Allergies...human!

Hi.
Not sure if I've posted this in the right place, as it is more about our health than the rabbit's!
I've only just registered on here, although I have been reading your posts quietly for a while! We are picking up our baby mini lop buck on Friday, from a local breeder.
I am just a little concerned, and wonder whether anyone has any experience of this...let me explain:
Recently both my ten year old son and I have shown signs of allergies when near to the childminder's rabbit - wheezing, sneezing, itchy skin/eyes/nose. She has had her rabbit for some years and we have been in similar proximity before with no problems until now. Her rabbit is not a mini lop, he is bigger but has lopped ears - perhaps a dwarf? Also when I went to the breeder's home to see the rabbit we will be getting, I was in the shed where she keeps her bunnies for about 10-15 minutes and had the same reaction - by the time I got back to my car it was fairly pronounced. On both occasions I didn't hold or cuddle the rabbits, merely stroked them. Strangely, we had a baby mini lop buck from the same breeder before - got him at Christmas 3 years ago. He was sort of a house rabbit - his hutch lived in our children's playroom, and he had a large pen in there too, but he had the run of the house when we were home. Neither my son or I ever had any reaction to him at all (he died suddenly at eighteen months old, but that's another story).
I don't think the symptoms are life threatening or anything, but are severe enough to make my son need to use his salbutamol inhaler (which he almost never needs otherwise) and take a dose of piriton. If this were to happen with our pet it would be enough to seriously hamper his (and my) interaction with it.
I keep hoping that it won't happen with our own rabbit, as we had one of the same age and sex before, from the same breeder and we were all fine, but does anyone have experience of this? If we do have a bit of a reaction initially, is there any chance that it will get better over time? Does one build up a resistance to these things? I also have a daughter who hasn't shown any symptoms and is really excited about the new pet...Dilemma!
I have spoken to the kids about it and explained to them that if this happens we may have to have a rethink, but we're all keeping our fingers crossed that it won't...
I'd really appreciate any advice you might have.
Thanks.
Jude
ps. My son and I both have the same reaction to cats, but the childminder doesn't have cats, don't know about the rabbit breeder, but didn't see one!

Allergies are quite strange, they can come and go easily. You can be fine one day and the next you're alergic for weeks/months/years. Have you thought about what the rabbits were bedded in? Wood shavings are nasty things. You said your last rabbit lived indoors, perhaps he had dust free beddings? Bare the soroundings in mind they may coincidently be the culprit. I hope it isn't the bunnys

Hmmm...have wondered whether it could be bedding/ hay etc. Last rabbit lived inside but slept in a hutch inside - with wood shavings and hay....I guess we'll see soon!
Thanks for replying.
Jude

I think I would find out for sure before you get the bunny if you are allergic to the bedding or even the bunny. As what will happen to the rabbit if you find out he is causing the allergic reaction. I certainly would not be getting a rabbit until I knew for sure what was causing the allergies.
Please find out before you decide to get one.

Is there a fool proof way to find out though? I am due to ring the breeder tomorrow to discuss with her. She says that she is happy to take her rabbits back within a certain timeframe if there is a problem, so I'll talk to her about it. She is keeping one of the litter herself, and the others are all taken (or due to be once they are ten weeks) si I don't imagine she'll have a problem with that if it isn't too long. Don't worry, we won't be just abandoning the bunny if there is a problem....which hopefully there won't be. When I enquired about whether they lady had any for sale it never even crossed my mind that this would happen!

jhart said:

Is there a fool proof way to find out though? I am due to ring the breeder tomorrow to discuss with her. She says that she is happy to take her rabbits back within a certain timeframe if there is a problem, so I'll talk to her about it. She is keeping one of the litter herself, and the others are all taken (or due to be once they are ten weeks) si I don't imagine she'll have a problem with that if it isn't too long. Don't worry, we won't be just abandoning the bunny if there is a problem....which hopefully there won't be. When I enquired about whether they lady had any for sale it never even crossed my mind that this would happen!

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Can you and your son go round to her house and spend some time with your chosen rabbit?

I could ask but don't think the set up would work out...she has lots of rabbits in various hutches in a large shed - she breeds them and shows. It would be very difficult to tell what was causing the allergy in there as there are so many rabbits and so much hay, wood shavings, straw, food etc around. I've been to her home a few times (as we had our last rabbit from her too) but never been inside the house. Believe she has an ill relative there who lives downstairs and it is only a small house. It's not really the weather to take the rabbit out into the garden for a play and a cuddle is it?!
She's a lovely lady and thinks the world of her bunnies so will I'm sure give me some good advice.
Thanks and will keep you posted.

When my Niece use to visit us within seconds of her being in our home her eyes would itch and go red, she starts sneezing and sniffing and i feel so sorry for her as she loves the rabbits but of course I don't see her much now as we moved house in March.
I have also two rabbits that came to me because the original owner was allergic to them and when I collected them from her house she was in a terrible state with her allergy.

happysaz133 said:

Can you and your son go round to her house and spend some time with your chosen rabbit?

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That's a good idea

You should talk to your GP or consultant if you have one, allergies tend to get worse over time not better, or that has been my experience with them. I think as this is affecting breathing it should be taken seriously, its not just a runny nose or itchy skin/eyes. People can end up in hospital if their breathing becomes a problem due to allergy.

It may be you are allergic to hay and as hay is very important for rabbits there is no way around this. I think people who have allergies to one thing are also more at risk of having allergies to other things.

How would the children cope with you having to take the rabbit back after a few weeks? Good breeders will take back animals they have bred at any point in the future if you can no longer keep it.

If I were in your position I would put it on hold as it is going to be stressful for you and the rabbit if you and/or your son become ill.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Allergies/Pages/Introduction.aspx

The link below explains about allergies too

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/in_depth/allergies/aboutallergies_what.shtml

I also have a bit of an allergy to my buns. Well, I think not my buns in particular, but the hay. And I must say indoors my itching eyes and nose are worse then outdoors, for there's more circulation.
To reduce the itching I just refresh the hay more often. So I have to pick out the hay that wasn't eaten, and put new hay in. I have a herbal hay which seems to reduce my allergies aswell. Also I open my windows for a quick breeze when I give them hay and that seems to work aswell.

I'm also allergic to rabbit fur (mainly when they're moulting) and hay. My nose is all stopped up today and my throat starts itching randomly and I sneeze a lot. I sometimes take an allergy pill and that cures it. You might not always be allergic, it does tend to come and go so if you are allergic and can put up with it you could still own rabbits.

I really would think long and hard about these allergic reactions you and your family are experiencing BEFORE you even consider bringing this bunny home. There would be nothing worse for this bun to have to go through the stress of settling into a new home only to be given up at a later date

Allergies are funny things and can be controlled (not cured) with careful practise of regular dusting/hoovering and daily use of antihistamines. However, if your son is already needing to use his inhaler and you are both reacting very quickly then i'm sorry but it seems crazy to be even considering taking on a rabbit under these circumstances :? It just isn't fair on the bunny to give it a home and then be faced with having to give it up. Allergies of this kind don't go away, they have to be lived with, and can get worse, very often it is an allergy to the rabbit's saliva proteins (on their fur) or the hay that they eat (grass pollen is a huge allergen problem for many people). BUT hay is THE most essential part of a rabbit's diet so there is no way around this.
I think you really need to be realistic here about what is best for the rabbit and your family's health. Perhaps an alternative pet would be more suitable, but again you will need to test allergic responses first. :?

prettylupin said:

I really would think long and hard about these allergic reactions you and your family are experiencing BEFORE you even consider bringing this bunny home. There would be nothing worse for this bun to have to go through the stress of settling into a new home only to be given up at a later date

Allergies are funny things and can be controlled (not cured) with careful practise of regular dusting/hoovering and daily use of antihistamines. However, if your son is already needing to use his inhaler and you are both reacting very quickly then i'm sorry but it seems crazy to be even considering taking on a rabbit under these circumstances :? It just isn't fair on the bunny to give it a home and then be faced with having to give it up. Allergies of this kind don't go away, they have to be lived with, and can get worse, very often it is an allergy to the rabbit's saliva proteins (on their fur) or the hay that they eat (grass pollen is a huge allergen problem for many people). BUT hay is THE most essential part of a rabbit's diet so there is no way around this.
I think you really need to be realistic here about what is best for the rabbit and your family's health. Perhaps an alternative pet would be more suitable, but again you will need to test allergic responses first. :?

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It may just be the shavings the breeder is using though. Thats what I thought because of this:

Strangely, we had a baby mini lop buck from the same breeder before - got him at Christmas 3 years ago. He was sort of a house rabbit - his hutch lived in our children's playroom, and he had a large pen in there too, but he had the run of the house when we were home. Neither my son or I ever had any reaction to him at all

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Unless they're mainly allergic when the rabbits are moulting.. do you know if any of the rabbits the woman had were moulting?

ETA: I do agree that you need to find out what you're allergic to before getting the rabbit, because your son is so allergic. I just doubt its the rabbit if you've had them before and not experienced problems.

William said:

It may just be the shavings the breeder is using though. Thats what I thought because of this:



Unless they're mainly allergic when the rabbits are moulting.. do you know if any of the rabbits the woman had were moulting?

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There isn't really any proteins (allergen causing) in wood shavings so this is unlikely. The allergens that tend to cause a problem are proteins - so saliva proteins, hair/fur/feather proteins, grass pollen etc etc.
It is possible that in such an area of concentrated allergens (with limited ventilation) e.g. a breeders shed, that the load on the immune system was too much. One bunny free ranging in a house may be a different story, but sadly this is still a serious consideration. Far too many buns are given up to rescues due to families developing allergies, this sort of issue needs to be addressed BEFORE someone brings a rabbit into their home and lives, and if it is done knowingly then being prepared for having to cope daily with allergic reactions is all part of the commitment. My OH is allergic to the bunny's hay. If he is doing their hay he wears a dust mask, he takes an antihistamine every single day, but even then he has to use his inhaler from time to time. He is more than happy to live like this, but not everyone is so it needs a lot of thought.

William said:

Unless they're mainly allergic when the rabbits are moulting.. do you know if any of the rabbits the woman had were moulting?

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Houserabbits tend to moult continuously due to constant temperatures indoors

Thanks so much to you all for your replies and links. We are all considering very carefully what to do, and when. Spoke to the breeder and she is happy for us to delay picking up the rabbit for a while, which gives me time to seek further advice - from my doctor perhaps as a first port of call? She also thinks it is very strange that we never had any problem with our other rabbits so wonders if it is something other than the actual animals causing the problem. Will investigate the possibility of getting allergy tests done before proceeding...Thanks again. Will keep you posted. Jude

I have an allergy to some rabbits and some cats but not all. I used to do a lot of bondings of rabbits, some weekends I would be fine, other weekends I would have sore eyes and a runny nose, whilst other weekends i would be so wheezy that I would need to nebulise ventalin. This did not get any bettter over time. Whilst I was prepared to put myself through this I would not have put either of my boys through the same.

I would definately speak to your doctor and would look at the option of spending time with the rabbit you are potentially going to buy to see what happens. My concern is that if you have problems in only a short period of time, what will you be like when in the company of a rabbit for a longer period.

I have found that there is clearly a difference between rabbits and cats where some affect me whilst others do not. If you are going to buy a rabbit you will need to do more investigations for yourself and also your son to see if this is a workable option.

Thanks again for your concern (for us and for the bunny!). Sort of put things on hold while we do some more investigating! As I said before, I never dreamed this would be an issue as we have had 2 rabbits before and never had any problem, but I need to feel a little more confident before we make the comittment to our new pet.
Good point Janice about not being prepared to put your sons in the position of being unwell...I feel the same way. I don't take any medication unless it is essential and try to encourage my children not to either. I wouldn't be happy with my son potentially having to take frequent doses of steroids for a reason that was preventable......
Will keep you posted.
Thanks.

I also suspect it may be something other than the rabbit that's making you allergic if you've had one before.
Although, as has been said, it is possible to be allergic to one rabbit and not another, in which case it may be a case of trying another rabbit (perhaps one from a rescue as you'd save yourself neutering costs ).

I would also say that allergies can improve with exposure, just as they can get worse. I am always badly allergic to furries for the first few days I have them and then it settles.

If the breeder has agreed to take the bunny back I would consider seeing how you get on, although if the rabbit does end up going back it will be stressful for the animal and upsetting for both you and your kids so you do need to think on that.

Sounds like you're being careful and thinking this out though so I'm sure you'll do what's best.