I get rash on my skin after petting piggies?

[Rowena]

hi all，

Every time I pet my guinea pigs or clean their cages, I develop a red rash on my hands or arms—specifically in the areas that came into contact with them or objects they've used. The rash usually appears within five minutes and is accompanied by intense itching (as shown in the photo). I also experience the same symptoms if I kiss them or come into contact with their saliva or fur（It's not severe every time — sometimes I only get one or two small rashes). These symptoms typically go away within an hour.

I’d like to ask—does this mean I’m allergic to guinea pigs, or could it be that my guinea pigs have lice or other parasites? （My guinea pigs seem to be behaving normally and aren't scratching frequently or anything like that）

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

That looks like hives (aka urticaria) which can be caused by an allergic reaction. So possibly you are allergic to something about your guinea pigs. Like other allergies, hives can be treated with antihistamines.
I don't think parasites would cause hives though.
How long have you had your pigs, did the rash start soon after getting them, or have you changed anything that you use on the pigs which might cause a reaction?

 

[Truffolo]

Best to use long sleeves which might help. Antihistamine cream should relieve the hives. Alternatively you could take a non drowsy tablet. It might be the hay, but piggies and hay are so intertwined they are practically the same potential source of allergy. Good luck with this, the itching must be awful.

 

[Rowena]

That looks like hives (aka urticaria) which can be caused by an allergic reaction. So possibly you are allergic to something about your guinea pigs. Like other allergies, hives can be treated with antihistamines.
I don't think parasites would cause hives though.
How long have you had your pigs, did the rash start soon after getting them, or have you changed anything that you use on the pigs which might cause a reaction?

I’ve had them for five years now, haha. I’ve had this reaction since the very beginning, but (for some reason) I never thought to make a post and ask about it... Interestingly, my boyfriend has the same reaction too, so I’ve always suspected that the rash is probably an allergic reaction!

 

[Truffolo]

Try to avoid getting antihistamine cream on the piggies is the only other thing I can think of.

 

[Rowena]

I’ve had them for five years now, haha. I’ve had this reaction since the very beginning, but (for some reason) I never thought to make a post and ask about it... Interestingly, my boyfriend has the same reaction too, so I’ve always suspected that the rash is probably an allergic reaction!

And—I also suspect it might be an allergy to hay? Because my boyfriend says he sometimes gets a rash when he touches hay. But I don’t think that’s the case for me. I don’t have any reaction when I touch hay, but I do get a reaction when I pet the piggies or when I clean their dirty cages.

 

[Rowena]

Best to use long sleeves which might help. Antihistamine cream should relieve the hives. Alternatively you could take a non drowsy tablet. It might be the hay, but piggies and hay are so intertwined they are practically the same potential source of allergy. Good luck with this, the itching must be awful.

thank you for your advice! I wonder it might be a hay allergy, since my boyfriend sometimes gets a rash after touching it. But I don’t think that’s the case for me—I don’t react when I handle hay directly. The rash only seems to appear when I pet the guinea pigs or clean their dirty cages.

 

[Truffolo]

It's difficult. Wearing gloves might help too. I hope it is manageable