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Trial running some pigs

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highlandcoo

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Hi

This is my first post on this message board, so hello to everyone :)p

Me and my partner would like to adopt some guinea pigs, the only problem is that we both have slight allergies to them. So we were thinking about maybe fostering some pigs for a few weeks to find out if our allergies are bad enough that we wont be able to keep any pigs. We don't want to spend loads of money on a cage and everything and re-home some pigs and then just have to bring them back a week later because we couldn't cope.

We live in Glasgow and were wondering if anyone on here could be any help? I have had a guinea pig before so I do know how to care for them and we would even be up to looking after them while someone is on holiday.

Cheers

Jenny
 
Hi Highlandcoo! I have only recently joined also but I have got loads of helpful advice. Its great that you are thinking of rescuing some piggies but I think perhaps looking after some whilst someone is on holiday is a very wise idea.

Also it depends on how bad your allergies are? Are there any breeds of piggie that are less allergenic than others? Sometimes you can build up a resistance to allergies too - your body seems to get used to being in contact with an allergen.

Could you take an anti-hystamine daily - perhaps certirizine Hydrocholoride? Tyr wearing gloves when you are cleaning out the pens and handling the guinea pigs in a towel. They like that as it makes them feel safe and you would have less contact with the allergen. Hope this helps?
 
mullsi said:
Hi Highlandcoo! I have only recently joined also but I have got loads of helpful advice. Its great that you are thinking of rescuing some piggies but I think perhaps looking after some whilst someone is on holiday is a very wise idea.

Also it depends on how bad your allergies are? Are there any breeds of piggie that are less allergenic than others? Sometimes you can build up a resistance to allergies too - your body seems to get used to being in contact with an allergen.

Could you take an anti-hystamine daily - perhaps certirizine Hydrocholoride? Tyr wearing gloves when you are cleaning out the pens and handling the guinea pigs in a towel. They like that as it makes them feel safe and you would have less contact with the allergen. Hope this helps?
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I have quite bad allergies to my guinea pigs, as in skin allergies (obviously I wouldn't be able to keep them if I had severe reactions) and I take certirizine hydrochloride daily and have a supply of sudocream and E45 just in case I forget to take them (though they seem to work slightly longer than 24 hours) or have a particularly bad reaction. This works very well for me :)

I use gardening gloves when I clean the piggies out and I also wear sunglasses sometimes so my eyes aren't irritated.

I think you should be okay with them :)) I can't help with the fostering, but I'm so glad you've considered the option! x) There's lots of people on here who could help with fostering, I'm sure!


Oh, and, as bad as this sounds, I'd suggest avoiding guinea pigs of the dark-ginge variety, as for me at least, these are the ones I'm most allergic to! (And I have six :P)
 
Hiya,

Welcome to the forum, I'm afraid I can't help with the fostering idea although I am in Glasgow so if your near I can bring someone to visit you for a few hours if that would be of any help.

Although you can't keep them :)).
 
I have huge allergic reactions to all my animals unless I take my medication, but I have hugely severe allergies.

If I don't take my medication, I end up in hospital unable to breathe rolleyes

Glutton for punishment!

I have oral antihistamines, eye drops, nasal sprays, creams, the works!
 
I am allergic to pigs as well, but some basic 'hygiene' and it is fine. For example, i never go anywhere near my bed with pig-hairy clothes on, and i wash my hands immediately after handling. If they come inside for cuddles, keep them in a single room, on a pig-dedicated blanket and hoover as often as needed.

I wouldnt recommend Cetirizine as an antihistamine - it is a drowsy antihistamine! Try loperamide, and maybe oxymetazoline as a nasal spray (although this can cause wheezing issues if you arew asthmatic). You will build up a tolerance to piggies, and you will soon find that they are worth the hassle!
 
All of you poor people who are allergic to GP's, you poor things! If you have any more probs with the Ginge variety Liane i'll take them i love ginger piggies and am not allergic atall he he.
 
Toffeewoffee said:
All of you poor people who are allergic to GP's, you poor things! If you have any more probs with the Ginge variety Liane i'll take them i love ginger piggies and am not allergic atall he he.
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LOL. I love my gingers far too much to give them away x)x) hee hee. I'll just suffer the reactions! :))
 
Just a thought - but I actually had a specific guinea pig allergy test as I was having terrible reactions to them. Turns out it wasn't actually them, but rather the hay.

I have 5 piggies now and have had to compromise by bedding them on vet bed and fleeces so they aren't always covered in hay so I can handle them. I use a pair of tongues to handle the hay and after I have let them all have big hay baths (where I fill the cage with hay so they can burrow etc) - I actually then give them their bath.

It might be worth having the test done at the doctors - you could lie and say you already have pigs and the test should be free.

Good luck!
 
Thank you everyone who has offered their advice on how to minimise the allergens. We have thought about most of these things, especially to do with the hay which we know we have allergies to. We both already take antihistamines so that shouldn't be a problem. I think we just want to figure out before we get them how bad the allergies are.
 
I have allergies to mine (even with antihistamine and asthma medication). I found my reactions to them were worst the first couple of weeks and then I adjusted.

I visited a guinea pig boarding place yesterday and came back feeling very tight in the lungs (I'm asthmatic) - so just because I adjusted to my own doesn't mean that I've stopped being allergic to all guinea pigs. Something worth being aware of - if you start to adjust to fostered pigs, you may have to start from scratch when you finally get your own.

Again as others said, good antihistamine, wash your hands after petting them, etc, makes a difference.
 
If you rehome some piggies from a reputable rescue and really cannot deal with the allergies, the rescue will/should take them back
 
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