig's are use to it no so they don't even jump when i sneeze now lol.

Glad your's turned out to be just an infection. I'm gonna ask my gp tomoz about any long term treatment I can take as don't like driving when i've took piriton as makes me drowsey. :-\
 
Oh glad you got it sorted. if your immune system is low and you have tonsilitis, then some of those 'germs' could take hold really quickly and be transfered to your eye quite easily. Glad it was unrelated to the guineas,as I thought it was. Your drops should work very quickly, within 3 or 4 uses. Hope youa re better soon.
 
or no that would be my worst nightmare as i have alot of piggies, love them to bits. sue
 
Could you be allergic to the bedding? I am and had to change the bedding, I am not siure of the name of it as I am all out at the moment. It;s something a small pet shop had reccommended. You should find out.
 
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