ALLERGIES AND RABBITS
There may be relief in sight!
If you think you might be allergic to your rabbit, please read this. It may help you. One of our
volunteers was suffering from allergies with her 2 rabbits and has found ways to minimize the
problem:
“Here are some of the suggestions that I followed and still follow. I searched for more things on
the internet and added them to the list. It took me about 2 months to get over the allergies”.
(PLEASE NOTE: Never bathe a rabbit. It can cause some rabbits to go into shock and die.)
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run a HEPA air cleaner in your bedroom
use a high efficiency furnace filter, like 3M's Ultra Allergen (you should leave your furnace fan
running by setting the fan to "on" rather than "auto")
use a HEPA vacuum cleaner and vacuum often
Use Allerpet* or Quick Bath Pet Wipes (anti-allergy products) on bunnies once a week. (After
application, blot the fur dry with a towel, then keep your rabbit in a warm, draft-free area until
completely dry.)
limit your exposure to other allergens such as dust, fragranced detergents, perfume, air
fresheners in the house
keep bunnies out of bedroom and keep door closed
also have an area in the house that the bunny does not go into like the living room or
basement to provide yourself some relief
avoid putting your face in your bunny’s fur
get rid of cedar or pine shavings (if they are being used), use a litterbox and “Yesterday’s
News” litter instead
antihistamines as a last resort
NOTE: Your allergy might be due to hay NOT bunnies. Try the following:
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keep hay in a container with lid
if need be, wear a mask when feeding hay to bunnies
have someone else change the litterbox for you and change it often
Try different brands of hay
Oxbow** brand is a higher quality hay, usually with less dust
Oxbow** also offers many types of hay - like Timothy Hay, Botanical Hay, Oat hay, etc.
Perhaps some types might cause fewer problems.
*Allerpet wipes sold at Nature Pet Centre
*Online Canadian source for Allerpet
*Online source for Quick Bath Pet wipes (Canada & US)
**Oxbow brand hay available at Exotic Animal Hospital in NDG 514-486-5258.
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