allergies - Page 2

blister · 04-13-01

It is not true that if you are allergic to cats then you are allergic to rabbits. I am allergic to cats but not my rabbit. If you are allergic you might try keeping the pet in a room where you don't sleep so then the hair will not be in your room. Blister

Remy · 05-25-01

You can get allergy patch tests preformed by an allergist. They inject a small amount of the different allergens under your skin (Usually on your back, altho some may also do scratch tests on your inner arm) and if it raises a welt, you're allergic to that specific allergen. This way you can tell in advance if you will be allergic or not.

I developed a really bad allergy to my pet birds and had to give them up entirely. I am mildly allergic to cats (not at all to dogs), and just found a rabbit lopping down the highway tonight (why I'm here and reading this thread) and have no idea if I'd be allergic to it or not, but I plan to take it to the animal shelter tomorrow, have them see if someone lost it, and if not, put it on hold til I can get an allergy test done to see if I should keep the rabbit.

Strangely, I am also allergic to hedgehog saliva...at the moment, I have two rescued guinea pigs and if I get an allergen test done, I'm requesting they do one for them too. It's really a safer way to go before getting a new pet.

crystalcavies · 05-26-01

Hi Heather

If you have an allergy to cats, then rabbit hair is similar, so you might be allergy to them to, to find out, handle a rabbit (not angora) with bare arms for a few minutes and see if you get a reacion if it is not a skin reaction, but a eye and nose allergy you will start to find your eyes run and nose too and probably sneeze, a friend of mine has an allergy to cats and arabbits, but is fine with guinea pigs, they have hair like us and not fur, if you find that rabbit fur affects you, go and see if guinea pigs do, if not get a couple of them instead (they do better in pairs), if you can, try to get a rabbit with non fancy coats like longhairs, like cashmere, angora or even the part longhairr lionhead, go for a short haired one, I'm not sure if the rex coat is still a problem, cause in cats and dogs the rex type coat (in dogs the poodle is an example) they are better for people with certain types of allergies and they often find that they don't suffer, but I'm not sure if the same is true for the rex rabbit. good luck and hope you can have a bunny,they are great fun.
Crystal cavies and lionhead rabbit

YetiLover · 08-23-01

My husband is VERY allergic to cats and dogs. We visited the breeder, played with the bunnies, picked them up, held them, petted them, gave a deposit and left. He made it a point NOT to wash his hands, even rubbed his hands across his goatee. No reaction whatsoever!!! So the next day we went back and picked up our baby! He's 6 months old and my husband has never had a reaction. So... not all allergies are equal.

cinderella · 08-23-01

I have rabbits and I had guinea pigs until my mom had a reaction to the pigs.

Orchid · 08-25-01

Heater, you MIGHT be allergic to rabbits, but if a test shows you aren't allergic, don't be too confident in them. I had a friend that had a guinea pig for 1 yr, she even took that allergy test, during that time, she could hug it and pet it and hold it FOREVER. after that year, she was deathly allegic to it.

My point is that allergies can pop up at any time in your life after extensive handling.
So allergy test sometimes don't work

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04-13-01	#7
blister Pets Hub Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 63	It is not true that if you are allergic to cats then you are allergic to rabbits. I am allergic to cats but not my rabbit. If you are allergic you might try keeping the pet in a room where you don't sleep so then the hair will not be in your room. Blister

05-25-01	#8
Remy Pets Hub Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Lower Slobovia, WI, USA Posts: 71	You can get allergy patch tests preformed by an allergist. They inject a small amount of the different allergens under your skin (Usually on your back, altho some may also do scratch tests on your inner arm) and if it raises a welt, you're allergic to that specific allergen. This way you can tell in advance if you will be allergic or not. I developed a really bad allergy to my pet birds and had to give them up entirely. I am mildly allergic to cats (not at all to dogs), and just found a rabbit lopping down the highway tonight (why I'm here and reading this thread) and have no idea if I'd be allergic to it or not, but I plan to take it to the animal shelter tomorrow, have them see if someone lost it, and if not, put it on hold til I can get an allergy test done to see if I should keep the rabbit. Strangely, I am also allergic to hedgehog saliva...at the moment, I have two rescued guinea pigs and if I get an allergen test done, I'm requesting they do one for them too. It's really a safer way to go before getting a new pet.

05-26-01	#9
crystalcavies Pets Hub Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: England Posts: 99	Hi Heather If you have an allergy to cats, then rabbit hair is similar, so you might be allergy to them to, to find out, handle a rabbit (not angora) with bare arms for a few minutes and see if you get a reacion if it is not a skin reaction, but a eye and nose allergy you will start to find your eyes run and nose too and probably sneeze, a friend of mine has an allergy to cats and arabbits, but is fine with guinea pigs, they have hair like us and not fur, if you find that rabbit fur affects you, go and see if guinea pigs do, if not get a couple of them instead (they do better in pairs), if you can, try to get a rabbit with non fancy coats like longhairs, like cashmere, angora or even the part longhairr lionhead, go for a short haired one, I'm not sure if the rex coat is still a problem, cause in cats and dogs the rex type coat (in dogs the poodle is an example) they are better for people with certain types of allergies and they often find that they don't suffer, but I'm not sure if the same is true for the rex rabbit. good luck and hope you can have a bunny,they are great fun. Crystal cavies and lionhead rabbit

08-23-01	#10
YetiLover Pets Hub Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: USA Posts: 4	My husband is VERY allergic to cats and dogs. We visited the breeder, played with the bunnies, picked them up, held them, petted them, gave a deposit and left. He made it a point NOT to wash his hands, even rubbed his hands across his goatee. No reaction whatsoever!!! So the next day we went back and picked up our baby! He's 6 months old and my husband has never had a reaction. So... not all allergies are equal.

08-23-01	#11
cinderella Pets Hub Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 11	I have rabbits and I had guinea pigs until my mom had a reaction to the pigs.

08-25-01	#12
Orchid Pets Hub Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Lexington, NC, USA Posts: 7	Heater, you MIGHT be allergic to rabbits, but if a test shows you aren't allergic, don't be too confident in them. I had a friend that had a guinea pig for 1 yr, she even took that allergy test, during that time, she could hug it and pet it and hold it FOREVER. after that year, she was deathly allegic to it. My point is that allergies can pop up at any time in your life after extensive handling. So allergy test sometimes don't work