Any potential problem with switching to all hay cubes and an alternative dust?

[MNChinLover]

Hello,
I just got my chins less than 2 weeks ago and I didn't think I would be allergic as I went through the 5 year hundreds of allergy shots thing.

But I am already noticing my allergies are getting worse and worse. Unfortunately, my chins have to be housed in my room this year, until I move. So that is not helping having to sleep here. I am however out of the room most of the day unless I come into check on them and say hi.

I know I am/was allergic to hay and dust, mold, etc. before the allergy shots.

I really think it might be just the dust, so I have ordered an alternative allergy friendly dust from whimsys menagerie. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with this product? Anyone know what it is comprised of?

I also ordered about 3 pounds of hay cubes to try and see if my chins will eat those (one it would make a lot less of a mess! And hopefully not trigger my allergies and asthma) and then maybe I could just give them a bunch of loose hay like once a week if they do eat the cubes? What do you guys think? I am worried about teeth issues.

Do you think it would help to have my closet door shut (where I am currently storing the hay)?

I feed oxbow Timothy pellets, just for more information.

Also would other chin appropriate hays be less allergy prone? I am giving them a little bit of alfalfa and mostly Timothy right now.

I am also about to change the shop fads filter to the fine dust/particle one instead of the standard one it came with.. Hopefully all of these changes will help! I have been taking a daily dose of Benadryl everyday this past week and my symptoms are getting worse each day.. My eyes look terrible today for example on top of watering eyes, sneezing and being stuffed up a lot.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Dreamlite]

Hay cubes is not a problem. A lot of large ranchers feed only hay cubes and do not have teeth issues. The dust I am not familiar with but I know a few owners who dust their chins in the tub/shower so they can rinse the extra down the drain to help with allergies. Have you tried adding an air purifier? That may help reduce some of the airborne particles.

 

[MNChinLover]

Do you know how much hay cubes they should be eating if I were to only feed hay cubes?

I plan on getting another air purifier but am researching to find what is going to do the job and not break down.

 

[EternallyCynical]

The only thing that I find to be irksome with hay cubes (I feed loose hay and cubes since my boy is picky and will sometimes prefer one over the other and frankly anything I can do to get him to eat hay is fabulous) is that if you've got real heavy shedders or your chins are going through a heavy shedding period, you may end up with waste. My boy had a big heavy shedding period a little while back and he's still 'shedding' a bunch because he's got all kinds of dead hair stuck in his fur that he won't let me get out.... =.= His butt's all spiky and tufty but if I so much as touch back there I get an unhappy squeak and he runs off and gives me the stink eye. So when he was losing a whole ton of fur I held off on the cubes but even now I have to break them into small pieces that he'll eat quick because otherwise they get all kinds of hair stuck to them which I worry about him eating, although once they get hairy he seems to largely ignore them. Although, I think there are actually hay cube holders out there? I swear I've seen those before. So if you had something like that that kept them up and out of the way you might not have to deal with that problem, if you even have to in the first place (dunno if this is a widespread issue?). It could be the timothy hay too, I've heard of a lot of people having allergies to specifically the timothy...

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Hay cubes can be hung up on wire the same as a piece of wood. Might be something to try.

 

[MNChinLover]

Thanks for your input! I still have a bunch of Timothy to use up, but after that maybe I'll try and do a good clean and try some smaller bags of other hays, are there any that are unsafe for chinchillas? Or is there some sort of grading system for example Timothy being best, then ____, and so forth?

Also if I were to feed just hay cubes (and pellets) I am worried that they won't be eating enough hay cubes? Should I worry if they don't eat a certain amount per day?

If they seem to like the hay cubes I'll probably search and buy one of the hay cube holders.. I saw one once before.

I really hope it's not their hair/little bit of dander they do have.. The other things I can change! But my eyes are crusting shut the last two days and yesterday was the first day I got stuffed up later in the day being elsewhere in my apartment.. So it looks like I'm going to have to take Benadryl twice a day until I can get this figured out and solved.

Could they be shedding more than normal? They are almost 10 and 16 weeks old and I heard that kits "prime" their fur like 3 different times.. Sounded like they shed their baby fur and get their adult coat?

 

[Dreamlite]

Prime is the chinchilla word for shedding. Kits will shed 2-3 times as they get in their adult coat then its 4 times a yr (most owners will only notice the major primes in spring and fall). Right now most of my chins are priming, so the chin room has some impressive dust bunnies. All hay is good to feed. I avoid alfalfa cause it is very high in protein and should only be given to nursing moms. Orchard grass, timothy, blue grass.... all great to use. Some hay cubes will be an alfalfa mix and those are fine as long as its not straight alfalfa.

 

[MNChinLover]

Oh I didn't know prime was just a chinchilla word for shed!

I am excited to say that after researching different air filters/purifiers, I have officially ordered one that should be delivered here by Wednesday! (Sooner the better as my allergies are becoming unbearable..) I should really have one anyway.

I also have hand sanitizer that I use before and after handling my chins, changed the shop-vac filter from the standard, to the fine dust filter, bathed the chins in the bathtub yesterday, got gloves (and will be getting a face mask) for cleaning the cages, and ordered the hay cubes and a one pound sample of the allergy/asthma friendly dust.

I really hope that with these changes my allergies will go away.. if not I may have to look at rehoming my chins as I have nearly died from an asthma/pneumonia attack due to allergies in the past (and since then went through the hundreds of allergy shots over several years..)

I think these changes will work.. but time will tell!

I really think the biggest problem is the dust.. unless it is their hair/dander too because I had the hay and such in my room before I got the chins and had no problem. I didn't really notice a problem until about a week after getting them and during that time they had two dust baths.. so it has to be one or both of those things.

 

[Godofgods]

Mine are rly bad as well. For dust baths i have an air filter and dust masks. I give them there sand bath late at night. Put there baths in and then leave the room. Come back a little bit later, clean them, and move around to the next chins. Then when im done i put the used sand in a plastic bag and tie it off. Crank up the air filter then leave the room. - By the time i wake up the next day the air in there room is usually fairly clean on dust.

 

[MNChinLover]

Yeah I'm really hoping the air purifier does a great job.. It should come tomorrow!!!
I have been getting hairs or something stuck in my eyes, and so my eyes are super sore and red, they get like glued shut while I sleep and I can't breathe out of my nose as it gets stuffed up and then my throat hurts lately when I get up.. I'm assuming dust or hair is getting stuck in the back of my throat. It has been pretty miserable, and I have been taking two Benadryl every day lately. And it is just getting worse everyday...
I am washing my blankets and pillowcases today to see if that helps at all. Can't wait for the air purifier to get here!!!