laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Allergies
Nov 15, 2021 17:01:52 GMT
via mobile
Post by laiyah on Nov 15, 2021 17:01:52 GMT
Hi everyone,
I'm not sure if you've read my introduction, but basically I am currently fostering two degus and I am considering adopting them.
However, after a short vacation with my bf, he has realized he might be allergic because he had sniffles that magically disappeared once we left.. and came back when we returned to the house.
After much researches, I have concluded we should conduct some tests to ensure I am not giving them up over small fixable allergy problems like allergy to litter.
But what if it's an allergy to hay ? Is it really conceivable on the long run to give up on hay if it's really the case ?
And can I just take out hay from the degu diet when I conduct my tests ?
Thank you for any help you can provide me.
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Post by savvy on Nov 15, 2021 18:21:57 GMT
I'm allergic to pollen so hay makes me sneeze. Its difficult to not give them hay, but I've found that some are worse than others. Hay with flowers in, especially marigolds, have me sneezing more than most. It may be an idea to experiment with different ones.
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Post by teemu on Nov 15, 2021 18:34:30 GMT
Degus do need hay, and having a hay allergy is sadly not uncommon, so there might be an unfortunate clash there. However, hay allergy is often manageable, depending on the severity of course, so instead of thinking about getting rid of the degus, it might be best to first look at what options are available for easing the allergy.
Good house hygiene can help. Making sure that you ventilate enough and clean off any spilled hay might already be helpful, and as Savvy said, it's possible to find different varieties of hay. There are also allergy medications, which might help. I'm somewhat sensitive to hay dust myself, but I can manage it by cleaning regularly and slightly misting the hay when it seems to be particularly dusty.
If your boyfriend has a hay allergy, but it's not very severe, you might want to try having hay with minimal dust in it, and put only a small amount of into the cage at a time. A hamper or a hay ball might help in keeping things clean.
But as you say, there might be any number of allergies your boyfriend is suffering from. A doctor can conduct actual tests, but trying things out at home might provide the answer as well.
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Post by winic1 on Nov 15, 2021 20:17:05 GMT
Another idea, if you think it could be the hay,would be to take it outside, and pull out small handfuls of hay, shaking and tossing them to get rid of any small bits and dust, then put it into a clean bag for taking into the house and dispensing to the degus. A clean stem of hay is not likely to set off a mild allergy, unlike the clouds of fine dust that some bags of hay contain.
Another idea would be to get a room HEPA filter, and keep it running in whatever room the degus are in. I'm in the USA, so it may be different for you, but these filter units are common, and not always expensive anymore.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Allergies
Nov 16, 2021 10:39:20 GMT
via mobile
Post by laiyah on Nov 16, 2021 10:39:20 GMT
Thank you for the tips. I will be working on the allergies from the litter first and then work my way down.
For the HEPA filter, are we talking about an air purifier ?
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Post by moletteuk on Nov 16, 2021 13:16:47 GMT
Yes, Winic means an air purifier with a hepa filter. If you get one, make sure you get a decent sized one.
A reaction to hay would be the same as hay fever, so I would think your boyfriend would be aware already if he gets hay fever in the summer? If not, it seems more likely he may be reacting to the fur/dander, although we don't hear about this too much because the amount of fur they have is so small relative to a dog, for example.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Nov 16, 2021 13:51:15 GMT
My research has led me to decide to change the litter first since the rescue basically demands all fosters to use hemp litter. I was told it is very allergic-triggering and I do find it unpleasant to the nose. So I just ordered a pack of carefresh litter to directly try on a short term to see how he feels. And another member of the rescue is sending me other possible litter to try.
In terms of hygiene, we plan to get a cleaning lady because while I've been sweeping everyday, I admit to slacking off a bit since I have so much to do. That way, we can ensure a more frequent and deep cleaning on a more regular basis.
Hay allergy can also be possible as well because he is slightly allergic to pollen. That's why I'm working every angle possible because I DO love the degus and don't want to consider not adopting them until I've tried everything. They're not leaving me without a fight (unless someone requests adoption before me /sobs/).
I might try to rent an air purifier on the short terms before purchasing one if things don't get better.
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Post by deguconvert on Nov 18, 2021 19:37:04 GMT
Has the Carefresh litter arrived, or does it have to come from a distance?
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Post by teemu on Nov 18, 2021 20:11:29 GMT
That all seems like good things to try. Also, I don't know how large your home is, but one thing you might consider if possible is keeping the degus in a room that your boyfriend does not need to inhabit too much. Of course, how viable that is depends entirely on how many rooms are even available.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Nov 18, 2021 20:49:31 GMT
Carefresh litter comes from a distance. But I've been vaccuuming the whole appartment as much as I can for now and airing the room every time I open the hay bag. For now, he doesn't seem to complain much (but that might be because I cried a bit at the idea of giving them up.) And yeah, I do know I could give them an entire room but considering the size of our place (one bedroom and one living room), I don't want to consider giving them the balcony when the winter cold is slowly settling in.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Nov 21, 2021 15:19:39 GMT
To give you guys some news, I've cleaned and replaced the litter with carefresh litter. I've also used a tray that's meant for bathing sand and put a JR Farm hay ball there, hoping it'd limit the hay dust in the air.
It's been only two days but my bf thinks his nose is a little bit better. So we're still waiting a few days to see what he feels.
On the other side of the situation is, one of the degus is dead set on driving us mad with bar chewing (easily hours while I'm working at home) and attempts to destroy doors during play time (probably to explore more). I'm waiting for a second hand dog playpen to arrive to use the diy playpen tutorial to give them more time outside the cage. I'm hoping this will make up for the lack of perfectly sized cage for now and give me time to completely figure out the allergy situation.
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Post by deguconvert on Nov 22, 2021 22:28:44 GMT
Bar chew can certainly be related to cage size. If it is, you'll notice a change once the day arrives that you have them in a larger cage. I realize that is contingent on them being able to stay with you. However, some degus just seem to LOVE the sound and sensations of bar chewing. SOME will just NOT give it up. I suspect you will see a difference when you are free to keep them and put them in a larger cage. All of you will be celebrating on that day! We'll join in!!
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Nov 23, 2021 10:49:25 GMT
To be honest, I feel like Melusine did chew bar before, but a lot less. But I'm assuming the bar spacing being smaller might just be the reason why she didn't do it much. The new cage (which has more space as well) has a 2 cm spacing so it might be more chewing friendly. For now, I've started using the cat toy (feather stick) to distract her from chewing bars. I make her run all around to tire her out so she isn't interested in the bars as much.
The allergy issue seems to be going in the wrong direction because my bf's nose just clogs less when he isn't spending much time AT HOME, where the degus and I are. Considering we've been quarantined due to covid, I do expect him not to be allergic to me. x___x
Also, small question... how long does the degu lose their fur ? I feel like it's because it's cold, but I can see fur flying around and I'm wondering if that is a possibility as well.
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Post by savvy on Nov 23, 2021 10:55:32 GMT
As far as I know, but I could be wrong, female degus moult twice a year, so they should be losing their summer coat and growing their winter one. In spring they'll moult the winter one. It should only take them a couple of weeks.
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Post by moletteuk on Nov 23, 2021 17:30:04 GMT
You can normally see a line travel across their body as they moult, and I would think that would temporarily make an allergy worse.
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Post by teemu on Nov 23, 2021 18:05:32 GMT
My Limppu is actually just in the process of moulting. She looks like two different degus mashed together at the moment It might be possible to help the moult along slightly by gently tugging off loose fur from your degus if they're agreeable to it, but it's likely they won't let you do this.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Nov 24, 2021 20:17:26 GMT
Now I'm wondering if they actually did moult. :') There is only one line and it's on the nose (bar chewing).
I am looking into a second hand air purifier since the litter change didn't solve the issue. I also put hay in a "house" to limit the direct exposure to air. I have been airing the room at least once a day.
I am also wondering if I do a DIY cage, will it make the allergy less terrible ? A metal cage does have a very big airflow going...
He has an appointment with an allergy doctor in february. He has agreed we will at least wait until then for a final verdict on whether a final adoption can be considered. (and I am definitely trying to do everything I can...)
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Post by teemu on Nov 24, 2021 20:50:32 GMT
The line isn't so much a line of missing hair, but rather a kind of weird color band around the degu. It's really noticeable in agoutis, but less so in some other colors, either because their patterns make it hard to see, or because their hairs don't have different color from root to tip so it won't be as noticeable that there's a length difference between different parts of the fur.
Metal cages do have a lot of airflow, but that is also good for the degus. With aquariums or other enclosures with solid walls, the air inside can get pretty stuffy, which will not be great for the animals. But it's definitely good to air the room out like you're doing in any case, since it helps to disperse whatever's causing the allergy.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Nov 29, 2021 12:57:25 GMT
The color band is only on the nose. But I do find random fur on the floor and on me when they walk on me. That's why I'm not sure if they're moulting. For the allergies, it seems like my boyfriend might really be allergic to the degus. He basically ends up blowing his nose when he's watching the degus while I clean the cage. We are still waiting for the february appointment for a definitive answer. (sorry for the lightning, but I put an UV light a few hours a day.) (And I swear, I clean the cage, it's just that it's a second hand cage and I can't seem to wash off the white stain... They come back the second the surface is dry.)
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Post by teemu on Nov 29, 2021 15:36:13 GMT
Yeah, that's just chafing from the cage bars. Pulla did that at one point to the extent that he chafed off all the fur from his forehead.
The white stains are likely stubborn residue from urine. You'll need to use vinegar or something similar to get them off, as they're essentially calcified deposits.
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