Hay Allergy?

[ParsleyBun]

Friday I was around 2 people for several hours who were coughing and sniffling all over me. Sunday I found mystery hay by the side of the road in great condition, my dad gave the buns some and I messed with it, stirred it around. Within 1 or 2 hrs. I got a sore throat. I don’t have a sore throat anymore but I am congested, and it gets worse when I am around hay. After messing with/being around hay Monday, that was when my congestion started, even though my sore throat had subsided. I have never been allergic in my 1 and a half yrs. of having rabbits. When I went around the rabbits but didn’t open the hutch, I got more congested. When I went in the pet store yesterday and was around loose hay on the floor, I got more congested. I don’t really feel ‘sick’ other than my symptoms and I have had no fever. Does it sound like I am allergic to this new hay? Right now, I am not going around my buns because of it. I need to improve by tomorrow for my art class, and I have homeschool group on Friday and it’s very hard for me to miss. Plus, this is the 5th time I have been unwell in the past 9 months and its very annoying.

[Cinnimon&Ollie]

What hay do you normally give them? People with hay allergies typically react to timothy more than orchard hay. So that might be that case, it would be odd if you were sick because it gets worse around the hay but it is always a possibility.

[ParsleyBun]

The hay I used before was a ‘clover, timothy hay, orchard grass, and fescue mix’ according to the farmer. I have no clue what the new hay is, but I see some fuzzy seed plants… I don’t know that that is.

[Cinnimon&Ollie]

I’m not sure what hay has fuzzy seed plants in it either. I would try getting the hay you normally use and stop using this hay to see if it is allergies.

[ParsleyBun]

I will!

[DanaNM]

It could also be that you picked up a cold from the people you saw on Friday? I would probably give it a few more days to see if it starts getting better on it’s own. With having the sore throat first it sounds more like a cold to me. My colds usually seem to start with a sore throat and then progress to sinus symptoms.

 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[ParsleyBun]

Yes… I guess I was trying to hope it was allergies because I was sick in March and I was sick in May and I was sick in June and I was also sick in September and I’m sick of being sick.

[DanaNM]

Ugh I’m sorry. 🙁 I know there are so many colds and flus going around. Although on the bright side, having an allergy forever would be pretty annoying to deal with since you have bunnies!

If it does end up being allergies, you might try switching to orchard grass hay. Some people get pretty allergic to timothy but don’t react to orchard grass.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[ParsleyBun]

Yes.. June’s episode was particularly bad, terrible sore thoat and and a fever for 4 or 5 days in a row. Not fun. Better than chronic allergies though. I guess I should just ditch the mystery hay just in case. I feel bad though because the bunnies love it. Oh well.

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