[Gpdd] Misc: Allergies

Guineapigfilms at aol.com Guineapigfilms at aol.com
Wed Jul 25 14:14:30 EDT 2007


Alyssa and I are both allergic to guinea pigs...Alyssa is so allergic that,  
even before her accident, she conned her dad into cleaning their cages! (He  
hated seeing her terrible rashes.) LOL
 
I am not as allergic to guinea pigs as I am to rats. When Alyssa fosters  
rats, I can barely breathe inside the house. Mice seem to trigger allergies in  
me, too. I don't have much of a problem with either hamsters or gerbils. I am  
allergic to Alyssa's ferret. I take prescription meds all day long! 
 
We use CareFresh bedding; it is not only better for the piggies, but it's a  
MUST for anyone with allergic tendencies. It's more expensive but, believe me, 
 it's worth it!
 
I am deathly allergic to cats...but here is the strange thing. I was able  to 
"cat-sit" for a friend of mine's short-haired cat one summer with almost no  
problems. Then my friend got a long-haired cat, and I ended up in the 
emergency  room with an asthma attack almost as soon as I was introduced to it! 
Allergies  are such strange things. You never know.
 
One thing that I must caution you about: It often takes more than one  
encounter with an animal in order to DEVELOP an allergy. Repeated encounters are  
what do it. And then the allergy just keeps getting worse. So if your friend  
comes over and is fine with your piggy, that doesn't necessarily mean that  
she'll not be allergic to guinea pigs in the future. And, if you have allergic  
tendencies, you can develop allergies to ANYTHING at ANYTIME in your life.
 
One of our dogs, Susie, has allergies. She's a Westie, and the breed is  
super-prone to them. When she was a tiny puppy, she was itching all the time.  The 
vet said, "It has to be her food, because she's too young to have developed  
an allergy to anything else. She hasn't had enough exposure." Of course, now  
that she's one and a half, she is allergic to environmental allergens (like  
grass), as well as wheat, corn, and beef.
 
I feel like I'm an expert on allergies since my whole life has been ruled  by 
them!  LOL And, poor Alyssa, she has inherited my allergic tendencies in  
SPADES. But we have always had many furry critters in our home, and our love for  
them helps us put up with the itching, sneezing, and wheezing. I just 
couldn't  begin to imagine a life without pets.
 
Hope this helps!
 
Love and WHEEEEEEEEEEEPS,
 
Nancy (& Alyssa)
_http://hometown.aol.com/guineapigfilms_ 
(http://hometown.aol.com/guineapigfilms) 
 
 



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