I think Im alergic to my rats?

[gabrielle1976]

 
I hope someone can help i think im allergic to my rats i get red welts and the itches when i hold my rats is there anything i can do
giveing them up is not an opition
thanks

[Ratty Corner]

I found that an antihistamine cream (the sort they sell for insect bites) helped somewhat, but I stopped using it when the ratties started licking it off. Maybe someone could tell us if it would do them any harm?
Just got the tube out. It's Mypyramine Maleate.
Cheers, Annette.

[Chic 2000]

I get the same thing when their little claws penatrate my skin.  I get itchy red welts on the scratches and if I rub my eyes after petting them my eyes itch to.  Rats have filth like urine and poo particles on their nails and feet and ratty saliva on their fur and that is what causes the allergic reactions in us humans.

The only help I have found for this is to wash my hands, arms, neck, and any skin contact areas, with soap and water vigorously after handling my rats.  Then I apply a little neosporin to the scratchs and some Benadryl allergy antihisamine cream.  You can buy that at any drug store or grocery store.  The welts will usually go away within a couple of minuets after doing that.  Try not to scratch them though, you will end up making it worse and spreding the allergins.
 
Allergy meds like allegra and zyrtec might help.  Benadryl I only use if I get a severe reaction cause it puts me to sleep.

[Joe]

   I discovered the other day while playing with Mandy's rats that I'm slightly allergic to them, too. I'm not too worried about it, as the welps go away in about an hour, but whatever you do, don't scratch it. Makes it a lot worse. If you don't the itching will only last about 3-5 minutes, which isn't too horrible, considering it's not hard to be too distracted by them to notice.

-Joe
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[fusche]

I also think I'm allergic to my rats.  It's getting pretty bad each day.  I'm sneezing, my nose is running like crazy and my throat and nose tickles like crazy.  

I'm keep hoping that it's just spring and something in the air.  It will go away.  

[SCRAPPYSMOMMY]

Hello,
How is Wiggles?
I know exactly what u mean.  I experience the same things with my rats.  My scratches swell up and get itchy, my throat and neck get all itchy and my eyes water and get itchy as well.  If you scratch it does get much worse.
I have begun cleaning my rats' feet with baby wipes before letting them crawl on me, and I find this does help with the itching of the scratches.  Try to keep your rats nails trim as well, this will eliminate scratches to begin with.  I simply wash the itchy areas with soap and water or a baby wipe, and this relieves some of the itching.  Whatever you do dont touch your eyes.   They are not so easy to relieve.  
There will really be no reason to give them up as long as you do not show asthmatic symptoms, in which case the symptoms will only get worse, and could result in a severe allergic reation and difficulty breathing.  
My step dad is allergic to any furred animals, which disappoints my mother since she, like me, is an animal lover.  I suggested to her to get some hairless rats.  she said, "No way, those things are so ugly!!!"  Is she crazy or what???  I think hairless rats are incredibly adorable, because they are so unique, and they feel so darned soft.  I am gonna get me one someday.  But for now I will stick to the 16 I already have.  Well good luck Gabrielle1976.  
Jess

[Christy]

Rat allergies seem to be pretty common.  Though it is mostly the urine that gets under the ratties nails that inflames your skin, more so than rat "dander".

I have found that tea tree oil works well along with neosporin.  The tea tree oil helps to sooth the burning and itching while the neosporin helps it heal quickly.

[gabrielle1976]

 
Hey everyone thanks for all the advice. Baby wiggles is holdiing his own i just wish he would grow faster so i wopuldnt worry so much its so hard to take care of something so small

[Tracy]

When I was 2, I was tested for food and animal allergies before my family travelled internationally. My parents always assumed what ever my father was allergis to I was also.  That meant anything furry, eggs, dust, and pollen.
I went to my allergist 2 summers ago to get tested again.  I wanted to know exactly what I was allergic to and to see if anything had become worse or if I had outgrown some.  Well, I can tell you what I am NOT allergic to: reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish and grass pollen.  And that horse...well that hive swallowed up all the surrounding hives on the scratch test so I had to be injected with serum that I was possibly allergic to on the scratch test. Not a pleasant day.
So after that day, I started to taking stronger meds (no steroids yet) and I got a wonderful inhaler for my allergy induced asthma.  
Even though I am allergic to most animals and dust and tree and flower pollen I still manage to volunteer at the Live Animal Center where I wrestle with woodchucks and headbutt with bobcats and come home fine.  Can't be in a mouse filled room for a long time though.
When my two rats were living here, I just cleaned their cage every four days and they got a bath every 2 weeks.  Their nails were trimmed and I felt evil everytime they whimpered.    I also had towels I put over my bed when they walked around and swiffered the floor after they got free time along with having animal only clothes and mopping bi-weekly.  No doctor could convince me to get rid of them so they started to just give advice on how to co-habitate. I did not have to use my inhaler with the rats although the female nails were sharper and caused hives (a little lotion took care of that as well as wearing double shirts cuz she liked to plunge into warm areas like bras). I did have to use the inhaler with the mice.  They are actually in a good home with alot of other mice and they get the love I was not able to give them.
Along with taking daily doses of Nasonex, buying allergy eye drops when I get the itchy eyes, and carrying my inhaler just in case, I do get allergy shots to the things I am most allergic to:cats, mites, ragweed pollen, and 8 different types of trees.  One thing I am dissapointed with is that the only allergy shots out there for animals are dogs and cats.  I am upset with this.  Think of how many people have exotics now or how many people work in the lab with rodents.  Apparently there's no market for this.  I'M A MARKET!!! And I bet there are others out there who would be too.
My serious allergies occur with mice and apparently horses.  I just take all the precautions because I don't want to end up losing another animal I have to allergies. I can live with the sniffles but I can't live with a constricted throat.  I go overboard with protection but I also fear the day when some doctor telling me that's it's my rats or my life.  

Tracy

[Anna]

I have asthma, and am very allergic to my ratties, but that doesn't stop me.
As long as I keep them very clean (no dusty bedding, carefresh makes me sick)  and their nails cut short I don't have too many problems.
I also use Hydrocortisone on itchy bumps when I get them (after putting my angels away) so the itch doesn't bother me.
I talked to my dr, and I have a nasal spray and eye drops for my "allergies" (I didn't mention I keep 8 rats) but spring really gets me too.
I also bathe my ratties every month or so (dry them well!) to clean up the under the nail stuff. Plus every 6 months or so (which is usually when I get a new ratty) I give everyone a dose of invectramin to make sure they are mite free.

Good luck
Anna

[Deedles]

Im very allergic to a lot of things, and have mild allergy induced asma, but I discovered something that treats both really really well (at least for me). My doctor gave me singulair and it basically treated both. Although when I had carefresh for my hamster, I couldnt take all the dust so we had to switch to aspen, which is fine.

I would suggest trying out singulair, getting free samples from the doctor. I know it might not be for everyone, but it works wonders for me.

-deedles

[Anna]

Ooh, I take singular too!
Good stuff, but won't help with runny eyes.

[star]

I call those itchy welts "rat bumps"  

[Anmllvr731]

Hi Gabrielle,
My, is Wiggles an adorable name, love it!
I use zyrtec for allergies and just wash my hands and arms real good after I put my ratties back. I use eye drops too, if they get itchy.
Good luck