Allergies are no fun! Runny nose, coughing, red, itchy eyes, sneezing, snot for days, and in extreme cases itching, hives, rashes, and respiratory issues. What’s worse than all those awful symptoms is the realization that a beloved pet is the cause of it all. 

Before you rehome your skinny pig or resign yourself to a lifetime of suffering, read this…

Of course, most pet allergies are usually attributed to the pet’s hair which is clearly not the case for skinny pigs, so what causes these allergic reactions?

There are a number of allergens that could be causing your flair ups, for example,

Dander and Secretions

The dander on the pigs or their secretions (saliva, urine, and gland secretions) can all contain allergens - if you suspect it is definitely your skinny pig, you can be tested to confirm this. If the test is positive, don’t despair, you can try a number of solutions to reduce your symptoms.

1. Use towels or gloves when playing with or handling your skinny pig to reduce direct contact between their skin and yours. You should take similar precautions when cleaning their area too.
2. Keep them out of areas like the bedroom and try to keep them off of furniture to prevent the allergens from spreading everywhere. If your pigs roam freely, you might consider restricting them to a particular area in your house to keep allergens contained.
3. After handling your skinny pig or cleaning their area, thoroughly wash your hands and clothes and any cleaning cloths you used.
4. Regular deep cleaning of the areas your skinny pig is in will also help to keep allergens under control.
5. You could also consider getting an air purifier which you should keep in the room where your skinny pigs are to filter out as many allergens as you can.

If your test comes back negative, then you have to explore some other causes of allergies, for example.

The Type of Hay You Provide as Food

There are a number of different types of grass and just because you have an allergy to one, does not necessarily mean you’re allergic to them all. The first step is to determine which ones you are allergic to, which is a simple allergy test done by a doctor. 

You can treat your grass allergy with anti-histamines or nasal sprays, which ideally you should begin taking at least 2 weeks before allergy season is rife in the spring - this will help to stop symptoms from developing or at least lessen their severity. 

If your allergy test reveals you are allergic to one or two types of grass, switching out your skinny pig's food source might be all you need to do. If you are allergic to multiple types, you will want to consider a more long-term treatment to help you cope.

Immunotherapy Treatment

This is a highly effective and long-term treatment which is the most cost-effective option. Buying medicine regularly to treat symptoms quickly adds up and really, prevention is better than cure.

There are 2 types of immunotherapy treatment options you can explore. One is an oral treatment whereby you take small tablets that dissolve under your tongue and the other is a shot that works in a similar way to a vaccine.

So provided your allergy isn’t so severe that you might go into anaphylaxis or have debilitating symptoms, you can safely own skinny pigs with a few simple precautionary measures.

Keep giving your pets the best of natural life!

~PetCoachApril 

April Arguin A.S., C.P.N., M.P.H