Are guinea pigs hypoallergenic ish?

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MazTHF

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This may sound like a silly question but I'd been considering getting guinea pigs because I'm not allergic to hamsters! I am allergic to many animals, but not hamsters, and wondered if guinea pigs are also a type of animal that most people aren't allergic to.
 
It’s probably worth a snuggle with one! How are you with hay? I think being allergic to their hay is more common than being allergic to them as such.
 
Really depends on the person. I am allergic to just about everything, at first even the pigwigs gave me a few sniffles, but after a couple weeks I built up some sort of a resistance. Now I just need to make sure I only buy very good hay - hay dust will have me wheezing and breathing like Darth Vader :whistle:
 
You should definitely be around them first before making up your mind. Try to find someone who has a piggie, hold the piggy, feed the piggies some hay, and see how you feel. People can be allergic to guinea pigs, just like any other animal, and some people are allergic to the hay that makes up a large part of the diet. Most people I have met are fine with the guinea pigs, but one of my daughter's friends can't even be on the same floor without getting an allergy attack (in her case she is allergic to the hay and not the pigs themselves.)
 
I got an allergy test and I'm allergic to both Guinea Pigs and Hay. I've had my Guinea Pigs for a year now and found a few ways to survive. I'm getting allergy shots to Guinea Pigs and Hay. Oxbow hay in the 90oz bags, that are more grassy than hay don't other me that much. Some people maybe allergic to Timmothy Hay but not orchard grass hay. I wear a mask when I'm cleaning their fleece bedding outside and take a allergy pill 1/2 hour prior to large cage cleaning. I hope this helps.
 
My son is allergic to piggies, horses and reindeer. It’s not the hay, definitely the pigs. He can’t even hold them for one min without issues. So worth checking before you commit to getting any ❤️
 
I'm allergic to guinea pigs (yes, I know that sounds crazy, when I run a guinea pig sanctuary). When new ones arrive at TEAS I get a very itchy throat and eyes and sneeze repeatedly for a couple of days, but then I seem to desensitise to them and I am fine again! When I go to a friends house, who has a lot of indoor piggies I really struggle and start to sneeze and cough and my eyes stream!
 
MazTHF said:
This may sound like a silly question but I'd been considering getting guinea pigs because I'm not allergic to hamsters! I am allergic to many animals, but not hamsters, and wondered if guinea pigs are also a type of animal that most people aren't allergic to.
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Hi and welcome

Guinea pigs can cause allergic reactions in humans, so I would recommend to handle them a few times in a shop over a number of weeks before you commit. Allergic reactions build up; they do not happen on first contact.
 
Thank you all. Yes I need to meet some. The hay is also a very good point! I used to get terrible hayfever - but don't any more. But hemp bedding sets me off so maybe some hay would as well. Such a pain. Good to know that some types of hay are better than others.
 
Worth noting as with all things you can develop allergies to them, I think guinea pig allergy might be surprisingly more common than people might think.
However I’ve owned them for years and as long as I wash my hands before and after and don’t rub my eyes by accident before hand I’m usually fine, either the cats or the guinea pigs make my eyes itch and water after handling if I mess up and touch my face but otherwise, not a problem.
Good idea to wear mask and gloves when cleaning them out too, not just for allergies sake but wet bedding can harbour irritants.

My vet is allergic to guinea pigs and he’s a bit of a specialist in rabbits and guinea pigs, it developed over time apparently, so, be aware! 😅
 
I'm generally a very non-allergic person and have never had allergies from animals, but dusty hay gives me hay fever symptoms. I'm trying to be quite careful to buy good quality dust-extracted hay because of this.
 
I have severe allergies to cat and dog dandruff, but have never experienced allergies from guinea pigs.
I love pets and have always had pets, but couldn't handle the severe allergies from pets, so I was very happy when I found guinea pigs as pets.
 
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