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[–]ksemel 6 points7 points ago

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Buy an air filter! I have terrible asthma and my buns' hay sets me off so badly I use a filtered respirator to clean their cage.

I have two air filters and it makes a HUGE difference. I have this one by the buns: Honeywell HFD-130 Germicidal Tower Air Purifier with Permanent IFD Filter, and this one by my bed Sanyo Air Washer Air Purifier.

The bun-filter is a monster. It's nearly 2 feet tall and can be a bit loud on the higher settings, but it's got a washable filter inside. You would not believe the GUNK that comes out of this thing when I clean it. It keeps the dust from the hay down pretty well and provides white noise to keep the buns from flipping out over every passing car too.

The other filter I haven't had long enough to say if it's good or not, but it's fancy and quiet. It shoots out water from the top and has "odor detection". I say get the monster. :)

[–]batgirl289[S] 1 point2 points ago

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Thanks for the advice. I'll order both the respirator and the Honeywell thing. I'm still going to look for a new home for my rabbit in the meantime, because I don't want to get my hopes up. But if these work for me as well as they work for you, then you're going to be my hero :D

[–]charlesvonhoppington 3 points4 points ago

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I use yesterday's news litter...it's made of recycled newspaper. I'm allergic to grass and hay as well, this doesn't bother me.

[–]batgirl289[S] 0 points1 point ago

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But you put hay on top of the litter, right? How do you deal with that?

[–]charlesvonhoppington -1 points0 points ago

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I do not put hay on top of the litter, hay is not necessary. The newspaper litter does not get on the bunnys' feet at all and they don't eat it. I just give them some hay in a bowl and make sure to change it out frequently (once a day) so that dust doesn't accumulate in it to make my nose stuffed up.

[–]somethingclassy 2 points3 points ago

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Sorry to be rude, but it sounds like your bunnies are not getting enough hay. They should have an unlimited amount at all times for numerous reasons. Yes they may have gotten this far without it but they will develop long-term health problems eventually.

[–]bunny1979 1 point2 points ago

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My two rabbits were over-weight because we didn't realize that they needed wayyyyy more hay than pellets. We put them on a diet and bam, they're fat has been melting off. Our vets would both be so proud of these two:D I should post a before and after ಠ_ಠ

[–]charlesvonhoppington 0 points1 point ago

If they run out of hay, I give them more. I've had rabbits for 13 years and giving them hay in this way has not caused any health problems that I know of. Sandy, my parents' bunny, is 9 years old and very healthy. If we put too much hay in their cage at once in our experience, the bunnies throw the hay around and make messes, so we just give them what they want. They get unlimited hay, they just don't sleep in it. They have a specific bin for hay.

[–]strolls 2 points3 points ago

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He's gorgeous!

Please don't give up. I can see you're planning to order the air-filter, and I'll cross my fingers that works for you. If it doesn't then please make a new submission, and hopefully we can work on some other advice.

He's such a lovely boy, I'm sure you'll regret it if you give him up.

You are NOT a failure. Your medical condition is NOT your fault.

[–]batgirl289[S] 1 point2 points ago

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I was feeling really down when I wrote this post, but I'm back to normal now and I'm totally determined to keeping him. He's my soul bunny, and so he's worth the suffering :P

Just wanted to say thank you for your kind words, they really cheered me up.

[–]myredditusernameisAB 2 points3 points ago

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The first thing you will need to do is look for the least dusty hay. Don't buy it from a pet store, go to a place where you can buy it by the bale and ask them for the one with the least dust.

Separate the bale outside and shake off as much of the dust as possible. Use a mask while separating. Don't store the hay inside if you can help it.

I know you have said you tried many different kinds of hay, but have you tried blue grass hay? Some people that are absolutely allergic to every other kind of hay have no issue with it, and it has helped many bunnies and guinea pigs stay in loving homes with people with allergies.

Some people are also great with Sweetmeadow brand hay (http://www.sweetmeadowfarm.com/products.html). It has practically no dust and the bunnies love it!

I have heard people swear by those air filters. They put them next to the bun's cage and it has even helped some people who were allergic to the actual bun.

I have also seen people cut a hole in a box or buy an enclosed hay feeder, so the hay won't get everywhere and is constantly enclosed with just a bunny head sized whole for your guy to eat through. You can cut a hole in the back of the enclosed litter pan as well, for even less exposure.

If you do end up needing to give you bun away, ask the shelters if you can foster. Remember, rabbit rescues want to help bunnies. If you give them a way to help you, they will! If you offer to get your bun fixed (not sure if he is neutered already, but it is a requirement of most reputable rescues before adoption) and to foster him until adopted, I am sure some rescue will be able to help. Other than that, try listing him on the classifieds section of Petfinder or posting fliers in your local pet stores (ones that don't already sell bunnies).

Just know that if you do decide to rehome, it will be a hard process. Not only is it harder to find a good quality home for a bun then say, a dog or cat, but your rabbit is also "plain." I know that you love his personality, but honestly, if someone were looking to adopt a bunny, and they could pick your sweet guy or a mean lop, they will pick the lop. I know it is ridiculous and sad, but I see it happen all the time. Looks almost always win out over personality. I fostered a boy that looked almost identical to yours. He had a winning personality, great litter box habits, didn't chew furniture, everything someone could want in a house rabbit. He ended up being with me for over a year, constantly being passed over for a bun with cute markings or a dwarf or one with blue eyes. That's just the way it is.

As for other people's comments, please don't just feed straw, it does not have the nutritional value they need. Don't feed just oat hay, it doesn't have the nutrients either, but will make your bun obese. Don't just use hay cubes, as rabbits need the long stems of the hay to wear down their teeth, and the cubes are just compressed little pieces (similar to particle board vs whole wood blanks).

Sorry for the long response, but I really think you have a great chance of keeping this bun!

[–]amebee16 2 points3 points ago

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He is one of the cutest bunnies I've ever seen! Ever since the time you posted about how he loves to walk on a leash my boyfriend and I talk all the time about how we wish we could clone him! When I saw this post the other night I literally ran into the other room to show him your post and we're heartbroken for you that you might need to find a new home for him! :( I wish we lived closer, I would adopt him in a heartbeat if you had to part with him :( Good luck with all the advice everyone has given you. Someone mentioned Sweet Meadow brand hay - it's amazing! Sweet Meadow is the next town over from us and we always get our hay there. Once we ran out and I ran to Petco as a backup for the night. My bf was up all night sneezing and having trouble breathing. Might be worth a try!

[–]s_pete 1 point2 points ago

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I use those wood fuel pellets as an absorbant, and aspen mixed with cross cut paper shreds for the fluffy stink reducer. Works great. Still need hay for munching though.

[–]vitaebella 1 point2 points ago

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In addition to the air filter, stop using hay as litter. No need to have that much loose hay about. I'm really allergic to hay as well, but I have had zero issues since I stopped using the hay as litter. I have a hay feeder that I only have to refill about once or twice a week so Sail gets his fill, and I cover my mouth and nose with a bandana and wear gloves when I refill it. I haven't had any reactions since I started giving Sailor hay that way, and he's pretty happy with the arrangement. He loves pulling the hay out of the feeder and sometimes even hopping in! (I don't use the lid, and he's still a teeny little thing).

Don't give up, and please please please please please please don't euthanize. There's absolutely no reason for that at all. Someone out there will be willing to take him off your hands if you can't resolve this problem. If you can afford euthanasia, you can afford to drive him to someone else who would be willing to take care of him that's outside of your immediate area. I'm sorry that you're in this situation, but putting him down is definitely not the answer.

[–]batgirl289[S] 1 point2 points ago

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Thanks for the tip. Honestly, I was pretty off last night when I wrote this (I've been really, really ill for the past week). I would never euthanize the little guy. I'm in a pretty desperate situation, there's no doubt about it. Not just the allergy thing, but I'm also dealing with lots of personal stuff that have all decided to come crashing down on me at once. But I could never do that. I'll edit my post to take the euthanasia thing off.

[–]vitaebella 0 points1 point ago

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I totally understand. We don't always think things through, or we sometimes hyperbolize the outcomes to a situation when we're stressed out or sad. I'm sorry you're going through so much right now, and I hope everything works out so that you can keep the little guy. Losing a pet in any capacity is just awful, and probably wouldn't much help everything else. If you need someone to talk to, PM me. I'm really busy so I can't guarantee a fast response or anything, but it's something right?

Good luck <3

[–]batgirl289[S] 0 points1 point ago*

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Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it right now. Unfortunately, I've just been given a sort of ultimatum from my mom saying that my rabbit has to be out of the house asap. I'm in school and currently unemployed and there's no way I'd even be able to provide care for my rabbit if I were to have to pay rent on my own.

I don't see any way around finding a new home for him, but I'm determined to find him a decent place to go to. Time restraints are killing me (he needs to be out of here within a month), but if necessary, there's a no-kill humane society in San Diego with nice accomodations for rabbits that I can take him to.

edit: Mother cooled off. The rabbit is staying :)

[–]footstepsfading 0 points1 point ago

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Have you tried using something other than hay as litter?

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/litter.html#litter

[–]batgirl289[S] 0 points1 point ago

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Well, he needs to eat hay regardless of what kind of litter he uses, right? If I use a different litter, it will just mean that I will need to put little amounts of hay in the box throughout the day, which will just increase my contact with the hay.

[–]footstepsfading 0 points1 point ago

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Yep. Have you tried various types of hay? Timothy hay, straw, oat hay?

[–]batgirl289[S] 0 points1 point ago

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Yeah, I've tried every kind I could find. Orchard grass used to not affect me at all, then suddenly I started being more allergic to orchard grass than anything else.

[–]chinchillapower 2 points3 points ago

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Have you tried hay cubes instead of loose hay? That may reduce your contact with the stuff and decrease your symptoms.

[–]bunny1979 0 points1 point ago

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AND those cubes come in plain Timothy which is MUCH better for your bun than a Timothy-Alfalfa hay. Most excellent suggestion:D!!! Also, have you been using any anti-histamines to try to combat some of the symptoms?

[–]wubbleschnaft 0 points1 point ago

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Have you tried contacting the rescue places? I know the one I volunteer for just rescued a ton of rabbits but we have a waiting list that you could ask about. It might take a few weeks to clear a space in our foster program for your rabbit but we've been having some pretty successful adoption shows lately. If you want some more information, feel free to PM me. :)

[–]morebinkies 0 points1 point ago

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I have air filters and cannot use loose timothy hay. Only orchard grass hay. But I can give my buns timothy hay cubes. this cuts down on dust. where gloves and mask when you change the litter too. I also have air filters.

[–]countsby5 0 points1 point ago

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Have you gone to an allergist? I'm allergic to our rabbits and to hay/grass/everything else, and since figuring out meds and a few other things, I'm just fine.

[–]nyxmori 0 points1 point ago

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Just curious, how are things going for you and your rabbit? Are your allergies getting better?

[–]batgirl289[S] 2 points3 points ago

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I ordered some things that ksemel recommended and I hope they help, but I've decided that regardless, I will keep my rabbit. He's my soul bunny, and I'd be lost without him, so he's worth the suffering :)

[–]nyxmori 1 point2 points ago

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Glad to hear things are working out! Good luck, he's a darling!

[–]batgirl289[S] 0 points1 point ago

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Thank you!