allergi to rabbits?

[meow1]

I’m allergic to dog and cat dander (although I have both!lol), I haven’t been tested for rabbits, but I suspect that I cam allergic to rabbit dander as well.

 

Are there any kind of wipes that are safe to use on rabbits? Maybe the kind for dogs or cats? Or should I just use a wet papertowel or cloth to rub over him?

[meow1]

I believe I’ve also seen wipes made specifically for rabbits…surely they are safe for them then

 

 

…or what about gentle baby wipes?

[LoveChaCha]

What ingredients are on the wipes?

What type of hay are you giving to your rabbit? I know some people are allergic to Timothy and believe it is the rabbit its self.

I have a humidifer for my room, but it may help with allergies as it purifies the air.

[Monkeybun]

A friend of mine is very allergic to cats and dogs as well, but his rabbit does not affect him at all. Just hay does So his wife handles the hay instead

I wouldn’t use any kind of wipe on a bunny, to be honest. They aren’t good for them

[meow1]

I’m not sure what the ingredients are in any of those wipes.

Yeah, I’m not really sure if I’m allergic to rabbit dander, but next time I get an allergy test I will add that.

I was tested for timothy and I wasn’t found to be allergic to that.

We aren’t feeding alfalfa anymore (only alfalfa pellets), but I was never tested for that.

I also feed him oat hay. Wasn’t tested for that, but was tested just for OAT and am not allergic.

I suppose I can just wipe him down with a damp cloth or paper towel and vacuum out his cage more often. Just in case I am allergic.

 

 

[Monkeybun]

Maybe it’s a dust allergy. That’s quite common, and with hay and litter often being dusty… who knows

[BinkyBunny]

 Since bunnies will lick themsevles it definitely is important to know what is on the wipes as your bunny will be digesting whatever it is. 

I remember an old discussion about this and about allergies to rabbits in general.  I’ll see if I can find it and I’ll post the links 

 

[brittbritt]

I know when it comes to hay a lot of people will think they are allergic to guinea pigs but it’s really the hay and urine they are allergic to. It may be the same way with rabbits.

[BaileyBun]

My allergist told me that rabbit allergies usually aren’t the same as cat/dog allergies, in that the rabbit’s dander isn’t what’s making you have symptoms- I can’t remember what, exactly, people are allergic to when they have “rabbit allergies,” but I think (if I remember correctly) it has something to do with their urine (as weird as that sounds!) and dust from hay. If that’s right, it might not do a whole lot of good to wipe your rabbit down. I’ve found that my allergies are much better when I use a good air filter (mine’s made for people with pet allergies), use hay that’s as dust-free as possible, and clean their area and litterbox often, at least once a day.

[BinkyBunny]

After look for older posts, they mainly found the source of the allergy to be about the hay. With true rabbit allergies, some of the things that BaileyBun mentioned seem to be the common advice – clean regularly, (use a mask while cleaning), and a good air filter. I did find article from the House Rabbit Society about how to deal with allergies to rabbits, (you have to read past the part that again questions whether it really is a hay allergy).
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-12/allergies.html

One thing that the article did recommend was a product called AllerPet/C that you actually apply to the fur. I’m not sure how old this article is but I remember using that stuff on my bunny 10 years ago because Steve was slightly allergic at first (though amazingly his reactions disappeared after a year). I didn’t like it much because even though it didn’t cause any negative reaction, I just kept thinking, if this keeps all the fur and dander in place, how is this going to be digested well? That might just be ignorant assumption on my part, but I stopped using it after a week. Plus, it just didn’t make the fur feel soft and fluffy, and I can’t imagine if I had to use it regularly for years.

Instead I bought a good air filter and I also misted the air with water to help bring particles down. I vacuumed everyday(with a vacuum with a hepa filter).

Steve for some reason was able to over his allergies to animals. He used to also be very allergic to cats, but he wanted to keep a cat we had rescued and I don’t know what happened, but over time, he became less allergic and now it’s barely there. He even will sleep with the cat and have no problems. I wish I knew how Steve was able to grow out of his allergies as an adult. We need to bottle up his immune system and sell it.

[jerseygirl]

Beside dander, salliva might be another thing to test for. As rabbits are big groomers, there’d be saliva residue on their fur. Being big groomers is also why you should take care on what you wipe them down with, as a;ready mentioned. Things marketed as rabbit products are often not really rabbits safe at all.

Wiping with a damp cloth or paper towel may be your best bet. Besides, it helps get rid of the loose fur they might ingest so the practice has added benefit for them also.

[meow1]

Well I know I’m highly allergic to dust mites and mold. Those are my two highest things. I don’t think either of those are with the hay.

Although, Just because I ‘m not “allergic” to a certain hay, or dust coming off of hay, doesn’t mean it won’t aggravate my symptoms further. Like cigarette smoke. I’m not technically allergic to it, but it causes my throat to clog up and messes with me.

I have used allerpet/c on cats and allerpet/d on my dog before, but that didn’t last long.

I have decided to just use a wet papertowel or cloth on him. Safest way to do it, and like jerseygirl mentioned, to get rid of those loose hairs!

I’ve always had a bad time with allergies, and have had sinus surgery, so I am not in any means blaming my rabbit or rabbit “stuff” on everything. Just another thing ontop of everyday allergy troubles.

Thanks for the info and links!

[Elrohwen]

I can sympathize with allergies! I’ve done the shots and the surgeries too.

I’m fairly allergic to cats, but not at all to rabbits (I was tested before I got one). Strangely, rabbits are the only animals I’m not at all allergic to (I don’t consider myself allergic to dogs, but I do test slightly positive). Anyway, I find the hay is far worse than the buns. It’s dusty and many people are allergic to it. My husband is worse than me so I have to do all of the hay handling or he’ll end up sneezing all night long. Definitely take precautions with hay – keep the majority of it in a garage or basement or something, wear a long sleeved shirt when you handle it and then remove the shirt, wash your hands immediately, etc.

[meow1]

I really think some of my issues are coming from the timothy hay he just started. I have another thread going about how Sunny doesn’t even like the timothy hay but loves his oat hay. Hopefully I can do without the timothy, like completely remove it and see if I get any better, with just the oat hay. I’ve been miserable this past week, probably in part due to the timothy…? I just didn’t put two together to figure it out earlier.

[Ashley&Bing]

I have been through this same dilemma, as some may remember. I could wake up in the middle of the night not being able to breath! It was awful. I get a really good air filter and parked it next to Bing’s area (we share a room) and I really haven’t had any issues since. I am also allergic to cats, so it helps when I’m my parents (who have TWO cats) to bring it with me. I also ditched the orchard grass and went to straight Timothy. I only have problems cuddling with him when he molts. That stuff kills me!

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