How does a guinea pig allergy manifest and how to get rid of the symptoms. Allergy to guinea pig Symptoms of an allergic reaction

Guinea pigs are cute and funny animals that most often do not cause problems to their owners. However, animal fur and smell can become sources of an allergic reaction. It is not necessary to immediately look for a new home for a pet. Allergy can be cured only at the earliest stages of the onset of the disease.

Not all breeders know that guinea pig allergies actually exist. Many people think that rodents do not cause any allergic reactions. However, the specific smell of some animals and long hair can cause a lot of trouble. It is guaranteed that there can be no allergy only to hairless pigs.

Skinny pig does not cause allergies

The medical cause of allergies is immunoglobulin E, which produces specific proteins. The causative agents of allergies include those antibodies that cause hypersensitivity. Allergy is a natural immune reaction of a weakened body, which is accompanied by the production of antibodies. Under the action of immunoglobulin E, the so-called mast cells and basophils are activated. Mast cells are located:

on mucous membranes,
in the subcutaneous tissue,
Close to lymph nodes
In the bone marrow
Close to blood vessels
In the spleen.

Mast cells are responsible for the production of histamine. In allergic people, mast cells produce too much of the enzyme.

The inflammatory process that occurs with allergies can lead to both safe, but not pleasant symptoms (runny nose), and deadly ones - Quincke's edema or even anaphylactic shock.

Most often, the cause of an allergy to pigs is wool, rich in keratin, as well as saliva, urine, and the smallest dead skin particles.

Predisposition to allergies

It is impossible to say in advance whether there is an allergy to an animal or not, especially if this is the first pet in the family. To be sure and exclude the possibility of an unpleasant situation after the purchase, you can take an allergic reaction test and determine whether a child or adult has a predisposition to this disease. Allergies most often affect people with various chronic diseases and weakened immune systems. It is also not recommended to purchase an animal for pregnant women - during this period, the risk of allergies is much higher, and the consequences can be sad. Families with a baby should also wait with the purchase of a guinea pig.

Many mistakenly believe that if there is an allergy to cats or dogs, then the guinea pig will definitely have the same reaction. Animals have a completely different coat structure, smell, saliva.

Therefore, with allergic reactions to other animals - to a guinea pig or any other rodent, there may not be an allergy.

Allergy symptoms

An allergy to animals is not long in coming and in the vast majority of cases it manifests itself after the first contact. The disease can also manifest itself when a person comes to visit a breeder of animals. The first reaction of the body to an irritant may be itching in the nose, runny nose, coughing, shortness of breath. Most often, the eyes begin to water, and the skin becomes covered with a reddish rash. The area around the eyes, nose, and lips may swell, and the skin becomes dry and cracked where it comes into contact with the allergen. Cough may be accompanied by severe bronchial spasms. Symptoms may appear individually, with varying intensity, or all together.

Allergy treatment

Before you start treatment and buy drugs, you must consult a doctor and take an analysis to determine one or more allergens. A person may have a negative reaction to the animal itself (wool, skin, saliva), and related products. So people can be allergic to hay and grass seeds contained in it, sawdust, dry food or vitamin premixes. The easiest way to determine the allergen is a skin test.

However, it is not taken if a person:

Exacerbation of a chronic disease
Asthma,
Hives,
Angina or any colds,
heart disease
Blood, kidney or liver disease, rheumatism,
If a person uses hormonal or antihistamines.

A skin test is not taken from pregnant women. Usually the procedure is carried out on the skin of the forearm or back and no more than 15 tests are made with different allergens. Before the test, the skin is wiped with an alcohol solution and a histamine solution is dripped to determine the necessary reactivity of the skin. In most cases, an allergic reaction appears within a few minutes, but there are cases when the effects of the test can be seen after 5-6 hours. After the test, chronic diseases can also worsen - this also means a positive test result.

If the disease is detected in the early stages, then there is a chance to reduce unpleasant symptoms and avoid separation from the pet. If the allergen is not an animal, but food or bedding, everything is simple. You can replace feed, try other filler options, replace hay with fresh grass. If the allergen is an animal, then you will have to undergo a long course of treatment. It is important to remember that only an allergist can prescribe a course. Self-purchasing antihistamines will help relieve symptoms, but will not cope with the problem. Most often, the treatment of allergies consists in the use of drugs such as Suprastin, Zodak or Claritin.

Preparations are prescribed strictly with a complex of vitamins and minerals and immunostimulants.

However, the treatment will not be successful if the allergy manifests itself in a severe form - it causes Quincke's edema, spasms in the bronchi and lungs, severe swelling of the skin of the body. In this case, the animal will have to part.

Often, among the causes of sensitization, or increased sensitivity of our body to external irritating factors leading to allergic reactions, are pets. Among the sources are usually some cat and dog breeds, but adults and children are sometimes allergic to guinea pig.

Allergy causative agent

An allergy to guinea pigs, however, similar to other pets too, is nothing more than a reaction of an adult or child’s body to their coat. The cellular composition of animal hair villi includes one of the varieties of fibrillar protein element called keratin. The set of irritating factors leading to an allergic reaction to a decorative rodent may also include other accompanying irritants with protein origin:

skin scales, often familiar to us under ordinary dandruff,
rodent saliva,
waste from the life processes of animals, or excrement.

It is to the protein component, which is one of the components of all the above substances, that the human body reacts, thereby opposing immunity to a foreign antigen.

According to its principle of action, an allergic reaction to a protein element is similar to the reaction of the immune system to an infection or virus that has entered the body. This is usually manifested by an increase in temperature.

Biological process of allergy

The manifestation of an allergic reaction to the animal takes place in stages.

Initially, our protective response to the substance that has got from the life of the animal is expressed in the form of an increase in the produced antibodies - immunoglobulins. Antibodies are produced in the cellular composition, throughout the body as a whole, including the subcutaneous layers, mucous membranes, spleen tissues, in direct contact with the lymph nodes and blood vessels.
At the next stage, the allergen begins to bind immunoglobulin molecules, destroying the cell membrane, releasing histamine. As a result of the active action of histamine, the primary symptoms of the presence of an allergy to guinea pigs begin.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction

The symptoms of a guinea pig allergy are different for each person. In some patients, the reaction is accompanied by changes in the skin, many are faced with sudden swelling, there are cases when an allergic reaction leads to reddening of the cornea, and the onset of coughing is also recorded.

Among the generally recognized symptoms of an allergic reaction to a rodent, however, as signs characteristic of reacting to other pets:

the appearance of "nasiveness associated with a stuffy nose in the absence of signs of a cold,
nasal itching and sneezing attacks,
allergic rhinitis,
reddened mucous membrane of the eye cornea, swelling, irritation of the eyelids, tearing, which is recorded in the diagnosis as conjunctivitis of allergic origin,
frequent rashes on the skin, accompanied by increased itching and associated with scratching, which is diagnosed as atopic dermatitis or urticaria,
cough of dry origin, in some cases accompanied by wheezing with characteristic whistles during breathing, attacks of shortness of breath, up to states of suffocation, difficulty in the respiratory system, as a result of which bronchial asthma is diagnosed.

Diagnosis of guinea pig allergy

Once symptoms are present, there are several ways to diagnose whether a person is allergic to guinea pigs.

laboratory sample

The first method involves the study of an allergological laboratory sample taken from the skin, during the study of which the irritant that led to the appearance of an allergic reaction is revealed.

The result of the diagnosis with the allergen becomes known after 25 minutes.

The source material for the sample is taken from adults in the forearm, in children - in the region of the upper back by means of small scratches with the application of a certain amount of an allergen of diagnostic action. On top, it is covered with histamine and glycerin. A reddened area with a scratch made and swelling show a positive result.

Analysis

The second diagnostic method can be done through a general blood test for the presence of specific antibodies in it. It uses an allergological test, which examines blood serum for the presence of animal and epidermal proteins contained in the epithelium of a rodent.

Taking curative and preventive measures

When a guinea pig allergy is diagnosed, therapeutic treatment and subsequent prophylaxis are carried out in case of inevitable contact with rodents.

15.07.2017

People keep guinea pigs as pets. Like dogs, cats, hamsters, ornamental birds, they can cause an allergic reaction in the body. If one person in the family is allergic, you need to think about whether it is worth getting this furry rodent.

Cause of guinea pig allergy

Allergies can be triggered by their coat, but also by protein

A large percentage of allergy sufferers suffer from the presence of animals. Allergy, which is caused by the presence of guinea pigs, has a number of distinctive features. It is generally accepted that if an allergy is associated with any animal, then this reaction is caused precisely because of the wool. But this judgment is not correct. An allergy to guinea pigs can be triggered by their fur, but also by their protein.

This substance is excreted by the guinea pig along with saliva and waste products. A person whose body is prone to an allergic reaction may not come into close contact with an animal. Even in contact with the sawdust in which the guinea pig lives, a negative reaction of the body may occur.

Consider the reasons that can cause an allergic reaction of the body to guinea pigs:

Wool. typical allergen. Causes an allergy at tactile contact with an animal.
Pieces of dead guinea pig skin. Particles of the skin exfoliate from healthy skin and enter the air. Then they mix with other dust and enter the human body when breathing.
The saliva of a guinea pig after contact with a person is the initiator of an allergy.
Urine and faeces. The smell of excrement that a guinea pig leaves behind can be one of the main signs of an allergic reaction in the body. In an unpleasant odor there are many substances and proteins that are allergens.
Dust from the bedding of a furry rodent. Particles of hay or sawdust fall into the air, after which a person inhales them.
Often there is an allergy to food for rodents.
In some countries, special types of pigs are bred, which are eaten. Based on this, animal meat acts as an allergen.

Not only allergy sufferers suffer from guinea pigs. The reaction of the body, which has similar symptoms with allergies, can be experienced by different people. Patients with acute respiratory viral infections or any respiratory diseases are at risk.

These people have unpleasant symptoms due to the fact that the already irritated mucosa is traumatized by causes. Pregnant women are at high risk. This is due to the fact that during the period of bearing a child, a woman experiences hormonal failure. This has a bad effect on the immune system, which serves as a shield for the body and fights external stimuli.

There is a misconception that people who are allergic to cats and dogs will be allergic to guinea pigs. This belief is incorrect, these are different allergens. If an allergic person is afraid of complications in an animal, then you should consult an allergist.

Symptoms of guinea pig allergy

An allergic reaction is accompanied by various symptoms: a rash on the skin, around the eyes may become red and swollen, cough, burning in the throat

Each person has different symptoms of an allergic reaction. Based on the observation of doctors, a number of symptoms of an allergic reaction can be identified, which occur more often:

Allergic rash on the skin. It can be localized in all parts of the body, but it is located on the arms, neck and chin area. This reaction of the body to the allergen occurs after contact with the hair of a guinea pig or when changing its bedding, where there are traces of excrement.
The reaction is reflected in the eyes of an allergic person. The eyes may turn red due to bursting blood vessels inside. The area around the eyes may become red and swollen. Everything is accompanied by itching and increased tearing.
As a common reaction of the body, there is a cough, a burning sensation in the throat.

With a complex stage of allergy, Quincke's edema may occur. If you do not call an ambulance in time, it will lead to suffocation. In addition to edema, bronchial asthma develops at a chronic level.

An allergic reaction to guinea pigs also depends on their breed. For example, experiments have shown that the same people were allergic only to pigs that had long or curly hair.

Treatment and diagnosis of guinea pig allergy

The doctor must conduct special tests, for this an allergic test, a blood test

Before starting treatment for an allergic reaction to guinea pigs, you should consult a doctor. He must conduct special tests that diagnose the reason for the allergy, for this an allergic test is performed.

It is a procedure in which various allergens are applied to the patient's skin. For the result to be accurate, the presence of histamine and glycerin is necessary. The reaction on the skin is fixed after 15-20 minutes after applying the allergen.
If the skin turns red or puffy, the allergen has been identified. Also, in addition to this, an allergic person needs to pass an analysis of feces, blood and urine. This is necessary to prescribe the drug that suits the patient's body.

There is no cure for guinea pig allergies. You can only try to enter it into "sleep mode". To do this, you should exclude any contact with the fluffy allergen, and also take antihistamines to alleviate the symptoms of an allergic reaction of the body.

The guinea pig is a wonderful little pet. Many children dream of having one.

But this animal can be a big allergen. Doctors advise that before buying a guinea pig, find out if you are allergic to it.

The fact is that allergies can be caused not even by pet hair, but by other factors.

Researchers have found that people who react positively to dogs, hamsters, and other animals may develop an allergic reaction to guinea pigs.

Therefore, do not think that if you are not allergic to other animals, then you will not be to a guinea pig.

It is very important to make sure that the guinea pig will not bring danger to you. Let's try to understand why such a small animal can cause so many big health problems?

The reasons

Many people think that the main cause of allergies is pet hair. But this is not a completely true statement. An allergic reaction of the body occurs due to the fact that the allergen, which is in the dead skin cells of a pet, comes into contact with human skin.

As a result, the allergen enters the respiratory tract, thus an allergic reaction occurs. In addition to dead cells, urine, saliva, sawdust dust, and even, no matter how strange it may sound, animal food can provoke allergies. The reason may be in the individual or hereditary intolerance of guinea pigs.

Symptoms

Runny nose.
Cough.
Skin redness, itching.
Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath.
Tearing, redness of the eyes.

Treatment

First of all, you need to seek help from a doctor who will examine your body and prescribe a course of treatment that is right for you. The initiative should also come from you, but try not to overdo it with self-treatment:

Firstly, it is necessary to exclude any contact with the animal, unfortunately, you will have to say goodbye to it forever if you want to maintain your health. We can say that there are cases when the allergy was provoked not by the animal itself, but by its food or sawdust, in which case you should simply change them to other means.
Secondly, it is necessary to drink such drugs as: Suprastin, Tavegil, Promethazine. It is very important to follow the instructions so that there are no side effects or overdose.
Thirdly, to alleviate your situation, you can use folk remedies. Take baths with decoctions of chamomile or nettle. Rinse with stuffy or runny nose at least five times a day with grass, of course, you should not be allergic to it.

When coughing, you can drink fennel tinctures, as well as gargle with soda or herbs every hour during the day.

Wipe the skin with tinctures of celandine once every two hours.

Treatment with folk methods should take place in two courses: the first 5 days we are treated, we rest for two days, and again we are treated for 5 days.

If improvements do not make themselves felt, continue the course of treatment with alternative methods + use drugs prescribed by a doctor.

Method of application of the drug "Promethazine"

Take orally after meals.
Adults: three times. Day: 12-25 mg. At night: 25-50 mg.
Children 2 to 6 years of age: 12 mg 3 times a day.
Children over 14 years old: 25 mg 3 times a day.

Method of application of the drug "Tavegil"

Take orally before meals.
Adults and children 12 years of age and older: One tablet in the morning and evening.
Children 6 to 12 years of age: Half a tablet in the morning and evening.

Method of application of the drug "Zyrtec"

For adults and children over 6 months.
Adults and children over 7 years of age: 15 mg daily.
Children 2 to 6 years of age: 2.5 mg twice daily.
Children up to 2 years of age: 2.5 mg per day, twice a day.
Children under 6 months to one year old: 2.5 mg per day, once a day.

Prevention

Get tested before you get a guinea pig so you know if you have allergies.

If you are a pregnant woman, then you should also not get a pet, because. Allergies can show up during pregnancy and lead to serious complications for you and your baby.
An excellent preventive measure would be wet cleaning (at least twice a week) and airing the rooms (three times a day).
If you still find yourself with an allergy, consult a doctor for a diagnosis. Follow your doctor's recommendations. Switch to a hypoallergenic diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Allergists should give up smoking and alcohol.
In clothes, give preference to things with a natural composition.
Pay close attention to the ingredients of the foods you eat. Pay attention to hygiene.
Try to eat more fruits, because. they contain a large amount of vitamins that will help to cope with a weakened immune system in the process of allergic reactions. Of course, fruits should not be allergenic foods for you.
If you have pets other than guinea pigs, try to limit contact with them during treatment.

Video

Many of us are pet lovers. Very often it is even difficult to imagine your life without a cute animal that becomes a member of the family. Pets not only bring color to our lives, but often troubles. So, for example, they can cause such a negative reaction of the human body as an allergy. This can be especially pronounced in young children, who are just beginning to form their own immune system.

Guinea pigs are one of the few four-legged animals that are unpretentious in care and safe for children. Therefore, families with small children often opt for this type of pet. However, if any of the family members are prone to allergies, then the question will certainly arise - is there an allergy to guinea pigs. Unfortunately, it can be the same as an allergy to cats, dogs and other animals, and then the question of whether to start a guinea pig becomes relevant.

Can you be allergic to guinea pig?

Many people who keep pets in their homes are often interested in the question of whether they are allergic to guinea pigs. This is not surprising, especially when there are small children in the house. They are the ones most at risk for an allergic reaction. As with any other animal, a negative response of the body may occur in humans as well as in a guinea pig.

Why does an allergic reaction happen?

The main cause of any allergy is a person's genetic predisposition to any allergen. Unfortunately, this fact explains the incurability of this disease. However, disease control is possible and not difficult.

If we talk about other reasons, then among them we can note the weakening of a person’s immunity, which occurs against the background of constant stressful situations, an unhealthy lifestyle, an unbalanced diet and the abuse of alcohol and tobacco products. Allergic reactions can occur as a result of environmental pollution, the use of dirty water.

Risk group

The person who is most susceptible to guinea pig allergy is:

has hypersensitivity to any other substances (drugs, pollen of flowering plants, food products, etc.);
has a weakened immune system and is more prone to various diseases;
suffers from lack of sleep and constant stress;
leads the wrong way of life;
unbalanced diet and abusing smoking and alcohol.

Development mechanism

The mechanism of the development of an allergic reaction is that substances, and they, as a rule, are proteins, are recognized by the human immune system as foreign. In this case, the body begins to signal the danger, which is manifested in the occurrence of allergy symptoms. If such signs are ignored and appropriate measures are not taken, this can lead to complications.

Risk of complications

Complications of guinea pig allergy are very rare. They can be Quincke's edema, which manifests itself in the form of severe swelling of the respiratory tract, as well as anaphylactic shock, characterized by a sharp decrease in blood pressure, weakness, loss of consciousness and disruption of the heart. Such complications require immediate medical attention and control from the side of doctors.

What allergens are found in guinea pig wool and biomaterial?

Proteins that are found in the pet's fur, as well as skin (dandruff), saliva and excrement, can cause an allergy to a guinea pig. As a rule, keratin acts as such a protein in most cases.

Often, an allergy may occur not to the fur of a guinea pig or its waste products, but to food, which includes a variety of dry herbs. Also, sawdust, which owners often use as bedding in a pet's cage, can serve as a cause.

How pathology manifests itself

When it comes to the characteristics of a guinea pig allergy, symptoms can vary from person to person. This is due to the fact that in most cases one symptom is manifested, less often several. Nevertheless, it is not difficult to establish that this is an allergy, and not another disease.

General symptoms

manifestations of skin rashes, redness and itching (in young children, allergy symptoms are similar to atopic dermatitis);
rhinitis, characterized by slight swelling of the respiratory tract, which causes allergy sufferers to have difficulty breathing and strong mucous discharge from the nose;
manifestation of conjunctivitis, accompanied by redness of the eyes, swelling of the eyelids and itching, tearing;
cough, shortness of breath.

Signs of severe complications

Symptoms of complications are:

bronchial asthma - characterized by severe shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, accompanied by a cough;
Quincke's edema - manifests itself in the form of severe swelling of the neck, namely, the respiratory tract; in connection with this, suffocation occurs;
anaphylactic shock - such complications can occur in very rare cases and are accompanied by disruption of the heart, a sharp decrease in pressure and loss of consciousness.

ATTENTION! Any of the above complications requires immediate medical attention, as it poses a threat to the life of an allergic person.

Diagnostic methods

There are two main methods for diagnosing allergies. Each of them determines the allergen with great accuracy.

Diagnosis with the help of an allergological test. This is a skin test, the essence of which is that the patient is injected into the skin of the shoulder or in the area of the shoulder blades with a number of alleged allergens in a small dose that is safe for health. With a positive reaction, swelling and redness appear at the injection site.
A blood test for the content of specific immunoglobulins in the body. Blood is taken from the patient, after which an enzyme immunoassay is performed. If antibodies to any allergen are found in the blood, then the allergy takes place.

IMPORTANT! Both the first and second diagnostic methods are not recommended for children under 3 years of age, since the result obtained will be uninformative. This is due to the fact that the immune system of children at this age is not yet fully formed.

Allergy treatment

Treating a guinea pig allergy involves eliminating the symptoms. This should be done both through the elimination of the allergen, and with the help of certain medications. Treatment is symptomatic and complex, requires consultation of the attending physician (allergist or immunologist).

Elimination

The correct solution for eliminating an allergic reaction is the elimination of the allergen, that is, the absence of any contact between the allergic person and the allergen. Unfortunately, if a child or other family member has a guinea pig hypersensitivity, then the pet will have to be given away. However, if the signs of allergy are insignificant, then many people do not resort to such measures, but only follow a number of rules. We will talk about them in the section "Prevention of the disease."

Preparations

To eliminate the signs of an allergic reaction, the use of antihistamines is recommended. If long-term treatment is required, then second or third generation antihistamines (Zyrtec, Claritin and others) will be the safest. They are the least likely to have side effects. For children, third-generation antihistamines (Cetrin, Zirtek) are recommended.

Sorbents

For the treatment of allergies to guinea pigs, sorbents are used very rarely. If there are symptoms from the side of the gastrointestinal tract, then the allergen is effectively removed by drugs such as Activated charcoal, Smecta and a number of others.

Corticosteroids

Ointments based on corticosteroids are used to relieve signs of an allergic reaction on the skin. Creams containing corticosteroids are not recommended for children. The safest are non-hormonal ointments, such as Bepanten, Panthenol and others.

In the event that they are ineffective in the fight against allergies, then hormonal preparations are used, which include corticosteroids. Among such ointments, Advantan, Flucinar, Prednisolone, etc. can be noted.

Disease prevention

For the successful treatment and prevention of an allergic reaction to a guinea pig is the absence of any contact with the animal. Nevertheless, if it is not possible to give away a pet, then it is necessary to carry out a number of measures aimed at reducing the allergenic load on the body, namely:

Carefully and as often as possible clean the pet's cage.
Every day, ventilate the room several times.
Do not keep a cage with a guinea pig in the same room where an allergic person sleeps.
Wash your hands thoroughly after any contact with your pet.
It will not be superfluous to install an air purifier that reduces the concentration of the allergen in the air.
It is necessary to bathe the guinea pig as often as possible to eliminate dead epidermal cells on its skin.
Reduce contact with any allergenic foods.

The guinea pig is a cute pet that can cause allergies in both young children and adults. But great affection often does not allow you to part with your four-legged pet so easily. Timely treatment, as well as preventive measures, quite often become the right solution to eliminate an allergic reaction and allow you to forget about it for a long time.