Allergies, pregnant chin and air purifiers?

[Caroline]

A few months ago it became apparent that all of my kids (and I) were showing allergic reactions to something to do with the chinchillas. It is so bad that my oldest daughter had to stay somewhere else when she came for a visit. I feed them (the chinchillas, not the kids) the purina rabbit show food and timothy hay cubes. Daughter #2 tested allergic to timothy so we are guessing this may be part of the problem. Wondering if we could switch to alfalfa cubes? How do chinchillas do on that? Hoping that would help with the allergy situation.

I am wondering if anyone has had success using an air purifier/ionizer to keep allergies at bay? If so what kind?

I had put Gracie (from Chins-Northwest) and Eiffel (from Rivendell) together beginning of October last year. After 6 months and no sign of pregnancy I decided that perhaps Gracie at age 2+ was just to old and separated them. Now here we are nearly the end of May, me planning on going away for a week and after being down for 1.5 weeks with the flu I take a good look at Gracie and notice that she is looking larger than normal. I took her out and weighed her and she has gone from approx 820 g to 1010 g in a month. Not sure if I can feel any nipples but there may have been the start of something.

Luckily I haven't booked my flight yet but would sure like to go visit my 85 year old mother. Not sure what to do?

 

[Caroline]

Oh and btw, cage is babyproof with a space of 6/8 of an inch between bars. Daddy is in another cage so it is just mama. It was recommended that I purchase a metal rabbit nesting box for her to use instead of her wooden house.

 

[Bundalo]

3/4" bars may still be a little wide, depending on the size of the kit. When we had our surprise kit born, the cage had 3/4" bars and we thought we were good. The kit was tiny, though, at 34g, and darned if she couldn't find her way out. I think in places where the lateral support bars of the vertical bars were spaced just so, she could bend the bars out enough to pop through, but not get back in. So we had to wrap the cage in 1/2" wire mesh. Even then, we put a little dish of food out "just in case", because she's quite the houdini.

I've actually considered getting an air cleaner myself, and if I do, I'd look for one that is both HEPA rated and takes air in at floor level, and vents it up towards the ceiling to prevent any direct-on-chin drafts, and one without any ionization features, as they can create ozone, which in certain quantities can be harmful.

 

[Caroline]

Good to know, will wrap cage in hardcloth on the exterior, that should keep even the smallest of babies in.

 

[Spoof]

HEPA filters make a huge difference. Some friends just picked up one of those big Idylis monsters from Lowes and they really like it. It is very quiet unless a particular cat walks by and it goes nuts. It also goes nuts if we make popcorn or burn something. I have definitely noticed a difference in the air quality in their house.

I have a couple of custom-made jobs in the chin room to collect the wafting hairballs. They are 20" box fans with 20" furnace filters attached. I use the Trueair collect-everything $20 model furnace filters for the house then retire them to labor in the chin barn. You can usually hose them out three times before they disintegrate.

On to the fattening female. Put your hand under her and leave it there for a few minutes, if she is far enough along she will "nestle" into your hand. If she doesn't, she probably isn't very far along. If you don't feel kicks you're probably good for a up to 6 weeks. If you feel kicking it could be any time in the next 1-4 weeks. If you want to leave anyway, get a single level baby proof cage and leave. I know it is frowned upon but it is rare I'm here for the births. Last year all but two babies were born while I was out of town. Knock on wood in the last 12 years I have never had a birthing issue where I needed to intervene.

You don't have to give hay cubes, just a good quality pellet. )

 

[tcraighenry]

^ I use a HEPA filter in my bedroom, it really helps!

 

[Stackie]

I have bad asthma and I'm allergic to more and more things by the day it seems (of course chinchilla dust and hay being one of my main allergies). I have a HEPA filter running in the chin room and living room and it has significantly helped me. I also make sure I vacuum daily to get as much loose fur/dust/hay that I can picked up.

 

[Caroline]

I personally could not leave until babies are safely on the ground or I knew that I could leave knowing that I still had several weeks before delivery. Tragically I know first hand that things can go much can go terribly wrong during delivery, both human and animal.