How to Identify and Treat a Guinea Pig Allergy

Guinea pigs are a type of domesticated rodent, the first mention of which is found in the ancient writings of the peoples of South America. At different times, these animals were kept for sacrificial rituals, creation of works of art, use in agriculture (as food for large predators) and even consumption directly as a source of essential amino acids and protein. Currently, guinea pigs are kept as pets, since almost all breeds have a friendly character, do not require special care and maintenance, and some of them can be successfully trained. Allergies to guinea pigs are rare, but such cases are still recorded annually, so before purchasing an animal it is better to make sure that there are no immunopathological reactions.

Can you be allergic to a guinea pig?

Guinea pigs are traditionally considered short-haired animals, so many people mistakenly believe that allergies upon contact with them are impossible. In fact, sensitization (the formation of pathological sensitivity to external stimuli) of the body can be caused not only by the animal’s fur, but also by enzymes, secretory fluid and even smell, that is, substances that rodents release into the environment.

The most common allergens associated with guinea pigs in the home include:

• secretory fluids (saliva, tear fluid, sebaceous secretions, etc.). This is the most common animal allergen, contact with which can cause a strong immunopathological inflammatory reaction. This type of allergy excludes the possibility of the animal staying in the house, since guinea pigs leave traces of secreted secretions on all surfaces with which they come into contact;
• urine and excrement. Allergies to guinea pig excrement and urine are also quite common, since they contain toxic waste products of rodents, as well as enzymes involved in the digestive processes;
• wool. Animal fur, including rodents, is one of the eight most common allergens, so if a person is allergic to the fur of other animals (for example, cats or dogs), it will most likely manifest itself upon contact with guinea pigs;
• feed. An allergic reaction may occur not to the animal itself, but to the components included in the plant feed;
• cleaning and care products. Skin manifestations of allergies (dermatitis, eczema, urticaria) can occur upon contact with chemicals intended for cleaning rodent cages or cosmetics for the hygienic care of animals.

Most often, an allergic reaction to guinea pigs is mild, but there are known cases of severe forms of allergies upon contact with these animals. If any family member develops allergy symptoms, contact with the triggering allergen should be completely avoided.

Important! With an acute inflammatory reaction of the body, anaphylactic shock or angioedema can occur - deadly conditions that require emergency medical intervention.

How is diagnostics carried out?

For diagnosis, you should contact a medical facility. Allergy tests are taken as follows:

• the place where the sample will be taken is disinfected;
• a small area of ​​skin is scratched;
• a special reagent is applied on top;
• The allergy is confirmed by redness that occurs after 15 minutes.

The doctor may prescribe a general urine and blood test. Sometimes it is necessary to perform an immunogram. This is a comprehensive examination of the body, identifying possible problems that led to the development of allergies.

Who is at risk?

Before deciding to buy a guinea pig as a pet, you should carefully assess the possible risks, especially if the family has people at high risk of developing allergies.

These are the following categories of patients:

• children under seven years of age. In children, the immune system completes its formation at approximately 7-8 years of age. Before this age, there is an increased risk of sensitization of the body by any pathogens secreted by animals. This also includes children who are often ill and weakened after illnesses;
• pregnant and lactating women. During pregnancy and lactation, a woman's hormonal levels change. Under the influence of certain hormones, in particular prolactin and progesterone, the body's susceptibility to pathogens changes and the synthesis of inflammatory mediators: prostaglandins and histamine increases;
• persons with chronic somatic and autoimmune diseases.

The risk group also includes older people, patients with respiratory diseases and HIV-infected patients.

Features of diagnosis and treatment

A special test for allergens—scarification tests—helps determine whether a rodent provoked a reaction. A microdose of the potential allergen is applied to the skin of the forearm. If the study does not provide a complete picture, tests are prescribed to detect specific antibodies to the fur and epithelium of the guinea pig.

If suspicions are confirmed, you will have to abandon the funny animal, and then carry out a general cleaning as soon as possible to eliminate antigens. Sometimes such events are enough. Otherwise, antihistamines are prescribed to block the release of inflammatory mediators. Second-generation drugs provide a short-term but quick effect, third-generation drugs are aimed at longer-term therapy, but have virtually no side effects.

How does an allergy manifest itself?

Symptoms of a guinea pig allergy are typical of any type of animal allergy. They are divided into two groups: benign (physiological manifestations that interfere with the normal functioning of the body) and malignant - pathological conditions that can cause human death in the absence of timely medical assistance.

Benign symptoms, the presence of which should be a reason to contact an allergist or immunologist, include:

• any types of mucous discharge (lacrimation, rhinorrhea);
• skin reactions (itching, peeling, redness, rash, spots, scabs);
• persistent coughing and sneezing (special attention should be paid to these symptoms if they persist for a long period of time and the person does not suffer from respiratory diseases);
• allergic conjunctivitis (redness of the eyes, inflammation of the eye sclera, pain in the orbital area);
• ulceration of the oral cavity of the aphthous type.

Specific symptoms of allergies in people of any age can also be: headache, migraine attacks, blocked ears, pain and tinnitus.

Dangerous symptoms

If the immunopathological reaction is acute and the systemic inflammatory response is formed too quickly, deadly conditions can develop - anaphylaxis, acute coronary syndrome, angioedema. These conditions require emergency medical intervention, so if any of the following symptoms appear, you should immediately call an ambulance:

• severe shortness of breath;
• suffocation (bronchospasm and laryngospasm);
• wheezing, shallow breathing;
• cold extremities;
• pathological pallor of the skin;
• swelling (especially in the face and neck);
• decreased blood pressure;
• feverish state (chills, tremor);
• convulsions.

Important! In some cases, there is no more than 10-15-30 minutes to save a person’s life, so you should not try to cope with the pathology on your own if it manifests itself with the clinical signs listed above.

Corticosteroids

If antihistamines do not help a person, the disease continues to progress, asthma and Quincke's edema appear, the doctor prescribes corticosteroids.

ATTENTION! If the symptoms do not go away, you should seek help from your doctor!

The following medications are usually prescribed in tablet form:

• “Prednisolone”;
• "Azmacort";
• “Berlicourt”;
• “Decadron”;
• "Afloderm";
• “Laticort”;
• “Lemod”;
• "Dexazon";
• “Kenacort”;
• “Kenalog”;
• “Metypred”;
• “Florinef”;
• "Celeston".

How to stop an attack?

For the symptomatic treatment of allergies, antihistamines that block the production of histamine are used: Suprastin, Tavegil, Cetirizine. Their effect begins within 15-30 minutes after administration and lasts for 24 hours.

For severe attacks, a treatment regimen is selected individually, which may include the following groups of drugs:

• mast cell cell membrane stabilizers with moderate H1-inhibitory activity (“Ketotifen”);
• sympathomimetics, adrenergic agonists (“Epinephrine”, “Adrenaline”);
• glucocorticosteroid hormones that have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect (“Hydrocortisone”, “Cortisone”, “Prednisolone”);
• adenosinergic drugs (Theophylline, Ventax, Theostat);
• preparations of cromoglycic acid (calcium cromoglycate);
• enterosorbents (the effectiveness in the treatment of animal allergies has not been sufficiently studied).

To quickly relieve anaphylactic shock, you must always have a syringe with adrenaline with you.

Preparing for the test

In order for the result of immunoblotting to be as reliable as possible, you need to follow several rules for preparing for the analysis:

• Blood is donated during the period of remission. If you conduct an analysis during an exacerbation of allergies, it will be difficult to determine which allergen caused the disease due to the high level of total IgE, which will distort the results.
• The analysis is not performed in patients with viral or bacterial infections. It is also worth postponing the test in case of exacerbation of chronic diseases or poisoning.
• 3-5 days before the test you need to stop taking medications and antihistamines. If your health condition does not allow you to stop treatment, consult an allergist.
• A few days before the test, you need to exclude contact with pets.
• A week before the test, it is necessary to exclude the most allergenic foods from the diet (honey, chocolate, nuts, citrus fruits, red fruits and berries, foods with preservatives and dyes, carbonated drinks).
• The day before the test, you should avoid strenuous physical activity, drinking alcohol, and smoking.
• You need to donate blood on an empty stomach, with your last meal at least 10 hours before taking blood.

Compliance with these rules allows you to conduct an allergy test with maximum accuracy and avoid false positive results. Your medical
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Can allergies be cured?

Treatment of allergies of any type is a complex and lengthy task, the solution of which can take up to several years. In some cases, it is impossible to completely cure allergies, but with the help of specific and drug therapy, the degree of sensitization of the body to the identified pathogen can be significantly reduced.

Effective ways to treat rodent allergies are:

• immunotherapy with specific immunoglobulin isolated from human blood;
• allergen-specific immunosuppressive therapy with microdoses of a specific protein antigen with a gradual increase in the volume of vaccination;
• intravenous therapy with monoclonal antibodies produced by immune cells.

Simultaneously with the measures taken, corrections are made to the patient’s lifestyle, environment, and diet. It is important to completely eliminate the source of pathological reactions: in case of a diagnosed allergy, the animal should be given away.

Pets without hair

Despite the small number of hairless animals, their species range is quite diverse.

Reptiles top the list: fish, turtles, lizards, chameleons, snakes.

IMPORTANT: It must be remembered that all these cold-blooded animals require special housing conditions, careful care and adherence to a diet. If you decide to make such a little friend for your baby, read in advance the information regarding all the pros and cons of such a choice.

Turtles can act as carriers of one of the intestinal infections - salmonellosis. Therefore, even after short-term contact with such a pet, you must wash your hands very thoroughly.

No less popular, despite the terrible high cost, are hairless cats of the Sphynx and Elf breeds. To prevent the skin oils of these hairless cuties from causing allergies, they need to be bathed frequently, which, by the way, they love very much.

Aquarium fish - pets without hair

Scientists also made some guinea pigs bald, creating the Skinny and Baldwin breeds. Caring for such pets is no different from caring for their furry brothers.

There are also several breeds of hairless dogs:

• In first place in popularity is an animal with a very exotic appearance - the Chinese Crested. She can be classified as a combi breed, since her head is crowned with a chic bang, followed by a long mane, the ends of her paws are decorated with luxurious cuffs and she will not be ashamed of the hair on her tail
• The Mexican Hairless Dog or Xoloitzcuintle is completely hairless. This breed comes in two varieties: hairless and coated, and both types can be in the same litter
• Another hairless dog is the Peruvian Hairless Dog, also called the Peruvian Orchid for its charming tuft on its head.

There are also hairless rats, which are very cute and defenseless in appearance, unlike their furry counterparts. Despite the presence of several breeds in nature - Dumbo, Manx - they are all usually called, like cats, Sphynxes.

Hypoallergenic Sphynx rat

What breeds of guinea pigs are considered hypoallergenic?

If one of the family members suffers from allergies, bronchial asthma, respiratory and cardiac pathologies, it is better to choose a hypoallergenic breed of guinea pig. These include animals with short and coarse hair, as well as hairless rodents of the following breeds:

• crested;
• selfies;
• Abyssinian;
• American Teddies;
• rexes;
• skinny;
• Baldwins.

If you have risk factors (weakened immunity, pregnancy of one of the family members), you should not buy Peruvian and Angora pigs, since their coat is very long and thick, and the sebaceous gland located under the tail works several times more actively. compared to other breeds.

Preventive measures

The most effective option for preventing an allergic reaction may be to completely stop contact with the animal. If it is impossible to get rid of unpleasant symptoms with medications and prophylactics, it is recommended to find a new owner for the pet, no matter how painful it may be.

In other cases, it is necessary to adhere to measures to reduce the concentration of allergens:

1. A person prone to allergies needs to limit the time of contact with a pet as much as possible. In addition, the cage should not be placed in the bedroom or kitchen.
2. The cage must be regularly treated with disinfectants.
3. To reduce the spread of allergens with air flows, it is necessary to use air purifiers.
4. The animal should be cared for by a person who is not prone to allergic manifestations, and if this condition is not met, the body should be protected as much as possible (mask, gloves, special gown) from contact with the animal.
5. A guinea pig needs to be bathed daily, as water washes away most of the allergens remaining on the animal's skin and fur.
6. After cleaning, feeding and interacting with the pig, it is recommended to wash your hands and change clothes.

It should be understood that the symptoms of allergic manifestations should not be ignored, because severe complications may develop. Early seeking of medical help helps to avoid undesirable consequences.

Allergy prevention: useful tips

Prevention of allergies when a guinea pig appears in the house includes measures for proper hygienic care and maintenance of the animal.

• Since the main source of allergens is the secretory fluids secreted by animals, it is important to keep the cage clean. You need to wash it 2-3 times a week, 1 time using special antiseptic lotions and powders;
• To prevent animal excrement and urine from accumulating in the sawdust, the bedding must be changed every 3-4 days. It is optimal to use pressed sawdust and medium-sized shavings;
• To prevent unpleasant odor and the formation of crusts of dried secretions around the anus, the guinea pig needs to be bathed regularly (1-2 times a month). If crusts have already appeared, or the skin around the anus has turned red, this area should be treated with a cotton swab dipped in oil after bathing.

The animal should be fed with hay and plant foods; it is not recommended to give animal products and milk to guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs are unpretentious and clean animals that, if properly cared for, do not cause problems for their owners. Allergies to these rodents are rare, but if it occurs, the pig will have to be given away, since complete recovery is possible only after eliminating any interaction with the allergen.

Is it possible to leave a pet if the allergy is not severe?

What to do when a guinea pig has already become a family favorite, and it becomes clear that it is a source of allergen for a child or an adult?

First you need to find out what exactly you are allergic to. If it is a certain type of food, replacing it will solve the problem. When it's all about the fungal antigen, frequent cleaning of the cage will eliminate the source of irritation. If allergic manifestations are not severe, you can try not to give the animal “in good hands” yet, but take preventive measures.

Prevention

Preventive measures against allergies depend on the living conditions of the animal and include the following measures:

• Before cleaning the cage, wear latex gloves;
• change the dirty bedding in your pet’s cage at least once a day;
• carry out wet cleaning in the house as often as possible;
• regularly ventilate the room;
• if the child wants to “snuggle” the pig, put on gloves and a cotton-gauze bandage;
• place the cage away from the bedroom;
• do not allow the pig to dirty sofas and armchairs;
• install an air filter that purifies the air in the house.

If the house is large, it is enough to take the guinea pig to a distant room and entrust it to family members who do not have allergies to care for it.

If a child or adult has an allergy to mumps, this is a “bell” that indicates a problem in the immune system. You need to say “thank you” to an animal that makes you take care of your health.