Help! I'm worried I'm allergic to our piggies!!

[sonjuanja]

We've had our piggies for roughly three-four weeks. We have a fleece C&C cage and I use the wood pellets for their litter. I also give them oxbow Timothy Hay and pellets. I was so convinced that it was the hay I was allergic to. It seemed like after I would give them hay or handle them, my eyes would itch uncontrollably and I'd be MISERABLE. So, over the last week, I've been trying to wash my hands after handling them/feeding them, etc. But, this morning, I was holding one of them (as I have before) and I immediately broke out in hives on my forearm where Xoe was sitting. I'm the primary and only care taker in our family.

I don't think it's the actual pigs I'm allergic to, I really think it's the Timothy Hay. Would switching brands help? What could it be?

 

[Princess_Piggie]

Guinea pigs are covered in hay dust, so it's highly likely even when you're holding the pigs, you're having a reaction to the dust. Timothy hay is the worst for allergies. I have hay fever (even the smallest thing will have my eyes swollen shut, throat itching, and nose dripping), and meadow hay doesn't provoke even a tiny reaction. It's not the brand of hay that makes the difference, it's the type.

You could also be allergic to their wood pellets, because they'll be covered in dust particles from that too. What type of pellets are they? Horse stall? Cat litter? Stove pellets? Are they just plain, untreated wood?

 

[pinky]

We've had our piggies for roughly three-four weeks. We have a fleece C&C cage and I use the wood pellets for their litter. I also give them oxbow Timothy Hay and pellets. I was so convinced that it was the hay I was allergic to. It seemed like after I would give them hay or handle them, my eyes would itch uncontrollably and I'd be MISERABLE. So, over the last week, I've been trying to wash my hands after handling them/feeding them, etc. But, this morning, I was holding one of them (as I have before) and I immediately broke out in hives on my forearm where Xoe was sitting. I'm the primary and only care taker in our family.

I don't think it's the actual pigs I'm allergic to, I really think it's the Timothy Hay. Would switching brands help? What could it be?

Timothy hay is usually the culprit, not the guinea pigs. I have allergies and asthma and can't tolerate timothy hay but have no problem with Oxbow orchard grass. I store some in my dining room and it doesn't bother me.

 

[pigger123]

The brand wouldn't make a difference. You should try orchard grass or bluegrass, I am allergic to timothy hay but those kinds dont bother me.

 

[Lizzieball12]

My boyfriend was so convinced that he was super allergic to my pigs. Turns out it was more the hay and mold in our house then the pigs. Try orchard grass and give them a bath to get all the hay dust off of them. Also, do this on a cage cleaning day when everything is going to be new so there is no timothy hay around. If that doesn't work try an air purifier to at least remove the dust from the air so you're not super miserable. That's what we had to do so Zach's allergies wouldn't be as bad

 

[sonjuanja]

The pellets are just regular, untreated wood.

So, I'm still a complete newbie, but I didn't think Timothy Hay was a brand? I thought it was a type? The brand I get is Oxbow. I thought they need to eat Timothy Hay.

I'm up for trying other kinds of Hay, but the guinea pig rescue was very strict on the timothy hay, and I thought that was a must for the diet?

 

[sonjuanja]

Also, how do I bathe them???

 

[Rywen]

I'm not sure a bath is a good idea. If you just change their hay (I'm allergic to timothy but not orchard or bluegrass) they clean themselves well enough that they should be hay dust free pretty quickly.

 

[kanojochan]

I had the worst allergies to timothy hay, too. Switched to orchard grass and the improvement was instant. Piggies loved it more than timothy hay, too! You could vacuum, sweep, mop, do whatever you need to get the area around the cage clean. Clean the cage itself, too. The piggies shouldn't need a bath as they groom themselves. Hopefully your allergies clear up after this :]

I am a bit concerned about the untreated wood, though. Some types of wood bedding can be toxic to piggies. I found this list to be helpful: https://www.guineapigcages.com/bedding.htm

 

[Mastershroom]

I'm definitely allergic to my pigs. I've ruled out the hay because I never have any reactions to directly handling it, but the pigs make me itch wherever they have direct contact with my skin. And it's not residual hay dust on them, because I've snuggled the hell out of my rabbit who has a cage filled with the exact same hay, and I get zero reaction of any sort from her.

That said, I still spend time with the pigs I just make sure to wash my hands thoroughly after I handle them and I'm usually fine.