Should I get an air purifier?

[PhoniDunedain]

Hi there,

I've got 2 female guinea pigs and a male rex rabbit (in separate cages) in my room, all three of them appear to be affected by the dust in my room that routinely builds up (not sure how).

I've had all three of them checked out and on each occasion they've not show any signs of a respiratory infection or disease. I was thinking of getting an air purifier but I am concern it might dry the air in my room (thereby increasing the chances of a respiratory infection occurring). Am I correct that air purifiers dry the air and remove humidity?

As a preventative measure, i've been cleaning my room periodically with a damp piece of cloth and hovering it at least once a day. I also try to wash my bed coverings at least once a week with fabric softener at 60°. At the moment the guinea pigs don't get a lot of supplements to their diet (outside of oxbow vitamin c tablets) so I am trying to get them on a variety of greens to help boost their immune system.

Any suggestions on what else I can do to help deal with the dust in my room?

 

[Guineapigfeet]

Air purifiers do not dry out the air, that’s dehumidifiers. I have one of each for different purposes.

 

[PhoniDunedain]

Air purifiers do not dry out the air, that’s dehumidifiers. I have one of each for different purposes.

Ah ok. I've tried using them in the past, but it ended up setting off a chain of events that lead to me losing two guinea pigs to heart issues. So I am.. wary of using them without putting more thought into what went wrong.

 

[Guineapigfeet]

That’s awful. I don’t often use our air purifier in the pig room (spare bedroom) as we have it in our bedroom because my OH is allergic to hay dust and pollen and finds it difficult to sleep without it. We do use the dehumidifier in the same room (when they’re downstairs) to dry clothes, but it never gets to a harmful level of dry-ness as you can set desired humidity levels.
I can’t see any reason why an air purifier would be harmful, but I’ve not done any research into the possibility as it hadn’t crossed my mind.

 

[Siikibam]

How are they affected by the dust? Are you sure it’s that and not anything perfumes you use in the room?

Is there any way to move your rabbit elsewhere? They shouldn’t really be sharing a room.

 

[PhoniDunedain]

How are they affected by the dust? Are you sure it’s that and not anything perfumes you use in the room?

Is there any way to move your rabbit elsewhere? They shouldn’t really be sharing a room.

There isn't anywhere else I can move the rabbit i'm afraid.

I have however figured out where the dust is coming from (or at the very least most of it). I use Kaytee Clean and Cozy bedding for both the guinea pigs and rabbits enclosure, so I decided to test out how much dust I could toss out of it with a mesh bag - the pavement in my garden had a thin layer of dust in quick succession after I started tossing the bag around.
It was also the bedding I used for the two guinea pigs I had before who developed heart issues, so at the moment I am not too happy.
I can't use fleece bedding because my parent's aren't keen on the idea of animal hair and hay ending up in the washing machine.
So for the moment i'll stick to tossing the dust out of the bedding before applying it the rabbit and guinea pig's enclosures.

 

[PhoniDunedain]

We also have two dogs and my room happens to be on the ground floor, so the risk of the guinea pigs catching bordetella specifically from the rabbit seems less likely.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s not just the risk of bordatella, there are several other parasites which can be passed from rabbits to piggies. Try to ensure you handle the piggies first, and don’t let any rabbit urine or faeces get near the pigs.

 

[Siikibam]

I’m afraid the risk is there regardless, if they’re in the same room.

have a look at the bedding thread and see. When it comes to washing fleece, you could use a horse wash bag which would contain the hay and hair. I’m not sure where you are but if in UK then aubiose is another good bedding. Or easibed.
Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview

 

[Piggylove82]

I’m afraid the risk is there regardless, if they’re in the same room.

have a look at the bedding thread and see. When it comes to washing fleece, you could use a horse wash bag which would contain the hay and hair. I’m not sure where you are but if in UK then aubiose is another good bedding. Or easibed.
Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview

The horse wash bag LIMITS the hair, but doesn't stop it entirely, or so I've found.