Heartbreaking visit to the bunny shelter

[Bunniless]

Today we drove out of state to the nearest bunny shelter to complete an adoption orientation and meet some of the eligible buns. It was sooo exciting. There were rabbits of every shape and color (not every size though, all these rabbits were big, compared to my Netherland Dwarf at least. Even the ones listed as dwarfs were almost twice his size). The shelter representative was pleasant to talk with and obviously passionate about rabbits.

The heartbreaking part had to do with my two-year old daughter. She was so excited to look around and see all the bunnies. She sneezed a few times early on, but we didn't think much of it--there was a lot of fur and hay flying in the place. She and her dad continued to look at bunnies while I spoke with the shelter rep, and by the time they circled back to us, her face had swelled up like a balloon and her eyes could barely open. Apparently she's allergic to rabbits?

We left halfway through the orientation to get her some medicine and she's doing fine now, but I don't know what to make of it. We had a rabbit in the house from the time she was born until three months ago, and she was able to be near him and pet him without any problems. The shelter rep told us some people are only allergic to certain breeds, certain fur types on a rabbit, and if we'd like to come back at another time, she'd be happy to bring individual rabbits out to the car to visit with her and see if she can handle them.

I had planned to adopt a trio, or at least a pair, but now it seems like my bunny days may be behind me :-(

 

[JBun]

I'm sorry I'm glad despite the reaction that your daughter is alright, but I'm sure that was very disappointing to discover this. Another thing to keep in mind is that if this shelter has cats and dogs anywhere near where you went to see the rabbits, it's possible your daughter may be allergic to either of them and not to the rabbits.

If it does end up being the rabbits, there are a few possibilities. She could be allergic to a particular hay they use there and not the rabbits themselves, or if it is the rabbits, sometimes that is true that a particular breed like a rex may not cause the same allergic reaction as another breed. Maybe an allergy test can confirm whether or not it is rabbits or something else causing the reaction.

Hopefully you'll discover it is something else besides the rabbits themselves, or at least something you can work around and still bring a bunny or two home one day.

 

[ladysown]

you need to take her in for some real testing.

Things she may have been allergic to
1. cleaning supplies
2. dust
3. type of hay
4. type of rabbits
5. perfumes
6. mould
7. the ammonia from so many rabbits.

You get the idea.

 

[Azerane]

I agree, there are many triggers, and while it may be that she is mildly allergic to rabbits, it's quite possible that simply so many rabbits in the one place was just too much. Rabbit, and cat fur makes me sneeze and have an itchy throat, but only when I put my face up against them, however if I'm completely surrounded by so many of them, it does become worse.

I would look into it more before determining that you can't have another rabbit. If it is rabbits, often Rex rabbits cause less allergies than other breeds.

 

[Bunniless]

Thank you all. The state fair is going on next week, and they usually have a 4H tent set up with animals including a few rabbits. I'm going to take her and spend a little time in there and pet them and see how she does. I don't know what type of rabbits they will be.

Meanwhile we will get her allergy tested, but that won't tell us which type of rabbit causes a reaction, will it? I assume she'll just test 'positive for pet dander'? She is around dogs frequently without a problem, but she has never even seen a cat. I guess the test would tell us if her allergy is actually to hay/dust/mold rather than the rabbits themselves...but a hay allergy is just as bad as a bunny allergy, isn't it? Even though she obviously wouldn't be responsible for handling the hay or cleaning the enclosure, there is always going to be hay strewn about. Then again, there was always hay strewn about with our previous bun. His enclosure was in the living room, where we spent at least 80% of our waking hours and I never had any reason to suspect an allergy.

My previous rabbit was so small--I suspect now that he was an anomaly even among other Netherland Dwarfs. So he consumed less hay, and produced less urine/feces than any rabbit we met today. It could very well be the volume of rabbits at the shelter that caused the reaction, but getting a pair or trio of potentially large bunnies as I'd wanted to is still a major increase in the volume of all things rabbit compared to what she's used to.

The shelter didn't have any dogs or cats. They're dedicated entirely to bunnies of all kinds. I wish we lived closer to it so we could go and visit each type of rabbit separately over the course of the next month or so. As it is, I hate to make the trip all the way back there only to have her react to the bunny they bring out. I know I saw a Rex or two while we were there, and one awesome pair who I couldn't tell if they were actually Rex or not. Their fur looked like velvet, but they didn't come over close enough for us to touch them. Some of the other bunnies were super-friendly and sweet, but the Rex's and this mystery pair seemed to keep to themselves.

 

[missyscove]

They should be able to test your daughter specifically for certain types of animals and also for certain plants. It may be something as simple as the shelter using timothy hay where you'd only used orchard and her being allergic to a different kind of hay.

 

[ChocoClover]

A lot of rabbits are called dwarfs when they are in the pet store or shelter but are actually mixes of dwarfs and bigger rabbits.

If you want to see if it is one specific type of fur that sets off the reaction, you could go to different breeders in your area.

There could have been mold on the hay, the hay could have been dustier than yours, or there were insects on it that caused unusual reactants.

It could have been the ammonia. I don't think that is too likely, though.

There could even have been some sort of allergen in the building, unrelated to the rabbits, that caused a reaction.

Even if she does test positive to pet dander, don't think you won't be able to ever have a rabbit. Since you have had a rabbit before, it is likely she would be allergic to only some kinds of rabbits. You might have to get a nethie from a breeder to get that nice small size. Just don't give up hope of having a rabbit...

 

[Azerane]

Even if it is a hay allergy, there are many different types of hay available and some may not cause allergies, and others might. Meadow hay I am allergic to, but not so much oaten or wheaten.

 

[Bunniless]

Argh! I am so mad at our pediatrician's office. I called about having her checked out and inquired about allergy testing. They said they don't even need to see her, just continue giving Benadryl until all swelling has resolved (she still has the to tiniest bit of puffiness). Then they said, laughing, 'just don't adopt a rabbit.' First of all, there is nothing funny about this whole situation. Second, this was not my daughter's first exposure to rabbits. As I've explained ad nauseum, she lived with a rabbit from the time she was born until a few months ago and never had a problem. How dare her doctor be so lazy as to tell me we should simply avoid rabbits? The woman on the phone tried to tell me that she doesn't know if they even do allergy testing on two-year olds. I know for a fact that many doctors do, because my two-year-old nephew is allergic to almost everything (including dogs, but excluding the two paritcular dogs his family owns). He gets a complete allergy panel a few times a year to see how things are changing. So I know there are ways to get answers on this, but the woman on the phone made me feel like I was being crazy. It's not just that I want a rabbit as a pet (though I obviously do). I also want answers as to what exactly will cause my daughter to have a reaction in the future. If she has just suddenly developed a severe allergy to something she's had regular, daily exposure to, that alarms me. What if she develops a peanut allergy next, while eating her lunch of pb&j. I want answers, not smart ass advice not to adopt a rabbit

 

[Ana_The_Dreamer]

So sorry about your daughter allergic reaction, I hope you can figure out what happened soon. Maybe you should try seeing a different pediatrician for your daughter? That's what I would do if I was in your shoes. And from what I know, doctors do preform allergy tests on toddlers. A family member of mine has horrible allergies involving a certain type of grass and he was tested at the age of 2-3.
Oh, and don't give up hope on adopting a rabbit. Maybe it's just a certain type of rabbit she's allergic to or some of the other things that the other members mentioned! ray:

 

[Bunniless]

Thank you. We'll be moving in a few months, so I'm already on the search for a new pediatrician anyway. I think what irks me is that, I believe, a dog allergy would have been handled differently. Can you see a doctor's office chuckling and telling a family to just not get a dog? I can't. I think a doctor would be more inclined to help a family determine what type of dog, if any, the child can live with. ESPECIALLY if the child in question has lived happily with a dog before.

 

[Bville]

Can you see an allergy specialist without a referral from your pediatrician? My son goes to one because he has a peanut allergy, among other things. They didn't have the test for rabbits, but they said they could order it. I just decided to keep our rabbits outside so I never had them order the test. They only keep on hand the usual things like dog and cat, but they do regularly test for grasses such as Timothy.

 

[miyumiyu]

I'm sorry you had to go through that :/ That's ridiculous.

I'm still new to owning a rabbit, but I'm already starting to see that sort of bias. Most people I talk to think I'm crazy for wanting to neuter my bunny, and there's only a handful of vets within a hundred mile radius that will even see rabbits. I hope you do find yourself a competent physician- and if I were you, I'd call and complain about the service you received from that receptionist. Of all people, a doctor's office should be more understanding.

 

[whiskylollipop]

I agree with Bville, there are allergy clinics that deal specifically in allergy testing and treatment, you shouldn't have to go through a pediatrician for that.

Allergies can develop spontaneously at any time in life, so just because your daughter didn't react to your previous rabbit doesn't mean she isn't allergic to rabbits now. Doing an allergy panel with special attention to hay types, rabbit dander, and litter types would definitely be helpful. I'm sorry that pediatrician's clinic was so callous! I would be fuming if it was me.

 

[blwinteler]

I agree with Bville, there are allergy clinics that deal specifically in allergy testing and treatment, you shouldn't have to go through a pediatrician for that.

Allergies can develop spontaneously at any time in life, so just because your daughter didn't react to your previous rabbit doesn't mean she isn't allergic to rabbits now. Doing an allergy panel with special attention to hay types, rabbit dander, and litter types would definitely be helpful. I'm sorry that pediatrician's clinic was so callous! I would be fuming if it was me.

She isn't kidding when she says "any time in life." I got a mild nut allergy at age 30, and I love nuts. Sometimes I'll take benadryl and have a couple.
My point is that you need to find out what she is allergic to and how severely. Like others said, take her to a specialist if your insurance lets you bypass the referral. Otherwise, get another doctor. In fact, get a new one no matter what. I know you are because of moving. Even if you weren't moving, this is not the right behavior for any doctor's office. I've fired two doctors for insensitive behavior like that.

 

[Bunniless]

Thank you all for the support. An educator from the HRS has filled me in on what they use at the shelter. Only vinegar to clean (I use a lot of it at home so that can't be the culprit), wood pellet bedding and American Pet Diner 2nd Cut Timothy Hay.

She said she is fostering two adoptable mini Rex bunnies in her home, if we want to meet them. But two different representatives have told me that I basically HAVE to use this exact type of hay. They seem to think it is irresponsible pet ownership to feed any other type of hay. That part is getting on my nerves, because I happen to know rabbits can survive on other brands/tyoes of hay.

 

[JBun]

People that think that only timothy can be fed, are just ill informed and don't really understand the dietary essentials of the rabbit diet. Grass hay is technically what is recommended, of which there are many varieties of, timothy is just a common one used by many here in the US. Maybe they meant that certain rabbits there were picky and would only eat this particular kind of hay? If you end up seeing them again and you think this issue might come up, print this out. It's from the HRS site. But usually it is just easier to agree with those type of people when with them, then go your own way and do what you know is correct.
"Unlimited timothy, grass hay, oat hay, other hays including brome, Bermuda, etc."
http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/

If you do decide to meet the rex bunnies with your daughter, it might be a good idea to do it in a room separate from where any hay or litter might be. Just to eliminate those from the equation.