what does an allergic reaction to animals look like?

[SnowyShiloh]

Hey everyone! For the past month plus, I have been suffering from itchy bumps. At first it was only a couple, but I've been getting at least 2 or 3 more every day and now have over 40 itchy bumps on my torso, arms and thighs. They start out as raised somewhat large white bumps and look/feel just like a mosquito bite. Within the first day, they shrink a little bit and become red. Then over the next couple days, they shrink more and are just a little pink. Then they turn into scabs. The whole time they itch like mad and the hot water when I take a shower makes them worse.

What could it be? I thought maybe it was a new soap, so I switched back to the old kind, then I thought maybe it was the dry weather, but now I have so many and it's been more humid lately, so that doesn't seem right. It's been suggested that maybe I'm allergic to Tallulah, the bumps started about two weeks after I got her. Why would I not be allergic to Cinnabun who I had for 7 years or show anything with Rory, who I've had since October, before now? It is quite puzzling. Oh and no worries, my bunnies are MINE forever and a few silly bumps won't change anything.

Thanks! :biggrin2:

 

[Becknutt]

Iget a similer reaction from certain laundry detergents. My best friend is severly allergic to cats and I know he gets red puffy eyes and sneezing, but no bumps.

 

[MsBinky]

Check your PM

 

[pamnock]

The symptoms sound a lot like chigger bites (mites). I'd get to the doctor for an accurate diagnosis. The rabbits could be a possible source of the mites.

An antihistamine should help ease the symptoms in the meantime.

Pam

 

[slavetoabunny]

Could it be bedbugs? Bedbugs are "hitchhikers" and you may have brought them back with you when you returned from your trip. Here is some info on them:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bedbugs/DS00663/DSECTION=2

 

[trailsend]

It really can show itself in many different ways. My husband has horrific allergies but to just about everything - so his show up in various ways. His allergies to our dogs and cats (and buns) are mostly respiratory as mine are. He also gets really itchy and has severe skin problems but those are caused by other things. I'm not sure by the sounds of it that it is the buns - you would have been allergic to your others. You should maybe go to the doctor and get it checked out if it is so persistent and you can't for sure narrow down the origin. It's no fun to suffer with these things

I know my skin is sensitive to laundry detergents, body washes, weather, and it's really dry. So all of those things can cause trouble for me.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

MsBinky and I were discussing the possibility of bed bugs, but Paul sleeps in the same bed and he hasn't had a single bite. When he gets mosquito bites, the surrounding area gets all red and angry looking and the bite looks bad, so I'd think he'd notice bed bug bites as well.

I'll look into the mites thing! Gosh, I feel like such a slob if I have mites or something :shock: I swear I take a shower every day and our apartment is not a mess!

I won't be able to make an appointment until after St Patrick's Day (it's spring break next week and I'd go to my university's clinic), but I will go in!

 

[pamnock]

I've contracted mites from rabbits a couple times - generally at this time of year. They are common in the trunk area.

Pam

 

[MsBinky]

Yeah bed bugs don't make sense to me anymore. I don't know, they were the first thing I thought about (well bugs in general) and posted in privatejust in case.Lol. Mites sound like a pretty good cause actually. Very true about the torso. I can't say I have experience but I read up a lot on it while researching a bug here. I hope it's not, but hey, if it is, now you know how to treat it. But then again, wouldn't Paul get them as well?

 

[pamnock]

MsBinky wrote:

But then again, wouldn't Paul get them as well?

Not necessarily.



Pam

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Well, I paid more attention to my itchy bumps today, and I'm really not sure they're only happening at night. It seems like I get an itchy spot, itch it a bit, and then as I itch it I can feel a bump rise up out of the smooth skin. Also, I noticed that I get very few of them on my back. How interesting... You know, Tallulah was an outdoor bunny before I got her and she's had that flaky skin on her back that the vet diagnosed as dry skin. The bumps did start soon after I brought her back to Alaska. Pam, if it is bed bugs, how could Paul not also be bitten? What are the symptoms of mites on a person, and how would the doctor diagnose mites on a human?

The medical people at the university's clinic haven't been terribly helpful in the past. Once they had no idea what any of the things were (I had terrible sores on the corners of my mouth for over a month and was experiencing the sensation of tiny bubbles that I could hear running up my spine several times a day- this was 2 years ago and I still get the bubbles every day) and another time I found out I could get BC cheaper from them, but a month later they sent out a letter saying that type was getting so popular that they wouldn't stock it anymore. Ridiculous.

 

[pamnock]

Paul could be getting bitten by bed bugs, but may not be having an allergic reaction to them. More bites are reported in women than in men, and some people have little or no reaction to the bites. Bite locations are most common on the arms/legs.

Bites in the trunk area are more common with mites. The mites can cause very itchy, red, raised bumps. A doctor would diagnose mites with a skin scraping.

I would recommend going to the doctor for an accuratediagnosis so youcan pursue proper treatment. Do mention to the doctor that you have a rabbit and that it has been suggested you may have contracted mites.

Pam

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Pam, will do! Thanks a ton for the insight, I never would have thought mites. You said you've experienced them before, how hard is it to get rid of them? Both from a person's body and from the environment! I guess if I have mites (I feel like a cat), Tallulah and Rory will need to go in to the vet. I would think that if Tallulah has them, Rory will too? And what about Paul? I ask so many questions!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Okay, I did some research and learned a few things. First of all, I read that the mites that infest animals are not the same as the ones that infest humans (scabies). Mites that infest animals can be transferred to people, but can only survive for a few days. Because I have physical contact with Tallulah many times every day, I could be infesting myself constantly and be "replenishing" my mite supply. Or at least, that's the conclusion I've come to. For human mites/scabies, the doctor prescribes a pesticidal lotion that you have to smear on every evening and leave on overnight, but I wonder if I'd need it since the mites would die on their own in a few days once Tallulah (and I'm assuming Rory) are de-mited. Also, if the buns have mites, why aren't they itchy?

 

[pamnock]

SnowyShiloh wrote:

Okay, I did some research and learned a few things. First of all, I read that the mites that infest animals are not the same as the ones that infest humans (scabies).

Rabbit mites do occasionally infect humans - and they can indeed survive on humans over a period of time. In all my years of handling rabbits, I've only contracted rabbit mites twice, so while it's not very common, it does occur.

I don't feel that it would be prudent of me to offer treatment options without a professional diagnosis

Pam