*gasp* Darned Hay Fever!!!

[MimzMum]

We need an icon that has a nose like a faucet for this post. >.<

 

Sooo…as the days go by, it is becoming increasingly obvious to me that I am horribly allergic…it is not bunny fur bugging me because I can hold them right up to my nose and breathe in and not sneeze once…but I believe the allergy is to their hay.

 

This is bad. As I cannot deprive them of this essential part of their diet.

But… I… CAN’T… BREATHE! *cough cough…choke*

Does anyone else have hay allergies? And if so, what do you do when it comes to feeding your bunnies and yet still being able to use your lungs?

[Deleted User]

Your reading my mind MimzMum!!!! I’m allergic to both bunny AND hay! The hays the worst though! I just tough it out when it comes to feeding her. Try hard to keep the hay out of the carpet….thats a killer…..i really should vaccuum more often than i do, i think that would help.

you ever take any allergy meds? i try to avoid them cuz they make me drowsy….

[MimzMum]

I’ve been a big fan of Benadryl for quite a few years now, had to take it during chemo to assure no allergic reaction to the drugs, but it also makes me sleepy…and cranky.
I use Chlor-Trimeton now, it’s not as bad. Those others like Clairitin and such just don’t touch the problems. I also drink a lot of green teas.

I too should keep the hay out of the carpet. Used to be good at it, but it’s getting away from me. Vacuuming in the house with the bunnies right there and freaking out the whole time doesn’t help the situation. >.< I'm also storing the hay there too, and it didn't bother me at first. I guess I lost my resistance to it.

I know you can’t keep hay in plastic bags either. It’ll mold in there. Don’t need my mold allergies to flare up on top of this!
I’ve tried the hay cubes, but the bunnie don’t like them and I don’t think they have the fiber needed to keep them regular. So I’m really stuck.

[Deleted User]

Plus it would be such a pain to keep the hay elsewhere…

your buns are scared of the vacuum?! Boston LOVES it, follows it around sniffing it, weird huh?! i’ve found it really does make a difference to vaccuum more. especially right by the cage where the hay breaks up and gets smooshed in the carpet.

is it worse when your actually FILLING the hay, or just all the time? u could try a mask?

good luck!

[MimzMum]

Well, it depends. Sometimes it’s worse right after I put fresh hay in. Other times it gets terrible right before I fall asleep. I am coughing and sneezing and blowing my nose all night. The poor buns must hardly get sleep for all the noise I’m making.
I’m going to try those little painter’s masks during clean-up, but I can’t wear one all night while I’m sleeping. So I have to find out a way to handle that.

Hubby wants to move the buns out of the room to the living room, but the cats will bug them there. So I may have to find somewhere else to sleep if this keeps up.

I would miss my Mimzy watching over me all night like an angel though. ;_;

[Deleted User]

That was gonna be my next question….where are the buns? Boston is in the living room…I’ve found going to my room at night is soooo relaxing, cuz we leave the door shut all day and its HAY FREE!!!! Do you have a spare room? I hate being stuffed up all night long…the buns might be kept awake, but you don’t get any sleep either!

[MimzMum]

No, space is really limited here. When we first got here, the living quarters were a whopping 750 square feet. In the 13 years we’ve lived here, the hubby had to close off the garage and dry wall it, making two more bedrooms (one the size of a closet) plus a den. But it’s still pretty small.

*sigh* It would be different if it weren’t so expensive to build right now, we’ve been wanting to add another larger room for years, but we never get around to it. There’s always something else one has to spend money on; taxes, gas, food, heat….BUNNIES! ^_^

We actually only have another month to get the dog house built so they don’t have to be in here all winter again. That was terrible this last winter. Two large huskies, one living in the kitchen, the other in the den, and up all night long to walk them….OI! My nose got worse during that time because dog hair really does stuff me up. I also can’t breathe around horses. (Thankfully, we don’t have one of THOSE living inside with us too!)

So…. like I said…stuck.
There’s always the couch….

[Cassi&Charlie]

Mimzmum, I’m so allergic to hay that it gives me hayfever and hives! I live for the 8 hours of my day that I’m outside at uni or work, blissfully hay free. I should vacuum more cause that really helps but what can I say, it’s assessment time at uni. I get my boyfriend to do all the feeding now cause otherwise I end up covered with hives, eyes watering, nose runny…very attractive!
Are some hays less allogenic than others? Someone said a while ago that oat hay may be better for allergies, I think?

[MimzMum]

Yes, oat and wheat hay don’t bother me as much. But sadly, they make the bunnies fat.

Anyone else have more hay info?

[kimberleyanddarren]

why dont u just get one of those builders masks that covers your nose and mouth? and whenever you are directly handling hay (which is probably the worst part) you can put it on, also if there is a window you could open slightly in their room that may help (as long as it doesnt get cold) or what about a plug fresh air spray thing? that may help. sorry hun i know its tough to be allergic to something your around all day *hugs*

[Veronica Vigilant]

I have really bad allergies- especially to grass (hay)… my allergist told me that most grasses are so similar that if you’re allergic to one then you’re allergic to all others too. (He actually said that they fall into 2 catagories but I of course can’t remember what the two different types are!) But since the part of hay/grass that gives you allergies is the pollen it seems like if you get a kind that tends to have less seedheads/pollen-y parts then it might cause less symptoms. Maybe brome would be better? I haven’t actually tried switching hays myself.

Mimzmum- have you tried Zyrtec? Claritin does absolutely nothing for me, but Zyrtec works really well for me so you might want to try it. I also had an air purifier when I had my buns in my bedroom (now they’re in the living room) and I think that helped a lot. You might also want to consider designating your bedroom as a “bunny and hay-free zone” if you’re having trouble sleeping- I actually tried that but they’re so cute when they hop up on my bed that it didn’t last very long I also started allergy shots a few months ago- they take up to a year to start being effective though so they aren’t really helping yet…

Cassi&Charlie- if you ever have to handle hay (boyfriend not around or something…), a good easy trick I discovered was to grab a plastic grocery bag or trash bag and use it as a makeshift glove while handling the hay! No hives! Well except for the time I used a bag with holes in it by accident…

And for vaccuuming- I splurged and got a Roomba!!!! I LOVE it!!! I actually got a refurbished one from Amazon so I got it for 50% off the normal price! I also have a little cordless upright Shark vaccuum- I hardly ever get out a normal vaccuum- but I leave the Shark out near the bunny pen and it’s so easy to just grab and do a quick sweep of the carpet!

Ok- I think I’m out of allergy advice now!

edited to add: I lied- I wasn’t finished yet! If your allergies really bother you I would highly recommend seeing an allergist because there are a lot of medications now that can really help- an allergist will be able to help you figure out what works for you- I actually started using both Flonase nasal spray and Atrovent nasal spray and they made a HUGE difference. I think they tend to be more effective because they deliver the medication right to where it’s needed! Also- right after handling hay wash your hands and face- just splash a ton of water to wash off any pollen and you’ll probably notice an immediate difference. And now I’m really done

[MimzMum]

Thank you! Those are all fabulous ideas!
No, I haven’t tried Zyrtec. Is it prescription medicine? I’ll have to ask my doctor about it next time I get the chance.
I have thought about allergy shots. As it is, I am very allergic to my son’s dog, his slobber gives me hives…also our feral cat makes me sneeze and raises bumps on my skin. Over the years, it’s just gotten steadily worse. And as I can’t see rehoming my bunnies (God Forbid!) I may have to look into shots for the condition.
I was briefly toying with the idea that it might be asthma developing. I have no history of it, but with how inflamed my bronchial tubes get when I start feeling the allergies coming on, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the way I’ll be going eventually.
Sometimes, when you’ve had chemotherapy, the drugs side effects take a while to manifest. I would guess it compromised my immune system enough that now it’s either in overdrive or just doesn’t have a clue what it should be fighting. Either way, I need to have it checked.

Yes, you would think that cut and packaged hay wouldn’t have any viable pollen left to it, but I guess that’s not so. I know the little fuzzies on the tops of the hay is the bunnies’ favorite part, but if it has to go, it’ll go. As long as that doesn’t cut down on their nutrition and fiber in any way.

Ahh…the things we suffer through to keep our bunnies happy! ^_^ Although I think I’d look kinda funny carrying a bun on one arm, and hauling an oxygen tank with the other. 0_o;

[Veronica Vigilant]

Zyrtec is actually available over the counter now!

I have exercise induced asthma- which is actually more correctly “inducible” asthma and allergies can be a BIG trigger for it! So it just kinda comes and goes depending on a variety of factors (cold weather, being sick, and my allergies acting up is a bad combination!)

Yeah, my allergist looked at me like I was a lunatic when I told him I keep hay in my living room

[MimzMum]

lolz…Yeah, kinda like when the patient goes tot the doctor and says, “Doc, it hurts when I do this.”
Doctor: “So don’t do that.”

I’ve got Zyrtec on my shopping list. ^_^

So I am assuming that asthma isn’t necessarily only exercise related? Can you just get short of breath sitting around the house?
My daughter had a young friend years ago who had asthma, but I think her symptoms mostly due to her mother’s smoking. But she had to keep her puffer with her when she came to my house because we have cats. It used to scare the heck out of me that she could go into a full blown attack while I was watching her, I would be lost as to what to do! When this girl went to live with her dad in California, her asthma stopped and she didn’t have to use puffers because she was in a different environment and outdoors a lot more than she was here. She also had bad eczema, which I understand often goes hand in hand with asthma. This too disappeared during her time in California.

I suppose I could ask my doc about this too, and if I do wind up having to use medications for it, then I guess it wouldn’t necessarily be a permanent condition.

[RabbitPam]

I was going to suggest an air purifyer also. The good ones are expensive but in this case I think it would be really worth the investment.

Also, the Oxbow Bunny Basic T pellets are hay based, the T stands for Timothy. So when you feed them that at least they are getting some of the hay fiber they need. Spockie ate very little hay, but gobbled those up at least.

Consider having hand wipes at the ready when you are handling the buns stuff. It won’t help with airborn particles, but if you avoid touching the hay and touching your eyes or face right away, and wipe first, you’ll cut back on the contact of allergens. (Do try the trashbag on the hands suggestion. I’ve done that. It helps.)

Allergies are cumulative and can worsen with age. You just described three separate allergy sources, so when they combine in the same house, you can’t fight it well at all. Maybe you can do more about the kitty and the dog.

Over the counter: try Musinex. My Dr. prescribed Allegra also. I have no luck at all with Claritin. But an allergist is the best Dr. to get you specific help.

[RabbitPam]

One more idea: could you rig a sort of hay pull for them to eat from? like bundled strands in a box where they pull out a piece at a time, sort of like a tissue box? Just something that contains most of it, but can be eaten strand by strand.

[MimzMum]

Yes, we’ve been wanting to get an ionizer. There is so much dust out here (we don’t have paved roads) that you can’t escape it and if there’s one thing that kills me, it’s dust! Even using Swiffers, you can’t get it all.
The dogs aren’t in the house, luckily, but my son’s dog has to be treated for two weeks for an yeast infection in his ears. Guess who gets THAT lovely duty? >_<
It’s funny, my MacKenzie River Husky, who has the longer hair of the two, doesn’t bother me at all. He can slurp me or I can get tons of his hair up my nose grooming him and I don’t sneeze at all. Same with my semi-persian cat. But let the short-haired ones come close and look out! I’ll blow my brains out through my nose. >.<
I’ve tried everything you can imagine with the hay. The only way they will actually EAT it is if it’s left on the floor of their pens. No manger, no little frou-frou ball hanging from the ceiling, no fancy dispensers…and I went through my room last night and picked up every piece off the floor I could find…not one sneeze. (I did find a nasty little brown spider though…urgh!) I go to bed and KASCHOO! It starts!
I keep my linens as clean as possible. I put padding and covers over where Fiver runs doing his daily binkies. But something must still be landing on the bedclothes by the end of the day. I even tape roll it every night to make sure there’s no lint, fur or other offensive matter.

Where can I find those pellets, rabbitpam? I’ll try anything!
I already use hand wipes and wash-free soaps…my hands are raw from cleaning. I may have to buy rubber gloves or something.

I do have to start shutting my window at night now, though. It’s getting into the 30’s Fahrenheit here now. Before long, snow will be falling. (urgh, again!) That’ll hold down the road dust, but then, well, a whole other set of problems crop up.

Here’s another thing I’d forgotten about. My daughter is also doing much more sneezing this year than she has previously. I just heard her blowing her nose in the other room. She’s probably got allergies too, hm? (Great! Getting her to the doctor is like getting blood out of a turnip!)

*sigh* So much to think about before the cold months. And I assume daily doses of high amounts of vitamin c won’t help any of this, right? (Although it does make my throat feel better.)

[kimberleyanddarren]

are u eating locally produced honey? i believe thats been proved best for hay fever?

[RabbitPam]

You can order it from the Oxbow website – at least I think you can get it in Alaska. Go to the site and put in your zip code for a store locator.

There have been reports on BB of Oxbow sightings in pet store chains lately. If you have a PetSmart or a Petco, call and ask if they carry it. I used to get mine at a vet’s office. Very often it’s sold by Exotic Vets, and you don’t have to be a patient/client of theirs. It’s the only pellet I’ve heard of that clearly states having a hay ingredient. There might be others. Since Spockie was a picky hay eater I stuck with these which he loved. I was worried about his not getting enough hay. Here’s their website description & link:

BunnyBasicsT

http://www.oxbowhay.com/link.sp

Rabbits are designed to eat and digest fiber found in plant material. Timothy grass hay provides the fiber necessary to maintain intestinal health, and makes Bunny Basics/T the veterinarian’s number one choice for your adult rabbit.

• Timothy hay-based
• Optimum protein level
• Ideal diet for adult rabbits
• Recommended by veterinarians
• Balanced calcium to phosphorus ratio
• High fiber from quality digestible ingredients
• Fresh! Straight from the farm!

[MimzMum]

No I don’t, K&D, I don’t think our local area has that many beekeepers, if any. I think I recall hearing on the radio that domestic honey is also suffering this year due to the hive collapse phenomenon.

Thanks for those links, rabbitpam, I will check those out. I know for a fact that our local Petco doesn’t carry Oxbow, but we have a lot of feed stores up here I have yet to check. Someone has to have it!

I just hope that my buns will give over on the Kaytee brand they love so much and try something else without too much fuss. They totally turned their noses up at the free sample of Zupreem I got in the mail a month ago.

[Veronica Vigilant]

Asthma can definately be aggravated by lots of other things, not just exercise!

I just read an article on local honey and whether it has a benefit for allergies- and I of course remember barely any of it! Just that the idea is that since local bees will make honey out of local pollen then eating locally made honey will built up your immunity to local pollens and help with allergies (or something along those lines). HOWEVER, I’m pretty sure that there’s no science to actually prove it, or to show that there’s a link between eating honey and less allergies- can’t hurt to try though if you can find some

[RabbitPam]

http://www.honeylocator.com/profiles/4213300.asp

home.gci.net/~tundrawalkerstudio/spun_honey.htm

Man, you can find absolutely anything on the internet. I googled honey, Alaska, and found the first site, (A US Honey Locator – who knew?) then spotted these folks in Fairbanks. So they are probably in your local phone book or grocery store.

Anyway, go have some tea and locally grown anti-oxident honey in it. *smacks lips*

[MimzMum]

Wow, you guys are just full of helpful links today! ^_^ *clicks happily away*

A honey locator…well NOW I’ve seen everything! 0_o

yes, I’ve followed quite a few un-scientifically proven things in my time. And homeopathy is one of them. I can’t believe this wasn’t in any of the books I read about it, but this makes sense. Small doses of what bugs you can often be what cures you.

Thank you everyone! I’ll let you know how it works out!

[Author]

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