Love for cute animals wakes up people from childhood. At a young age, children persistently ask their parents to have a pet, but sometimes even the most harmless animals can provoke a negative reaction of the body. How to understand whether a pet is an allergen, and how an allergy to guinea pigs manifests itself, we will understand in this article.
Allergy Causes
Adverse reaction of the body can be caused by many factors, ranging from the animal itself to its contents (dust from sawdust or hay, feed, etc.). It is believed that guinea pig allergies are more likely to be caused by tactile contact with wool, but there are a number of other causes.
Allergy triggers include the following:
- Keratin secreted in guinea pig saliva or excrement.
- Animal perspiration.
- Dandruff.
- Rodent skin.
A protective reaction in the form of an allergy of the human body causes the productionclass E immunoglobulin from pet mast cells (antibodies that our body perceives as foreign). They are located on the subcutaneous tissue, on the mucous membranes, near the blood vessels, next to the lymph nodes, in the spleen.
Who can get allergies?
Answering the question of whether there is an allergy to guinea pigs, it should be noted that, of course, it happens, but not all of them are affected. To check the reaction of your body, before you get a pet, you can tinker with other people's pets, which is also not entirely safe. The best way is to take a special allergy test.
Usually, the tendency to painful irritations is detected in children or adults with a weakened immune system. And also signs of allergies can occur in pregnant women, they personally should protect themselves from any contact with the animal.
It is important to understand that allergic reactions to dogs, cats and rodents can be completely different. It should not be assumed that if a guinea pig has an allergy, the same will happen when in contact with other animals, and similarly in the opposite case. The fact is that these animals have a different structure of wool, smell, etc.
With the help of medical examinations, it is possible to check in advance whether a person is allergic to guinea pigs.
Signs of disease
Guinea pig allergy symptoms by touch:
- Irritation, redness, rash on the body. May be accompanied by itching.
- Puffiness ineyelid area, redness of the mucous membranes, pain and burning in the eye area, profuse tearing.
- Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, wheezing.
- Dry cough, sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose and throat.
- Dry skin.
Guinea pig allergy usually occurs immediately after first contact, sometimes within the first 2-3 days. Of all the signs of an allergy, one thing can appear, so you need to be very careful. If at least one symptom appears after contact with an animal, you should immediately contact an allergist. Allergy to guinea pigs in children and adults has the same symptoms.
First aid for allergy detection
When you find signs of an allergy, you should immediately protect the victim from the animal. Then take anti-allergic drugs and call a doctor at home.
While waiting for the ambulance, it is worth changing into clean clothes, as the irritant can be on the clothes and further provoke a negative reaction. If a person has difficulty standing up due to difficulty breathing, they should be placed comfortably on the bed and provided with maximum access to fresh air.
If the victim is afraid, they should be talked to and reassured immediately. A negative mental state and an emotional outburst can aggravate the situation, especially if a person is experiencing an allergic attack for the first time. Further, everything will depend on the recommendations of doctors.
Prevention Methods
The surest and most effective way to defeat the disease istry to avoid contact with the animal, or at least keep it to a minimum.
In order for guinea pigs not to cause allergies, you should:
- Move the cage away from the bedroom.
- Do not touch the rodent without protection. In case of contact, gloves and a respirator can be used.
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after contact.
- Don't bring it close to your face.
- Shift the responsibility of caring for the animal to other family members.
- Use an air purifier.
- Be careful when choosing hay or sawdust.
- Do not put your pet on furniture.
- Bath your pet regularly and ensure daily cleaning.
- Change into different clothes when cleaning the cage.
- A few tips to keep your he alth safe.
It happens that allergies are caused not by guinea pigs, but by the filler in the cage. If this is true, you should replace sawdust or hay with special absorbent mats or oilcloth.
Diagnosis of allergies
Guinea pig allergies can be detected using diagnostic procedures. For this, scarification samples are taken. In this way, doctors determine what is the real irritant for the disease.
This method applies only to those people who do not suffer from asthma, urticaria, blood and liver disease, heart disease, acute chronic diseases, sore throats and colds. Also, this method will be denied to people whotaking hormonal drugs.
There is another way to determine allergies, in which a blood test is taken for the content of IgE antibodies. Through research, doctors determine how the body responds to epidermal and animal proteins.
Treatment
Guinea pig allergies can also be treated at home, if there is confidence that the reason for the negative reaction of the body is precisely being near the animal. In this case, it is better for the pet to determine a different location, otherwise a long persistent treatment may be left without a result.
If obvious symptoms are detected, the following antihistamines should be used for treatment:
- "Erius". The drug is in the form of tablets or syrup. Helps in a short time to cope with physical ailments against the background of allergies. Has no side effects. However, before use, you should make sure that there is no individual intolerance.
- "Xizal". It is used to neutralize any kind of allergy. Can be taken by children from 2 years of age. Not to be taken during pregnancy.
- "Zyrtec". Removes some manifestations of negative reactions. Allowed for babies from 6 months of age.
- "L-set". Helps relieve swelling in allergies, improve nasal breathing, and reduces other symptoms. Suitable for adults and children from 6 years old.
Then, depending on the problem, the following medicines are recommended to help improve the condition: Zodak, Loratadine,"Suprastin", "Tavegil", "Claritin".
Creams and ointments are used to get rid of rashes and redness of the skin.
If even slight signs of allergy appear, it is still strongly recommended to consult a doctor to make sure of the causes of the disease and get recommendations for treatment.
Are there non-allergenic guinea pig breeds?
Faced with the fact that guinea pigs cause allergies, many are wondering if there are breeds to which the body will react normally?
Of course, if the fur causes allergic reactions, then you can choose another, less fluffy breed. But when it comes to the enzymes that the animal secretes, then it is pointless to look for an alternative. You can get another animal, making sure that contact with it is not allergic.
It's not the fault of animals that people can experience unpleasant consequences. In no case should they be treated as "distributors of infection." Many people have a predisposition to certain natural features of animals. Some people can't stand the smell of dogs, others don't get cats because of their fur, some don't like rodents.
How to care for animals to minimize the chance of allergies?
It is best if a family member who is well tolerated by contact with the animal will take care of his beloved pig. The first rule is to keep the cage and the pet itself clean. That is, wet cleaningcleaning the cage should be regular, if not daily. You should also bathe the animal more often, but here you need to understand how useful it is for him, and observe the temperature regimes so that the pet does not get sick. The filler must be used only of the highest quality. It is unlikely to cause a negative reaction of the body. What types of filler are suitable for guinea pigs, they will tell you at the pet store. It is necessary to ventilate the room and clean the air in the apartment regularly so that harmful substances do not linger in the room for a long time.
