guinea pigs and asthma

[mybabyweightiseightyearsold]

Kids desperate for a furry pet. Three kids, three guinea pigs.

We've got room for an indoor run, a nice big garden for an outdoor run, found a breeder/rescuer who's got a litter due at the end of the month which gives enough weeks to get the kids read up and indoctrinated on pet care...

...middley kid has brittle asthma. So, he's absolutely fine most of the time and then has a blip that lands him in hospital, several HDU admissions. Having said that, he's been on a new drug regime and has been much better in the last six months. He copes fine at granny's with their menagerie and cat hair.

He's allergic to grass pollen, but, not dreadfully so. So, was thinking of using fleece for bedding instead of hay.

Anyone got any idea about wheeze and guinea pigs?

TIA

Please don't get the guinea-pigs.

I'm on GP 13 & 14 (since a child) these are my DCs pigs.

You can't get away with fleece, they need hay. It would kill them otherwise.
My DC have their faces right in the guinea-pigs fur, and even short coats cast fur.

But I'm going to put my mum hat on not my GP mum hat on.

If your children are allergic, why risk it? There will be other pets they can get on with - mayb a cat if that doesn't sensitise?

And 3 GPs is alot of work. I do the husbandry for our 2, all the cage work.

Don't. DH has asthma and he suffered when our piggy was alive. He died at a ripe age last year but it had gotten to the point where he couldn't handle/clean out the pig at all - and it was his pet before he met me! There will be other pets, but it was really awful for DH and he's an adult, I definitely wouldn't risk it for a DC.

Sorry, to be clear, I mean the pig died.

Hiya if your child asthma is poorly enough to involve HDU admissions I personally wouldn't!
We seem to get covered in G'pig fur when handing them.

Imagine how they are going to feel if they get attached then you end up getting rid of them because they make his condition worse

Mybaby - we have 2GPs, in the living room with us right now. They are inside all year, apart from when it's nice outside.

I have pretty spectacular asthma and haven't had any problems. I'm also super allergic to hay, but you can get cubes of hay (although we give them the proper stuff) and then just use bedding that's made of little balls of paper. We also give them lots of newspaper to burrow into.

I must admit, I don't pick them up much, because of my asthma and eczema, and my DH has to change their bedding.

Really, I've been thrilled with the fact that my DD and DS can enjoy having a pet as there was no way I could cope with a cat or dog. The other reason why they aren't too bad is that they don't go on the sofa or beds, generally if they are out of their run they are plopped on my dds lap, so there isn't fur everywhere.

Is there any way you could test drive a GP? Look after one for a weekend?

I'm with 70 on this one - both with mum-hat on and GP- grandmum hat on. GPs make brilliant pets and you've clearly done your research, but:

• There is a difference between visiting someone with many animals and living with them every day. Constant exposure can lead to sensitivity. I have known and heard of many people who have owned/worked with/ridden horses nearly every day of their lives only to become extremely allergic to them.
• GPs need hay and grass for their digestive systems. 3 of my DDs GPs live on fleece but also get copius amounts of hay and another type of dried grass (ReadiGrass) every day, whether they go outside or not. Long-strand fibre (such as hay) is essential for gut health.
• They do also shed an awful lot of fur (at least our 4 seem to!), and fur, dander, spit and urine are the most common triggers/irritants for animal allergies and asthmas.

Whilst it may not happen, think of how your DCs will feel if 1/2/3 years down the line you have to have the GPs rehomed because they aren't compatible with DS's asthma.

How about waiting a year/couple of years to ensure the treatment regime for your DS is definitely working and the best one for him, then reassess the guinea pig situation?

Thanks, guys, that is REALLY helpful!

My concern is having to re-home them after a while - the thought of having devastated kids is enough to wobble even my stone heart!

It's a problem, he's a loving wee boy and really keen to have something of his own to care for. Bless, he's been taking pet books out the library for a year to "read up"...

...and, it's hard to know how neurotic I am about his wheeze! but, that's really good to know that they shed - dusting and hoovering are not my favourite task, and done on a "oh bugger, look at the state of that" basis (I know, I know, I know)

Tricky one. The kids would benefit from a pet, but, realistically, indoors fur and hay are out.

What I want are chickens in the garden...might use your comments as ammo to persuade blokie that's a great idea!
thanks, I appreciate your taking time to add your thoughts. Though, the piggies are SOOO cute!

x

Try the chicken keeper thread, they might have allergy advice.
Is he allergic to feathers and dust ? You'd still have straw to contend with if you got chickens, but I couldn't ever see myself picking up and cuddling a chook.

It would be a shame if you DS couldn't cuddle a GP and his siblings were hugging theirs. And GPs tend to sit right at your neck when you hug them.So he'd get the fur up his nose and eyes.

The thought of fresh eggs is appealing. I'm a vegetarian so I applaud the Free Range Eggs .

No way, don't take the risk.

I'm brittle asthmastic and have pet rats (one now, and I did have a cat)

I've been tested for every allergy, am allergic to nothing, but I wouldn't risk getting another pet in the house.

Could you get fish?

Yes, in fairness, I don't pick up the GPs ever as 70isa says. THey are pretty affectionate. (God, I adore the little squeaking fools) It would set off my asthma something rotten.
How about a skiny pig? COuld you handle cuddling a scrotum.

What about a bearded dragon? A proper vivarium set up can be expensive, and they are not thought of as "cuddly", but they are super sweet, have great personalities and seem to quite enjoy being held and hanging about on shoulders or draped over arms. No fur or hay to set off allergies either.

There are plenty of reptile rescues about too if you google them.

@ "cuddling a scrotum"...DD1 has a friend who had a (female) hairless rat affectionately nicknamed "penis rat"

1950's - it was scrotum cuddling that got me into this situation in the first place.

Lessons learned in life: do not mix wine, rose tinted specs and scrotums together...turns you into a grown-up which is no fun at all.

Actually, wellies - we were talking about a snake.

I'm a bit worried that "cute" will wane. "Come and see my snake" well, that's cool for a boy.

Ugh. See above comments re scrotes.

mybabyweight if you go down the tropical/reptile route, how about a tortoise?

I'm not a fan of the reptiley things,but DC and I were in a petshop (just looking,honest ) and we saw some small tortoises.(It wasn't P@H)
They were very active (in a warm vivarium) and one of the staff kept a tortoise, he said some breeds are not Import Restricted, some don't hibernate. He was very passionate about his exotic friend, but they are not my cup of tea.

I'd imagine their set up would be ££ and you'd have to research what type and more importantly where to buy one. And find a reptile savvy vet. But they looked more interesting than a snake, and dry (unlike terrapins).

And they could go out in the garden in summer in a secure run.
(But they live about a thousand years, so you might have it when your DC leave home).

Or are there any tortoise rescue (lightbulb) I'm sure even exotics are subject to the same issues as other pets.

Come and see my snake might get him into trouble when he's 16 yo .

Tortoises are great - we have 1 (had two until 2 years ago :( ) and he's lovely, not quite as cuddly as a lizard or a snake but has such an adorable little character (I'd never let a snake in my house as they creep me out, but would gladly have a lizard, esp. a beardie). He's stomping around the garden as I type, munching at the dandelions and other weeds (kept especially for him, you see )

He's been in the family for years but has only caused us worry since we started taking him to the vet...it has made us totally paranoid about him and his health, how long he's hibernating for, if he's heavy enough...the list goes on! They also need a 'table' rather than a vivarium because vivs can get too humid and cause respiration problems. Large (4ft x 2ft) indoor rabbit cages, the kind with a plastic bottom and wire top, make great tort tables for torts around 6-8 inches long and smaller, plus they are usually deep enough to give them enough dirt to dig about in.

I think any kind of reptile is cool for a teenage boy, but as 70 said, "Do you want to see my snake?" might get him into trouble

How old are the children? I would have thought pet rats would suit you better.

cant you go to a petting place and let him spend a good hr in there sat with one and see if it kicks his asthma off? We keep our gps outside and they have hay in a wire tray to eat so they dont really have a lot of roll about in hay contact apart from in their bed but when we handle them we are taking them away from their hutch though generally they free range anyway .