Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum DIET & CARE fiance is allergic to hay!! how can i feed to my bunny?

Viewing 14 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • ARenee
      Participant
      4 posts Send Private Message

        Hello! I am new here and have a question for you guys.
        I know hay is very important to a rabbits diet.. but my finance is very allergic to the stuff! I cant have it in the same house as him. I was wandering if there is some type of substitute I can give Jim.. like a treat or block that would not have a lot of dust., and if that is still healthy for him? Hope you guys can help! Thanks so much!
        Ps my rabbit is 4 mth old mini lop


      • Monkeybun
        Participant
        10479 posts Send Private Message

          Timothy hay is the most common hay that people are allergic to. You can try other varieties, like orchard grass or oat hay. People don’t seem to react as much to those types. i know I for one can’t handle the timothy hay anymore, but the oat and orchard are fine for me


        • ARenee
          Participant
          4 posts Send Private Message

            I’ve tried Alfafa, timothy and orchard… He just has really bad allergies, Anytype of hay seems to make him miserable!
            I havent tried oat hay but I imagine it would have the same result. Its just so dang dusty that stuff gets everywhere!!
            I fount these and think I will give them a try: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753565


          • Beka27
            Participant
            16016 posts Send Private Message

              Hay cubes are not an adequate replacement for hay. It’s the long strands that are so important for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Once they are pulverized, the cubes lose that quality.

              Having a covered litterbox/hay holder should help to keep the dust out of the air. Invest in a high quality air filtration system. No bunny allowed in the bedroom. Always wash hands after feeding hay and cleaning up after the rabbit (obviously a good idea anyways!)

              Orchard seems to be the least offending hay, but it needs to be a high-quality, non-dusty variety. Where have you been buying hay?

              Does he know he is allergic to hay or could it be the rabbit itself?  Many people who THINK they are allergic to rabbits are actually allergic to hay, but some ARE in fact allergic to rabbits.  When did he last have allergy testing?  Did you know he was allergic to hay before you got the rabbit?  Has he explored his options for allergy control (medication, injections, etc…)?


            • ARenee
              Participant
              4 posts Send Private Message

                I know he is allergic to the hay because he is fine to be around the rabbit, but if I bring any hay into the house, he doesnt even have to be in same room to have a reaction. We just moved to our apartment.. Before I kept rabbits cage in our basement and fed him hay.. Everytime my fiance went to basement he would have reaction. Now we are all on the same level in a smaller home, There’s no way I can bring hay inside. Unless I feed him hay on our porch, but not sure how safe it is to bring him in and out… its going to be pretty cold soon.

                I bought hay at our local farm store.


              • FrankieFlash
                Participant
                1710 posts Send Private Message

                  I use orchard and oat. Wash my hands everytime I touch it. Sometimes if it’s a really dusty batch I use a mask when handling. Other than that I’m fine being in the same room with it when it’s settled. We also have air filters all over our house because of all my allergies. I think that’s helped a lot. I hope you can find something that works!

                  Also, I find the fresh stuff has more odors and dust to it so maybe try pre-packaged stuff like oxbow?


                • LoveChaCha
                  Participant
                  6634 posts Send Private Message

                    It could be the dust in the hay that is causing it

                    I have a 9 pound bag of Timothy hay in my sunroom (and there is a litter box for my bunny in my room) and it doesn’t trigger my allergies. I do have allergies to dusty hay, but I just bought a bag that was not as dusty I guess -_-

                    I hope that you find something that isn’t too dusty.


                  • Kokaneeandkahlua
                    Participant
                    12067 posts Send Private Message

                      What’s your set up and when is he getting reactions? Is your bunny in a living room that your fiance will frequent? Can things be changed so the bunny eats in a room your fiance doesn’t have to go into? Is your fiance handling the hay or having a reaction simply because you have hay in the house?


                    • Beka27
                      Participant
                      16016 posts Send Private Message

                        Rabbits need to have 24/7 access to hay, so it’s not possible to only feed him hay outside and bring him in and out. Hay particles will also attach to the rabbit’s fur, so even when he’s not actively eating it, just petting the rabbit may stir up these particles. I hope you can find something that works for you that will allow your rabbit to have the hay he needs and still lets your fiance live comfortably. It sounds like apartment living may not be a good idea since there is not enough space for the rabbit to be housed separately. A dry, climate-controlled basement would be a good compromise like you had before. If you’ve tried everything, less dusty hay, air filtration, covered hay/litterbox set-up, you may not be able to successfully have a rabbit AND your fiance, at least not in an apartment. I don’t recommend people give up their pets willy-nilly, but you may not have an option.


                      • ARenee
                        Participant
                        4 posts Send Private Message

                          When we first moved in to our apartment I had a handful of hay in his pet carrier for the trip, we rode in seperate cars, but I kept the carrier in the bathroom that night, and then put the carrier back outside the next morning.. My fiance had awful allergies that whole week. He gets itchy watery eyes, constant runny nose, sneazing like crazy and headaches. Hopefully I can find something that works for him, I’m going to give the blocks a try. But am definitely not getting rid of my rabbit! My fiance is allergic to almost everything, so of course he has tryed every type of allergy meds there is. Its really strange that he isnt allergic to the rabbit itself.


                        • Sam and Lady's Human
                          Participant
                          2001 posts Send Private Message

                            I’m allergic to hay. We buy 50lb oxbow orchard bales from drfosterandsmith, store it in the garage in the original box, and then my husband keeps a weeks supply in a medium sized plastic tub with a lid. He give them their hay every morning before I get up ( about an hour) and its helped immensely, I don’t even have a reaction anymore. The hay bales are really bad, super dusty with other allergens like pollen, so I’ve found the cheap hay bales are worse than normal bags or the oxbow bales. Might be worth a shot if you have the room to keep the bale separate.

                            the blocks are really not healthy for your rabbit, so if that’s the only option you may need to look into adoption.


                          • bunnygirl
                            Participant
                            636 posts Send Private Message

                              Arenee, as much as you love your bunny, it’s not fair to not give her the proper diet because your fiancé is allergic to loose hay. Rabbits need that long strand hay to keep the digestive tract moving and provide them with fibre. The cubed hay is not good enough to do that, so you’ll have to look into adoption if he isn’t allergic to oat hay. It really isn’t fair on the bunny, she’ll fall ill, and I don’t think you’ll want to see that. Wouldn’t it be better to see her healthy and happy in a loving home rather than hunched up and ill because she isn’t receiving what she needs? It’s a hard decision but its the best one. Please put your buns health first!


                            • bunnygirl
                              Participant
                              636 posts Send Private Message

                                If he is allergic to oat hay*


                              • LoveChaCha
                                Participant
                                6634 posts Send Private Message

                                  There are many that are not allergic to rabbits but are allergic to the hay instead.


                                • Kokaneeandkahlua
                                  Participant
                                  12067 posts Send Private Message

                                    It might be helpful to feed the hay in one room only that your fiance doesn’t go into, and use gloves when handling it and change your clothes after. Then adding something like an allergen air filter to clean the hay particles that may escape?

                                Viewing 14 reply threads
                                • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                                Forum DIET & CARE fiance is allergic to hay!! how can i feed to my bunny?