A guinea pig is a great first pet for children, but sometimes, children find out that they're allergic to their new furry friend. Your child's doctor may recommend getting rid of the guinea pig, but if your child is very attached to their pet, they may not want to do this. Here are four tips for managing your child's guinea pig allergy without getting rid of their pet.
Clean the cage more often
People who are allergic to guinea pigs aren't allergic to their hair or dander. The saliva and urine are the culprits, and with thorough and regular cleaning, these allergens can be kept under control. While non-allergic people may only clean their guinea pig's cage once a week, allergic people should clean it more frequently to keep saliva and urine under control. The ideal cage cleaning frequency will depend on the severity of your child's allergies, so you'll need to experiment to determine how often the cage needs to be cleaned.
Bathe the guinea pig
Guinea pigs are clean animals, but their saliva and urine still accumulates on their fur over time. To help control these allergens, give the guinea pig regular baths. Guinea pigs have sensitive skin and shouldn't be bathed as often as dogs, but they can be bathed every three or four months. Guinea pigs don't like having baths and will struggle, so for the animal's safety, an adult should be in charge of bath time.
Move the guinea pig's cage
While your child may like keeping their new pet in their bedroom, this exposes them to a lot of allergens. If your child shares their bedroom with their guinea pig, their stuffy nose and other allergy symptoms may keep them up at night. To make your child more comfortable, make their bedroom a guinea pig-free zone. Set up the guinea pig's cage in another room of the house, preferably a room with a door that you can keep closed at all times to contain the allergens.
Get a HEPA filter
High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters force air through a fine mesh and filter out tiny allergen particles. Trapping these particles can help control your child's allergy. These filters should be placed in rooms where your child spends a lot of time, like their bedroom. You should also place a filter beside the guinea pig's cage.
If your child's new guinea pig is making them sniffle and sneeze, try these four tips to ease their symptoms without needing to get rid of their pet. If these methods aren't enough, take your child to an allergy specialist to receive allergy medication.
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