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Small pets

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Original poster

Guinea pigs and asthma

9 replies

AuntieBulgaria · 28/08/2013 20:49

Hello, we're new to the small pet world. We were hoping to get DD a pair of Guinea Pigs but when we were filling in the Wood Green adoption form it asked if there was anyone in the house who suffered from asthma or allergies.

DH developed asthma last year, he's had allergy testing and it came up worst for dust mites. He has a daily anti-hystamine and blue puffer.

The lady at Wood Green I spoke to said often the hay is what causes problems in allergy sufferers but that it was possible to buy hay with the dust reduced.

We were planning to keep the Guinea Pigs indoors. Whilst looking for info on c c cages, having read some threads on here, I saw some YouTube videos from PiggiePigPigs where she appears to keep them on fleece.

Does anyone have experience of Guinea Pigs and asthma? Would fleece bedding work as long as they got low-allergenic hay to eat? Would out door guinea pigs be an option?

We've said to DD that we will visit Wood Green and see how DH gets on but any thought you have would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

OP posts:

Evenstar · 28/08/2013 21:16

I am asthmatic and have 10 guinea pigs, but they are outdoor, I would agree that the hay is probably the main problem as it makes me cough sometimes when I am doing the feeds. I would definitely go and see how your DH reacts, I don't think I could cope with indoor pigs due to the dust etc, I have noticed some coughing when I have had to keep an unwell piggie indoors and when I had a couple of new ones inside until I was sure they were healthy to introduce to the others.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 29/08/2013 16:03

Hi Auntie -
WRT hay, it' been horrendous the past couple of years - I reckon due to the wet summers it's been artificially dried. I know the price has shot up in the time I've had my boars.
Even 'dust-free' is dusty. I sometimes shake the hay in a huge bag before I put it in their cage.

They need hay , no avoiding that. One way you could get round it is hay cookies. I use these in really hot weather when I don't want them to insulate themselves in hay.
But they miss alot of their natural foraging and burrowing through the hay which would be a shame if it was longterm.

Some of the tiny bags of hay based food can be less dusty , but they are more of an add-on (and very ££).(Chamomile and Marigold or herb based)
They really need Timothy and Meadow hay.

guineapiglet · 29/08/2013 16:42

Hi all - hope everyone has had good summer! hi AuntieBulgaria - is it the Wood Green Animal Shelter near Cambridge? I know it well! They are very good and efficient and extremely careful in their homing.

From what you have written I would really think again about getting indoor guineas, not meaning to tell you what to do, but from bitter and sad experience, as have been down that route with my asthmatic son - who suffers similiarly as you have described. He was very allergic to their hay, but also to their fur ( dander) and really could not enjoy handling or being near the guineas, it was very sad. They were kept in a big hutch outside in a big shed, in the end, with plenty of insulation etc, - in my long experience there really is no such thing as dust free hay, and it really does make an asthmatic condition worse. SO you could get outdoor guineas if you have space and somewhere to keep them like a shed, or garage etc esp in winter. It would mean your son may not be able to handle them which is very sad for him - in the end we ended up getting a bio orb and tetras for my son, and the guineas ended up being for the girls only! We had 8 over 6 years though, and he enjoyed them being outside, free ranging etc but really could not help with the cleaning out etc. That will be your privilege! Hope all goes well. :)

guineapiglet · 29/08/2013 16:43

Sorry, having read it back, realise it is your husband not the children who are allergic. IF you have somewhere the guineas could be housed where he would not be in contact with them, the children will be able to enjoy them and do the cleaning out! Basically, your husband will be 'hands off' !

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 29/08/2013 16:52

guineapiglet my DH is allergic to parsley so he gets a rash if he holds the pigs and they dribble the parsley juice or where it touches his skin.

I must consider rehoming him.......................

guineapiglet · 29/08/2013 19:37

Yes 70 good point about the handling of food stuffs which can be allergenic as well!! They are very allergenic creatures all round and probably best avoided, at least inside, if there are people with severe allergies who will react to them.

Original poster

AuntieBulgaria · 29/08/2013 21:04

Thank you very much for your thoughts. We might have to think again as we don't have a shed or garage. It wouldn't be fair to the Guinea Pigs to be outside with no proper shelter and it wouldn't be fair to DH to have them indoors.

Bugger.

It's DD's birthday in just over a week. Back to the pet drawing board. I don't know why the allergy issue didn't occur to me until after I had raised the possibility of piggy pets with her.

OP posts:

Original poster

AuntieBulgaria · 29/08/2013 21:07

Bugger.

It's DD's birthday in just over a week. Back to the pet drawing board. I don't know why the allergy issue didn't occur to me until after I had raised the possibility of piggy pets with her.

OP posts:

KatyPutTheCuttleOn · 18/09/2013 20:46

We have guinea pigs, they are in my DD's bedroom and all the stuff for them is kept in there. They don't cause any problems with asthma, my child with asthma is fine with them in the house; I'd draw the line at having them in the lounge though. We also have no carpets so there is no fluff from the pigs stuck in the carpets.

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