Adopting Just adopted 2 wonderful guinea pigs but am I allergic?

[Aaron Budkofsky]

I just adopted 2 wonderful guinea pigs both males a couple months old. I posted a thread in the cage section yesterday and was supposed to get them Sunday but there is a storm coming to my area so we decided to do it early. My problem is ever since I got them home I have been sneezing like crazy with a very runny nose and my eyes are a little itchy. It was the worst when they first got home, but it seems like it might be subsiding. Could this be just something that happened because I first got them, or would you guys suggest I am allergic? If so, what do you suggest? Is there any way to manage this? Oh and of course I will include pictures of my new babies! Any name recommendations are welcome as well.

 

[Lagertha]

Hello! welcome to the forum! you're boys are super cute!

What you are describing sounds like a grass allergy. You're probably allergic to the timothy hay (which they need daily and unlimited) but I don't think you're allergic to the boys.

 

[Lagertha]

as for name recommendations, what are some of your favorite things? (movies, shows, places, ect.). I named my pigs based on norse mythology and greek mythology

 

[bpatters]

You're probably more allergic to the hay than to the pigs -- they're pretty non-allergenic.

However, timothy is far from the only hay they can eat, and there are several other choices. Any long strand grass hay will do. Timothy is the most common, but other types are meadow grass, orchard grass, bluegrass and brome. A number of allergic people have had good luck with orchard grass.

An easy way to test this out is to buy a package of orchard grass at a pet or feed store. Clean the cage, take out the timothy hay, and bathe the pigs so they won't have any residual hay dust on them. Give them the new hay, and see what happens over the next few days.

 

[Soecara]

It might be the hay you are allergic too, you could try switching to a different type of hay to see if that helps. Other kinds of hay that are common in the US and are an acceptable replacement for Timothy hay are Orchard, Meadow, Blue Grass and Brome. When switching hays for possible allergy reasons make sure to bathe the guinea pigs and do a full cage clean to remove any residual Timothy hay dust from the environment.

 

[pawner69]

I am also allergic to Timothy hay however I can use bluegrass without any trouble. Your boys are adorable!!

 

[Aaron Budkofsky]

Thank you all soo much I was really hoping it wasn't the pigs. I gotta say it seems like I am getting better though. I will buy the alternative hay's that you have recommended and keep them on standby if the symptoms persist. I was wondering another thing, the cage I am using is pretty much 2 midwest habitat cages combines through some modification. Since the modification though, the top doesn't fit anymore and anyways the second cage didn't come with a top. I got the habitat and the habitat plus. The regular one didn't come with a top. Now the lady I adopted the pigs from told me that they might try to get out but I have had them in there for a good 2 hours now and they have not tried to get out yet. Do you guys think I am safe leaving them with no roof? How many here use a roof and how many don't?

 

[pawner69]

I have 7 pigs in a 2x7 with a 2x2 kitchen and no top. Never ever have I had any trouble. You mostly need a top to keep other pets out and not the guinea pigs in.

 

[Aaron Budkofsky]

I have 7 pigs in a 2x7 with a 2x2 kitchen and no top. Never ever have I had any trouble. You mostly need a top to keep other pets out and not the guinea pigs in.

Wow! What a beautiful family of pigs you've got there! What are their names?

 

[CaylorCavies]

The only time I have seen guinea pigs climb is when a male is trying to get to a female. If you don't have that problem, then the topless cage should be fine!

 

[pawner69]

Wow! What a beautiful family of pigs you've got there! What are their names?

Awww thank you! I have Nilla (my neutered boy..the huge tan guy) and his bitches (LOL), Alice, Rose, Carmel, Marsha, Cuddles, and Maisy.

 

[Aaron Budkofsky]

Haha silly question but I was told these guinea pigs are both males but I have to say it looks like one keeps chasing the other around trying to hump him or jump on his back I'm not sure then it looks like they are fighting, their making like almost growling noises at each other. The woman told me they've never fought but it looks like they might be. What do you guys think, could they just be playing around?

 

[scoottie]

Its dominance my boys do it too unless they turn into biting bleeding balls of hair leave them to it

 

[bpatters]

Turn them both over and compare their genitalia. If they look the same, no problem. If they're different, separate them.

The chasing and humping and chuttering are perfectly normal, but they are NOT playing. They're trying to work out which one is the dominant pig. Unless they actually fighting (rolling, biting ball of fur), then let them be. They'll work it out.

 

[CavyChrissy]

I just want to give you my perspective on your allergy troubles. Unfortunately it may not be as easy as everyone describes here.

I also have allergies and knew it was probably the hay. I tried different hays but couldn't figure it out. I had Timothy, sneezed and itched. I switched to a bag of Orchard from the pet store and no more problems! Great, right? So then I ordered 20 lbs of Orchard from Small Pet Select. I started using it and within a few days, my eyelids starting swelling! And I mean both eyes, upper lids, lower lids, even the bridge of my nose. It was impairing my vision it was so bad! I went to an ophthalmologist and he prescribed a steroid cream to bring down the swelling (which it did).

So I then went to an allergist and had testing done. Turns out, I am very slightly allergic to Timothy, moderately allergic to Orchard, strongly allergic to bluegrass, and SEVERELY allergic to several molds that commonly grow in hay. If you notice, this is contrary to what everyone is saying above. I've brought this up before here and a few others have responded to say they also have mold allergies. My point being, you need to figure out YOUR specific allergies. You MIGHT be able to do that by switching hays, but you will never know if it is the TYPE of hay that's the problem or if that particular batch of hay has MOLD that's causing your problem. For me, the allergy test was the only way I was ever going to figure it out.

Good luck, I hope you are able to find a hay that works for you!

 

[pawner69]

I have terrible mold allergies. I never thought of that before!

 

[Aaron Budkofsky]

So I switched to Oxbow orchard grass hay and it seems like I am not getting any better. I am starting to think it wasn't the hay in the first place. I cleaned the cage, washed their fleece and all that and I am still sneezing and getting itchy eyes and all that. I am starting to wonder if I am allergic to the piggies themselves. One thing that makes me think I might be that I didn't think of right away is when I went to adopt the piggies, the woman had bunnies in her house running in a little pen and as soon as I went near them I started sneezing and having a runny nose. My question is, if I am allergic to piggies, would I also be allergic to bunnies?

Truthfully I never really got the allergy attack when dealing with the hay itself, even the timothy hay and the woman that I adopted the piggies from told me in order to test myself, take a big breathe into the bag and see if anything happens. Nothing happened, she then said poke yourself with a piece of the hay and see if you break out in hives, I did and nothing. It seems like I get these attacks when spot cleaning their cages and handling their poop.

Going to get tested by a doctor isn't really an option right now because I don't have medical insurance at this moment.

If I am allergic to them, what can I do to control it? I really don't want to have to take anti histamines every day.

 

[bpatters]

Your options are antihistamines (which may get progressively less effective), sneezing and itching, and getting rid of the pigs. For any other kind of relief, you'd have to see a doctor for allergy testing, and then possibly allergy shots.

Guinea pigs and rabbits are two different animals. I don't know that being allergic to one would make you any more likely to be allergic to the other.

 

[Aaron Budkofsky]

Thank you for the response. I'm sad to have to announce that I actually had to give my babies up today because even with the antihistamines I was getting worse, and worse and it was getting to the point where I was having trouble breathing when around them. I gave them to a good friend of mine that will take excellent care of them though.