Anyone have experience of alergies to Guinea pigs?

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shinydriver

shinydriver

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Hi

Not been here for a long time. I have 2 gorgeous long haired girls that I adopted from Teresa (I think they are still her profile pic having just spotted it on another thread) They are doing fab and are gorgeous litle things (though we wont talk about the mohicans from barbering!)

Anyway I'm just toying with the idea that my 2YO son's constant wheeze could be down to the pigs/hay as it seems it gets worse when he is close to them.

Has anyone had an asthma type reaction to guinea pigs rather than a straming eyes type reaction? It has been pretty constant over the last year since we had them apart from the couple of months in the summer when they were in the outside hutch.

Thanks
 
oh yes, i am totally allergic to rex types. I wheeze and swell and get big red lumps on me when near rex's. All others i am fine rolleyes
 
Thanks. Rex are the teddy bear type aren't they?

Mine have much longer hair than it seems in my profile pic though I have been trimming hair today! It is very fine and fluffy though! I have put it on the bird feeder in the hope that it makes good nesting material!
 
I'm allergic to all animal fur, skin and saliva - so yep! (and hay and stuff - could it be that?)

I have the asthma type reaction - I use a steroid inhaler twice a day (the brown one) - maintains it nicely, and should I need it, i have a ventolin inhaler (blue one) for if i have an attack.

I havent really found any real way to minimise it, but then again I have so many animals anyway that its pointless! He may "grow out of it" - exposure can desensitise allergies and such.

My immunologists "professional opinion" was, and I quote, "rehome your pets and change your career" - no chance mate!
 
my OH is allergic to long-haired and rexes... (we have one of each) but rexes are worse... we used ti have 2 smopth short haired and he was fine...
He too takes steroids 2x a day (orange) and ventolin to dilate his bronchioles.
He's also been instructed to wash his hands after each time he handles the pigs (Well, he only handles the sheltie x ) to avoid overexposure.
 
BTW you were all supposed to tell me I'm imagining it so I don't have to even consider how to seal with it ;):))

He has a blue inhaler but it is a nightmare using it as he is petrified of it :(
 
my OH can't use inhalers (too much coordination) so he has accuhalers intead. They're the round things which dispense powdered tabs instead of gas.
 
I'm allergic to dog, cat hair and hay (plus some foods, plants etc)...... we have a dog, who i've now become used to and as for the hay i just lump it now..... i only have a **** if i'm away from the girls for a few days.

When my kids were smaller we used the spacer for their inhaler this made it so easy for them to get the right dose and it was fun too :)
 
I think I'm mildly allergic to the teddy breed. They make me itch, and if they touch any sensitive skin, it turns red and itchy. Ironically, I have more teddy's than any other guinea pig breed :)) I love them just the same though, and handle them a lot. I'm fine as long as they don't touch my neck or forearms.
 
I'm allergic to guinea pig urine and dander. It happened out of the blue 3 years after I had my guinea pigs. I mean my original guinea pigs that I got back in 1998. Have different ones now. I kept thinking I was imagining it but everytime I sat in their room my sinus's would fill up and I would start to get wheezy.

So now mine live out in our workshop. Even though I take allergy pills I can't have them inside. I react too much. Now I"m able to go and sit out there and visit them but escape when it gets to be too much. My rabbits don't bother me as much strangely enough.

Do you have a workshop that has electricity to it? It could be an option if your son is having too many problems. Asthma can be scary.

Lynn
 
My daughter has various allergies hay dust cats and grass. we also have 5 pigs, 4 smooth coated and 1 aby x she is allergic to the abyx- itchy skin and eyes as well as streaming eyes. She takes a daily anti-histamine It doesnt stop it completely but it does relieve the symptoms.
 
After posting my advice on washing hands after handling the pigs I forgot to do just that and I topped up the hay with my hands and didnt put the gloves on - then I rubbed my eyes, big mistake rolleyes Will take a pill and wash my hands and face in a bit.

I was a bit worried that I may react too much to crystal the rex but so far there is no difference between the three of them, I think at the moment I am just reacting to the hay more than anything.
 
shinydriver said:
BTW you were all supposed to tell me I'm imagining it so I don't have to even consider how to seal with it ;):))

He has a blue inhaler but it is a nightmare using it as he is petrified of it :(
Click to expand...

Does he have a spacer (the big plastic thing that goes over his nose & mouth) the reason I ask is my girls & I are all sufferers and we all use spacers.
Me and my 13yr old use a blue type 1 spacer which fits in your mouth and my 7yr old uses a yellow teddy patterned type 2 spacer that goes over her nose and mouth.
 
I'm at work on my phone so I can't see everyone's replies easily.

Yes he has a spacer but still doesn't like it. His 4 YO sister was trying to get him to use it before bed with no luck.

I've given my longest haired one a good trim and they both need a bath so I will see if that helps. Plus they will be going outside soon after a winter in the dining room. I'm just waiting for warmer nights.

I do have a shed but they are such nosy sociable little things that I fear they would be bored and neglected wintering in there.

I am already using dust extracted gay but that hasn't helped. Thanks for all the suggestions. I will read through again later.
 
I suffer from asthma, hayfever and eczema and ive noticed since getting my piggies they have been worse.
Ive had more asthma attacks (nothing serious tho) and i sneeze alot and i get a flare up of eczema from time to time.

Ive noticed aswell that if ive been cuddling my pigs, i get a red itchy rash where they have been lying on me, usually on my neck.

Not that id get rid of them, i just suck it up :D ha
 
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