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DO HYPOALLERGENIC RABBITS EXIST?
INTRODUCTION
As with dogs, cats, birds and other pets, rabbits can trigger allergies in humans. This situation can be somewhat uncomfortable for families, especially those who are new to rabbit ownership, if not managed appropriately.
According to the Spanish Society of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Paediatric Asthma ‘Allergy is an exaggerated reaction to exposure to substances foreign to the organism, external substances and different to the components of one's own organism, which produce the appearance of different symptoms’.
Allergies are different in each case, varying in their symptoms and intensity; some people develop them as soon as they come into contact with the allergen, while others may develop them over time, even after several years of contact and coexistence with the animal.
Many people, when an allergy to a particular animal is detected, opt to get rid of it (the easiest option) without complicating their lives, when what they should be doing is looking for all possible solutions to their situation.
In this article we will focus on rabbit allergies.
WHY DOES A RABBIT GIVE ALLERGIES?
When we talk about allergies caused by rabbits, we can find different sources of allergens and, before ruling that it is the rabbit itself that gives allergies, we have to do all the tests linked to what the rabbit is allergic to, for example:
SKIN / SKIN: The flaking of the skin occurs naturally on a daily basis, so we can develop an allergy to this element in particular, it is not as frequent as others which we will see in this list.
WOOL: Some people are allergic to rabbit wool, so breeds with extensive moulting or large amounts of wool such as the Angora, the Teddy Dwerg, the Teddy Lop, the Flanders Giant or the Lionhead are not recommended. Brushing our rabbit well to remove dead wool is the best option.
SALIVA: The protein in the saliva can be another type of allergenic element, the rabbit is an animal which cleans itself by licking, it is a very neat animal and the saliva remains impregnated on the surface of the fur.
VECTORS: In this case, rabbits become a vector for another type of allergen that has nothing to do with their body, which happens in the case of allergy to pine wood or some types of hay (grasses). By being in continuous contact with these elements, the rabbit becomes a vector transmitting this allergen, not being the cause of the allergies but a carrier of them.
This can be solved by changing some habits.
As we can see, the ‘rabbit allergy’ can have many origins, so at the first symptom of allergy we should have specific tests for all of them in order to know which is the cause and which is not.
WHAT DOES ‘HYPOALLERGENIC’ MEAN?
The term ‘hypoallergenic’ is widespread, even fashionable and considered ‘better’ for health. Some people think that a ‘hypoallergenic’ product or animal cannot cause any kind of allergy, but this is a mistake because in reality what it means is that this product, animal or element has a much lower probability of causing an allergy compared to its peers.
HYPOALLERGENIC RABBIT BREEDS
Do they exist? Yes, they do exist and they all have one characteristic in common: the length of their fur.
Among the rabbit breeds which exist in the world, the breeds considered ‘hypoallergenic’ are those which have ‘rex’ type fur.
REX: The Rex rabbit is very popular as a pet in some European countries, but is especially appreciated in the fur industry for the quality of its fur and extreme softness. It is a medium-sized breed which weighs around 3.5kg and has a noble and calm character.
MINI REX: It is the miniature version of the Rex, with an adult weight of about 1.5kg, it has a more active character than its large version.
PLUSH LOP: The lop-eared version of the Rex rabbit is an improving breed with a large presence in the UK. Its morphology is similar to the Dwarf Belier but with the ‘rex’ coat and a weight of between 1.900kg and 2kg.
It is also known as ‘Belier Nain Rex’ or ‘Belier Enano Rex’, in Spain it is extremely scarce and there are no ethical or family breeders dedicated to it. It was created by crossing the Dwarf Belier with the Standard Rex.
MINI PLUSH LOP: This is the miniature version of the Plush Lop (as is the case with the Mini Rex) and was created by crossing the Mini Lop with the Mini Rex, weighing around 1.5kg.
These breeds are most recommended because their coats are extremely short and their shedding almost unnoticeable, so the chances of them giving an allergy to someone with a rabbit fur allergy are minimal.
WHAT CAN I DO IF I AM ALLERGIC TO MY RABBIT?
If you are a rabbit allergy sufferer, have a rabbit or are thinking of adopting one, an important part of preventing or reducing symptoms is hygiene measures and knowing how to choose a breed that suits your needs.
Some of the measures to prevent the symptoms of allergy to rabbits are:
PRECAUTIONS WHEN TOUCHING THEM: It is recommended to touch our rabbit with gloves or, if we do it with bare hands, not to touch our eyes, nose or mouth; after petting our rabbit we will have to wash our hands immediately to eliminate the allergen.
HYGIENE: As in any type of allergy, it is always recommended to keep the house clean, eliminate dust frequently, ventilate... Regarding the cage or space where the rabbit lives, it should be cleaned correctly, with gloves and a mask. A good option is to buy an air purifier.
DELIMITING SPACES: Although we all like the romantic idea of our rabbit living free in the house, when we have an allergy to him it will be better to delimit his space, either by means of a park or leaving him a room exclusively for himself, in this way he will not have contact with carpets, furniture and objects of personal use. Obviously, the allergic person's room is not an option.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT BREED: As we have seen there are breeds which are more recommendable than others when it comes to living with an allergic person, here we will have to opt for an ethical breeder, as it is quite complicated (not to say almost impossible) to find rex or plush rabbits in a shelter.
SPECIFIC MEDICAL TREATMENTS: In the market we have several products to reduce pet allergies, such as sprays to spray on the fur of the animals (completely safe for them), for this we will consult our trusted veterinarian.
CONCLUSION
When we are aware that we have an allergy to rabbits and we want to live with them, we have to be very clear about the pros and cons and try to anticipate what may happen, choosing an animal that adapts to our needs and modifying our house to be able to live with it. If the allergy arises after having it at home, our responsibility as owners is to try to find ways to avoid getting rid of it, something that we can only do (getting rid of our pet) in the most extreme and justified cases of allergy, for which we will look for a good home or go to a shelter that can advise us. In the market we have several products and treatments for both the rabbit and ourselves, so that disposal is the last option of all.
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