Possible Rabbit Allergy

[Flirtycuddle]

I have had other animals in the house and never had an issue from me or my children but since we brought home the bunny all of us have been coughing non stop and it is getting worse the longer he is here. I figured we all just caught some bug but the only thing going on is a cough. I have had guinea pigs that required hay and never had this issue so I'm pretty sure it's not the hay either. The only thing I can think of is that he is a lion head and I am allergic to wool, after finding out he had wool I stupidly figured that it wouldn't be enough to bug me. I do not want to give him up if I can find a way for all of us to live with him while not coughing day and night.
Besides medicane like benedryl what other tips are there for living with a bunny while having allergies to them? Or am I just fighting a losing battle that will result in finding him a new home?

 

[Flash Gordon]

its not that common to be allergic to rabbits..even more unusual to have multiple people in the house allergic to a rabbit..most times its the hay...i figured an allergy to something would start with runny nose and sneezing,itchy eyes that kinda thing..
im allergic to wool also i break out in rash and itch but i dont have any probs around lionheads
its sick season here in Arizona now cuz of the weather change. yay
i hope u guys start feeling better soon

 

[Flirtycuddle]

My son has food allergies and environmental that he tested positive to on an allergy test and I've always been allergic to honeysuckle and olive trees which would act up around this time of the year in AZ before we moved. I fed hay to the guinea pigs for years without every having an issue which is whats making it even more confusing. I also wonder if it could be something blooming this time of year in Indiana that just happens to conencide with the bunny being adopted. With now taking benedryl the cough has let up for the most part making me think it just might be SOMETHING bugging our allergies possibly not even the bunny after all.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

you could get allergy tested to know for sure. Never heard of everyone being allergic to bunnies. I have a severe reaction to cats and hay but not at all to rabbits. I use a dust mask when feeding and cleaning. You might also want to try a Hepa air filter.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

What bedding are you using? Wood shavings can be dusty. Some people might also have a reaction to other bedding.
Is they hay you are using the same type as with the guinea pigs? There seem to be many people allergic to timothy, but do well with orchard grass or other grass hay. The brand could also be causing issues especially if it is dusty of a bad bag.

The rabbit in your avatar doesn't look like he has much of a mane (the wool part of a lionhead). With mixes, you can get rabbits with no mane, some mane or lots of mane. You might be having more of a reaction to the fur, especially if he sheds a lot.

Many people who have allergies use a hepa filter in the house. One near the rabbit cage would be good, but one if the bed rooms can also be helpful if it is really bad.

I would change the bedding, contain the hay more and maybe change the type. Get a air filter. Brush your rabbit (outside) so help with loose fur around the house. Wearing a mask and/or gloves when cleaning and giving hay could help too. If all this does help, you can try going back to what you were using for hay and bedding one at a time to see if the allergies come back.

 

[Flirtycuddle]

I am using the same brand and type of hay I gave the guinea pigs and using wood pellets for bedding in his drop down pan and litter box. He doesn't have much of a mane at all which is why I figured the wool wouldn't cause me any issues. I'll look into an air filter this weekend and see if that can help. If not I'll leave the cleaning and feeding to my other half while I get some tests run to figure out just what is causing the reaction.

 

[kirbyultra]

Frequent vacuuming, air filter for the rabbit area, and wearing a mask when dealing heavy duty with the rabbit and/or hay can help you in the meantime. Don't go to bed with clothes that have fur all over as it may make your sleep less productive should you be allergic to the rabbit.

It's not unheard of though. Family members all tend to have the same allergies usually (blood relatives). My brother and I have almost identical allergies to various things (not just environmental) but we vary on severity. When it comes to environmental allergies, my whole family (extended family too) suffer from the same stuff.