Allergies Give away or push through?

[cosirain]

I got 2 new boys, Felix and Quixote, early last month. Prior to getting them I did extensive research and felt ready to be a new Guinea mom. I have been keeping them in my bedroom. I have noticed I’ve gotten very allergic recently and I’m constantly sneezing, coughing, or have an itchy throat, especially when I’m in my room. I’m thinking it’s the hay but I know I can’t move he boys to another place in the house or cut hay out of their diet. I’m not sure if I should give them away while they are still young to someone that can keep them in a good home without having these issues or just suffer through.

 

[Soecara]

Have you tried different types of grass hay? Other options that can be found in the US include bluegrass, and orchard grass.

If you do decide to try a different type of hay make sure to clean out the cage very thoroughly, vacuum the surrounding area, and give the guinea pigs a bath. This is to ensure you eliminate all of the dust from the old hay.

 

[bpatters]

Is there really no place else in the house you can put them?

But timothy hay is usually the culprit. You can get orchard grass, bluegrass or meadow grass, and they may cause far fewer (maybe no) problems.

 

[ItsaZoo]

Good advice about the Timothy hay. It’s definitely a top allergin. My husband has severe allergies and get shots year round. I noticed one of his serums was for Timothy grass. I had to break it to him that Timothy hay was a staple in the guinea pig’s diet. He isn’t having a problem but then he doesn’t handle the hay, the cage is just off the kitchen, and we have a heavy-duty air purifier in the bedroom.

 

[cosirain]

I have been hearing a lot about getting orchard hay so I think I will get that. I’ll keep you updated thank you.

 

[spy9doc]

When we first acquired cavies, my husband had the worst allergy episode he had experienced in years! For a month, we took them off hay and fed the hay cubes which is not something I recommend. They need a hay or grass in its natural form in order to get the long-strand fiber and bulk that they need in their diet to keep their g.i. systems moving properly, as well as to keep their teeth ground down. In that month we relocated them to my small home office and totally cleaned everything in the living room (where they were originally) including carpet shampoo, upholstery cleaning, wall washing and painting. A little overboard in retrospect, but determined to leave no stone unturned. My husband had exhaustive allergy testing, but was not allergic to guinea pigs! According to the allergist, people are rarely allergic to the piggies themselves, but often ARE allergic to timothy hay. In fact, it is one of the top allergens.

Our search led us to bluegrass hay and eventually to orchard grass, both of which have caused NO issues. When you make the switch, you will need to thoroughly scrub everything in the cage and give your boys a bath as well to remove any spores or particles of the timothy hay, and perhaps clean the carpet and drapes and anything in the room that may harbor remains of the hay. I would exhaust every avenue of approach before you rehome your boys. I can't express how much joy they have brought to our lives.