Until last week, my air conditioner had been broken for a month. No big deal this time of year in Miami. I just opened the windows. But the cause of the malfunction and the effect of a return in central air circulation have been eye-opening—in a way that, strangely, involves my pets.
Turns out the goats love following an amused meter man as he makes the rounds of my house. They love poking around areas wherever any human has been displaying a concerted interest. This time they disconnected all the wires to the AC, leaving everything in a jumble and risking serious 220-variety electrocution.
In the wake of this new goat fiasco I’ve got the fence guy coming out next week to cordon off the AC and electrical panel. Damn, these goats are expensive!
The other bit of trouble is far more serious in a long-term way (if anything can be said to be more serious than a lethal dose of electricity). It involves the guinea pigs.
I’ve already blogged here about my guinea pigs and their ability to inflict more allergic repercussions in my household than any other creature currently living there. I’m crazy allergic to them. I have to wear long sleeves and a mask when I play with them.
To clean them I have to take the entire cage outside (it’s a big one) lest I end up calling 911 for a serious asthma crisis. (Nothing else in the world has ever provoked asthma-like symptoms in me.)
Now, ever since the AC got working again I’ve been feeling this tightness in my chest while I’m at home. At first I thought I was simply coming down with a flu—it being flu season and all that. But when I started to clean the guinea pigs’ home over the weekend it hit me:
This is what’s getting to me. The sudden increase in circulation of allergenic particles must have rapidly induced my asthmatic state. Indeed, after being exposed to their bedding for five minutes I was wheezing and short of breath. I had to stop. Afterwards, my throat itched like mad and my lips were swollen for hours.
Monday’s visit with my son’s allergist sealed the deal: His breathing capacity had plummeted since the last visit a couple of months ago. In fact, they had bee declining steadily since the introduction of the guinea pigs but we’d been loath to pin the damage on them.
Now it seems we have no choice. The pigs must go. But where?
Guinea pigs are not easy to place. One of my pigs is “handicapped,” even. How can you possibly place a guinea pig whose spastic neurological condition causes her to bite at times? (Sometimes she gets very stressed when she can’t right herself.)
My son took the news well. Probably that’s because we’d been discussing it for months, now. And, truth be told, because the pigs are far more mine than they are his. The love of his life is Vincent (my young Frenchie male), the others are much more my domain.
My poor pigs. Today they’re getting a new temporary home out in the goat shed. I just can’t breathe anymore inside my house. While I’m waiting for the right home to materialize, I’ll have to bring them inside when it gets cold and pay someone to clean them. What else can I do?
Much as we know that our pets have the propensity to cause damage to our homes—and even to our health sometimes—taking them on means doing whatever we can to responsibly care for them.
If it means buying new fencing and rewiring the house, I’ll do it. If it means building them a new enclosure, I’ll do it. If it means finding someone else to take them on because they make my family sick, well…I’ll have to do it.
It’s only that I wish there were another way…
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Sorry to go O/T, but I'm wondering whether there is a search function on your site/blog? I'd like to go back and read up on these guinea pigs :) Thanks!
Lisa December 24th, 2008 09:22:45 AM
Oops, should have linked to past posts (the search function is on the way soon, I think).
Here's one. Here's another.
Dr. Patty Khuly December 24th, 2008 09:49:11 AM
Are you definitely allergic to the pigs, or to their bedding? What kind of bedding are you using? Some people are highly allergic to the bedding of guinea pigs and rabbits.
Tara B. December 24th, 2008 10:24:56 AM
Tara: I've tried to work that out. I use a recycled paper bedding and I'm definitely not allergic to their timothy hay (I've used it for years for horses and goats with no problems). I also suffer severe welts whenever their fur touches my skin. If they inadvertently scratch me the area balloons with puffiness and itches like crazy for hours. The respiratory issues have been there from the start but it's soooo much worse now. It can't be anything but the pigs, I've had to finally allow.
Dr. Patty Khuly December 24th, 2008 10:52:41 AM
Oh, and clean bedding is no issue. It's always the dirty bedding that gets me. I know because I usually have to take a long break between cleaning out the cage (I hose it out and let it dry in the sun) and refilling it with new bedding.
Dr. Patty Khuly December 24th, 2008 10:55:53 AM
I'm sorry that you have to find them a new home. I wish I could help, here in Germany there are many rodent (and rabbit) rescue organisations/people and a very lively underground railround for them. Maybe these links will be of some help
http://www.freewebs.com/gainesvilleguineapig/
http://www.guineapighome.com/listings/
http://www.diddly-di.fsnet.co.uk/Links-Rescues.htm
Jennifer December 24th, 2008 10:59:45 AM
Have you tried HEPA air filters? Both in the central AC unit, and an additional one in the room where you keep the hams. Not to mention frequent vacuuming (or sweeping) in the room they're kept in. (I have a Roomba so the cleaning is hands-off). These are all things that people recommend for both cat and bird allergies, so it's worth giving them a shot.
Will you be adding back some way to track the comments to an individual post, either by RSS or email?
zandperl December 24th, 2008 11:14:49 AM
zandperl: Thanks for the advice. I use HEPA filters but can't have a roomba due to my dogs' occasional in-house mishaps. I'm told it would die on impact. And yes, house thoroughly cleaned once a week. On comment tracking: Yes. Hopefully on the way. Want a job helping develop Dolittler? ;-)
Jennifer: I'll be trying your links. Thanks!
Dr. Patty Khuly December 24th, 2008 11:22:48 AM
In lieu of a search function, you can always use Google's nifty feature that allows you to search a particular site.
In this case, type into Google, sans quotes: "guinea pigs site:www.dolittler.com" and you will get all the guinea piggie entries your heart desires. :)
Too bad my tech geekiness will not be enough to impress the vet school admissions committees. *sigh*
LaShelle December 24th, 2008 11:52:58 AM
I had a similar situation happen to me a few years ago only I was cleaning our chinchilla's cage. I ended up being taken to the hospital via ambulance as my oxygen levels were at around 30% and everything I tried to do to "rescue" myself failed. My situation was alittle different in the sense that what triggered the life threatening reaction wasn't from Shakespeare or cleaning his cage, I was allergic to the allergy shots I was getting at the time. The allergies to the allergy shots didn't come out in the proverbial wash until I ended up in the ER the 8th time and I decided to figure out what the problem was on my own. Once I stopped getting the shots, I haven't had a severe since. I still break out in hives and such, but everything makes me break out in hives so I'm used to it. As for the pig situation, if I lived closer I would take them even if it were just to play a foster role including your neuro pig. I've been bitten by worse. Hubby wanted a ferret recently as we played Secret Santa to a ferret organization. I can't get near a ferret without my eyes swelling shut, so we compromised and got a pig instead. Like yourself, if I get scratched, it swells and looks worse than what it really is, but I deal with it. To prevent breakouts of other sorts, I started giving our pig a bath every couple of weeks. He's not dirty as he's by himself and his cage is cleaned regularly, but I found that by bathing him with baby shampoo helps keep down the pig dander and his coat doesn't have that weird "greasy" feeling which is what I think triggers my allergies. Have you tried giving yours a bath occasionally? I bathe Schnitzel in the bathroom sink. He's actually pretty good about considering he's pig and all, but it has helped. It's a silly and perhaps stupid suggestion, but giving baths to all the other two legged and four legged "kids" in the house is how I maintain my sanity, allergies and pets all under the same roof.
Stacy December 24th, 2008 12:30:47 PM
I'm sorry for the never-ending paragraph. How do I insert breaks so my replies look the way I typed them?
Stacy December 24th, 2008 12:34:26 PM
Some things are unavoidable. It's the number of lame excuses we hear that make us feel embarrassed when the real thing happens to one of us. The "I have to move and they don't take pets," "my girlfriend is allergic" (really? just how allergic?), "he growled at my kid" (and what was your kid doing at the time, and where were YOU??), etc., etc. But needing to breathe is one of those things you just can't argue with, Dr. Patty. It's not your fault.
Susan December 24th, 2008 12:57:37 PM
Hah! I have ideas, but I don't have the html/css/php skills to do any of them. I just know what's out there. :) Sorry for what must've come out as a nag instead of just a query!
zandperl December 24th, 2008 02:55:56 PM
One of my neighbors was having asthma attacks on a regular basis, and as soon as the guinea passed away, her symptoms disappeared.. She had rabbits, and cats with no symptoms.. I, on the other hand have a problem within ten minutes of being in her apt, and another friends.. I'm blaming the cats.. but it could be the smoking habits of both.. The only pos. allergy I have is mold.. Socks is having allergic reactions that I'm trying to narrow down.. Would love to do a scratch test on him.. It doesn't help that we like to sleep with the down comforter.. Please try to be careful, and keep the rescue inhaler within reach.. Reactions tend to get worse..
barri December 24th, 2008 04:20:11 PM
I feel like a heel even mentioning this, but you first wrote that it reminded you of the flu, then it was more like asthma. If it's only the asthma type symptoms, then never mind. But if it's also flu'ish type symptoms, look up Legionaire's Disease symptoms just to be safe. It's your AC history, then mentioning the flu that made me think of that. But then again, I'm a worry-wort and hope I'm very wrong.
S December 25th, 2008 12:57:12 AM
I kept pigs as a teen-ager with no problems. However, after their passing, I wasn't around them for years, until I offered to pig-sit for a neighbor who was on vacation. Every time I was in contact with her pigs, I became an instant, wheezing mass of hives. (I presume I was sensitized when I owned pigs, and the subsequent exposures triggered the reaction).
Now, when the shelter where I volunteer has guinea pig neuters/spays on the days when I volunteer, we save them for last. I pre-treat with benadryl and prednisone before I handle them, and I glove and mask before beginning to prep them. I still have some reaction in the form of itching and congestion, but my reactions are considerably less severe.
Shellie December 25th, 2008 01:26:45 AM
Finding a new home sounds like the ultimate answer. Posting a home wanted in the vet clinic? I see that in my area.
Contact area rescue/shelters & post ads? It is now post-Christmas, possibly some avid pocket-pet fan would love the home-made incredible system you set up for them??!!
Good luck on the placement, Barb A.
Pocket's Story from NH December 25th, 2008 09:23:42 PM
I remember back in 3rd grade my classroom had a Guinea Pig as a pet---Mr. Fuzzy. We took turn cleaning the cage.
Fast forward about 22 years...I was breeding and showing purebred cats, had numerous dogs, gerbils and horses...no allergy problems. But get me within a few feet of a Guinea Pig and I melted into a pool of allergic misery----sneezing, wheezing, itching...the works! No other animal that I have ever been around affects me like that.
There is just something about the little critters---they must have some powerful allergens.
I'm sorry for you and your pigs and hope you can find a loving home for them---though I know it could be challenging, but you have a lot of contact with the pet-loving public, perhaps that will lead to the home you are seeking.
Khatti
khatti December 26th, 2008 03:09:06 AM
ferrets. I never had any allergies. I can take tons of fur and dander and what not. Then one day Milkdud bit my lip. Not hard...didn't even break the skin. But wow what a reaction. And Ever since I would rash and wheeze if I came into the same room much less touched one of our ferrets.
They all passed on from old age at 8-9 years. But sadly we can't have any more. My allergies to them werew terrible by the time they all passed. That was with them upstairs in my daughter's room with a hepafilter, no carpets and a hepafilter in my room.
Now the hepafilters a full of cat hair and not a sniffle or wheeze in site. Allergies are funny things.
homepathically speaking, nettle seems to help.
LorriM December 26th, 2008 10:57:05 PM
I am a severe asthmatic.
While room air filters, hepa filters, etc are all ways to reduce allergens,... if they are your pet, your animal, your responsibility you can't possibly do them justice if you are that allergic. I love guinea pigs, rabbits, and cats, but even being in the presence of one makes my breathing difficult. I spent Christmas at a friend's house- she has cats but cleaned thoroughly (including a carpet shampoo) and had hepa air filters in the room.
Four hours there- went home and was huffing for breath. Nebulizer treatment and the whole bananas helped minimally. I didn't even touch the cats, despite wanting to.
It's just not worth it, you can't love or care for the animals the way you (or they) deserve when you are that allergic to them.
I've had pneumonia several times, been hospitalized multiple times, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. The persistance of allergens has almost always been a contributing factor. Each time I get badly ill (infection in the lungs) it takes longer for my lung capacity to return... and it's not the same as it once was- not at all. I wish I had been better about avoiding the animals that I know are triggers- unfortunately they are my major trigger/allergen. I'm only 26 and height/weight proportionate.
You are making the right decision. Allergies as severe as those you describe can have long term consequences for your health and well-being.
jen December 27th, 2008 12:45:37 PM
I had guinea pigs for a total of 10 years and Benadryl was my best friend. lol
cl December 27th, 2008 10:37:43 PM
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