So lately I've been breaking out in hives when I handle the gliders, and I've pretty much stopped handling them becuase of it.

Tonight I was handling the little joeys only to change the pouch and this is what i looked like when I was done. Sorry the coloring is off, the flash would turn my pasty skin all white

Do you think I'm allergic? I now have asthma attacks when I go into the bedroom and need an inhaler- I've never had asthma issues before. I do clean their cages and things out regularly.







I don't know what to do. If I do rehome them part of me wants to for free, and part of me says I've spent way too much on their cages so no way will they be free.

Leia is insane, nobody will want her. I'm crying because i have no idea what to do.

i was like that with my rat. i kept him tho. does ur breathing become all raspy and stuff?

Yeah, like I start wheezing and coughing really bad. I have to use an inhaler to calm down.

I am by far not an expert on gliders...but when I first got mine, before thier wodent wheel came in, their nails were so sharp, they left little puncture holes that would puff up and get red like that. Are your glider's nails sharp?? Benadryl will help if you are allergic. I would see if that helps and that will help you determine if you are allergic. Also, they have a topical Benadryl. My daughter has really severe asthma, and so far ours have not bothered her asthma. (I know everyone is different though). I bought 6 hooded and pocketed sweatshirts when we were up in Ruidoso for the weekend at the end of February so I would have them with the gliders. They have a pocket to crawl in the front and a hood to crawl in and get under. It keeps thier little nails from poking holes or irritating my skin. I sure hope it ends up being something else and not that you are allergic to them. Also, you might check if you use a different detergent on thier pouches and bedding (I have read a lot of people use Dreft or unscented soaps). If it is different than what you use, that might be the cause also. Are you allergic to any foods? Maybe if they are eating something and touching your skin that could also cause it. If you think you find a food that bothers you (I am allergic to avacodos) then put that on your skin and see if there is a reaction. Just a few thoughts...I am sure someone will come along with some more advice. Please keep us posted!! I hope your hives get better!! (((Hugs)))

No, these joeys are only like 5 or 6 weeks old. Their nails didn't touch me at all because I had them on their backs rubbing their bellies.

I have no food allergies. I m allergic to any kind of detergent but gain and baby stuff. I wash the glider pouches when I wash our towells and stuff.

I do not have asthma though. I got bronchitis and got an inhaler for that and lately anytime I'm in the bedroom or washing the glider cages or toys I have to use it. I thought it was the hot water loosening stuff up from my lungs.

Lately I've been having really bad allergies and hives, itchy eyes. I've went through a whole box of benedryl in the last few weeks but it makes me pass out.

Like I said, I thought I was allergic to my ferrets but I handle them all the time and they lay all over me, and my computer is right next to them and i dont have issues. I go and handle my little joeys and just break into hives.

Oh yeah, i put benedryl hand cream on and my hives are going away.

I get a Kenalog shot twice a year for my allergies. I guess if you want to keep your babies...that might be an option?? Also, I have heard people talk a lot about un-nutered males causing more allergy problems. I know you said you have Joeys...do you have any older ones? Just trying to throw out a few ideas to help you! :) Feel better soon! I hate allergies...they are just miserable!!

I think if it got to the point where you would absolutely need to find them a new home you shouldnt feel badly about asking for a re-homing fee for them - like you said you have put alot of time/energy/money into them and while there is no way to get all of that back it is reasonable to expect the new owner to be able to afford to pay some money for the cage - supplies and gliders - but I hope you wont have to - I know I would be so bummed if I had to find new homes for my babies! You are in our thoughts and prayers!

it may be that u have to many? when i had bocow (a rat) id just break out but when i got my other 2 rats after a few days i couldnt breath at all and would break out alot.

try alergy meds, they may help. i know they helped my mom with my sister's cats

I have less gliders now than I've had in like a year though.

Are you using oral benedryl and topical benedryl both at the same time? For some odd reason, I want to say that my step Mom had told me that using both at the same time is extremely dangerous. I tried looking it up but didn't find anything as of yet so maybe I'm wrong. She was a nurse and said you can have severe reactions if you use both at the same time. Not saying you are but sounded like you might be. I'm going to keep looking but I might not be able to say if what I just said is true until the morning. I just didn't want to not say anything and then be right and have you possibly using both.

well there is always that shot to take....

I just found something that did mention this but its very vague and I'm not finding alot on it. If you are using both, I'll call my step Mom in the morning and speak with her about reactions if you want. She used to work in a dermatologists office. I'm gonna feel really stupid if I mentioned this and I'm wrong though. :(

Yep looks like allergies to me. I have the exact same problem with my rats. The rashes look exactly like that only a little worse. If I'm around them for too long I can't breath very well, eyes swell up, nose clogs, and the tiny rashes turn into large welts. I love them too much to give them away. So I take benadryl before I handle them and take them away from their cage so I'm not inhaling the the bedding. I agree with the whole un-nutered male thing. The vet told me that the urine of un-nutered male rats is what mostly causes the allergies. They walk all over their urine then penetrate your skin with their nails. I don't know if it is the same with gliders but maybe. They don't bother me much, sometimes a little rash but not bad. I always wear long sleaves and cotton gloves with the fingers cut off (so they can still smell me), which works pretty well. Just a thought

No, I'm using hydrocortisone cream, not benedryle, but they all pretty much have the same active ingredients.

I just take the benedryl pills when my allergies are so bad that I dont' think I can move. When my eyes get blood red and poofy and running and my nose starts running.

But yeah, when I was holding the joeys neither of them peed on me and neither of them were walking on me. I let Trinity walk on me and she didn't pee either and I still had the hives

Neosporin helps me when the girls scratch me. Maybe that would be an option for you when you are taking your oral meds for allergies...

OK I am going to post about this because I do have some experience with the whole allergy problem. Our doctor told us that your body chemistry can change and what you weren't allergic to yesterday might very well cause you serious discomfort or worse today.

NOW.. I would suggest taking an allergy medication like Zyrtec every day. Get it into your system and see if that helps. If you still are having the reaction ... specially the asthmatic weezing... I hate to say you will probably be at the same point Philip and I were at with Peppy. I know you hate to do it but your health is nothing to screw around with. Try to note if it's when you hold ANY of them or just boys or what... You might want to start keeping a diary of what happens if they lick you. Sometimes it's just the saliva you are allergic to.

I hope you find something that works for you so that you don't have to rehome your babies. It was the hardest thing for me to do.

OH and by the way... You can also drink a hot cup of black coffee and it will help stop the weezing.

Oh yeah, I read caffience calms it down so I just drink some diet coke. I'm not a coffee lover, especially black coffee.

Like I said, this has been bothering me for some time. Our last trips to TN and back I sneezed over 50 times. I went through a whole box of kleenex and eventually i was just sneezing up blood. My eyes were poofy and I just felt like crap. I never posted until now because today Tim saw it and freaked out.

I thought i was allergic to the ferrets so I cleaned gandalfs bed really well and it still happened. Since we got Frodo I knew that it may have gotten worse but I dont have any issues with them. They sleep with me during the day and my computer is right next to their cage and obviously i'm on it a lot.

lately too I've been waking up (gliders in the bedroom) with my lymph nodes swollen and when I lay around in bed they stay swollen but if I get up and go to school the swelling goes down pretty fast.

Glider_mommy, thats a good idea to take notes about when it happens, maybe take pictures too. i was hoping you'd post becuase you have experience with this.

I used to have a prescription for Zyrtec-D because I have a huge sinus cavity and got sinus infections all the time, but since its went OTC i just haven't bought it. I guess I should but since I've moved to Ohio I just haven't had any of my seasonal allergy problems. Ive had one upper respiratory infection and thats it. I used to get a sinus infection every other month in TN.

We can see how this goes. I'll trim all their nails just to be sure its not that too but i had hives in spots they didn't even touch me

Well.. ya know how suggies like to lick all the goody off their claws?? Well when they do that then they scratch you ... that saliva or anything else gets into your blood stream and that is why you break out in more places than where they touch you. The OTC Zyrtec is just as effective as the script kind was. Try taking that every day... be consistant... it might help your allergy to them. It worth a shot.

Oh and like I said keep the diary of your day to day things you come in contact with and the time of day you break out ... I know it can be a pain but it might help you see a pattern. That is how we figured out it was Peppy that Philip was allergic to.

Rhea I would take all the advice glider mommy can give since she's been in this situation before. It sounds absolutely miserable and I feel so bad for you! Zyrtec is running a special down here in TX, so I would ask about it in OH too, if you buy the 30 day supply OTC you get 10 more pills free. I hope it gets better for all of you!

I buy the generic Zyrtec at Walgreens. Seems like my allergies have got progressively worse each year since I quit smoking -- in 2000! I used to only take them at certain times of the year and now I HAVE to take them all of the time. I forget one every now and then and I always pay for it later.

I would definitely recommend trying the allergy meds. I know that I probably wouldn't need them if I rehomed my tiels and gliders but there is no way I could do that!!

Hope it helps!!!!

:(

I just went to the Dr. last Friday...I was having awful allergy problems. I really thought it was the dust/food stuff the meal worms come in. After I put them in a bowl for the gliders...I blow the extra dust off. My eyes had been itching and watery and my lymph nodes were HUGE!! The ones on the right were over half dollar size, it hurt to even move my neck. I got a Kenalog shot (I get them 2 times a year) and a prescription of Allegra. By the next day I was feeling much better. I ended up having a sinus infection and had been coughing up stuff in my chest. I got an antibiotic for that stuff, but I just wanted to give you some hope that maybe it can be controlled with allergy meds. I am sure it would be a hard decision to rehome your babies. I hope you find something that works. You also might try holding them in some clean fleece and just pet them with your fingers. See if that still makes you break out. Get feeling better soon!!

Oh Rhea!! I really hope you can figure out the cause...

Aww I am so sorry. Try the Zyrtec and see what happens. Hope things get better.

The drugs of choice to treat allergic reactions and asthmatic symptoms are steroids (hydrocortisone,prednisone) and antihistamines ( benadryl,chlortripalon,zyrtec,et al). You can choose from a huge selection of antihistamines eg drowsy,non-drowsy,short acting, long acting. In a severe reaction you will get epinepherine should you go to the ER. The picture you posted looks like hives to me and this is a skin irritation due to contact with an allergen.Using topical benadryl and pill form at the same time,you are essentially double-dosing and even over dosing depending on how often you are doing this thru the day. You need to be careful with that.Applying hydrocortison cream and taking benadryl,however,is perfectly acceptible.

Hope this helps,
Sylvia

I'm sorry you're having trouble Rheasha.

I get a rash that looks just like yours but none of the other symptoms. Mine is from Dizzy's nails. (He won't run in the wheel.)

Ya know since I have had this set my allergies have been 200 times worse. OR I am sick and cant kick it!

Gonna call the doc and see what he says! Gliders stay!!! LOL No matter how many meds I need!

Good luck with the Hives... dont know anything about those!

sorry i didnt read any of the other posts so maybe someone else said this.

yes your allergic, I get these every day when i play with them and it only gets worse when i try to wash my arms off. the only things that help me are benadryl. i dont get any wheezing, but i do sneeze. Im allergic to cats,horses,trees,grass,tons of food, types of dyes, etc, so im not surprised i was allergic to gliders.

oh and i dont know how you feel about this but keep their nails trimmed as short as is comfortable for them, ive noticed that i get rashes only when the nails get into my skin. this should decrease the rashes by a lot. It worked for me.

im sorry, i know allergies suck! good luck!