Allergy to domestic rabbits in a child
When a pet lives, households sometimes have an allergy. Domestic decorative rabbits are no exception, whose fur is quite thick and dense and can lead to an allergic reaction. Allergy to rabbits is often manifested in children, whose organisms have not yet developed immunity enough to withstand the effects of protein compounds present in the rabbit's body.
Rabbit allergy in a child
The nature of rabbit allergic reactions
The appearance of an allergy to a rabbit in a child may appear at the very beginning of his life - in infancy, when the baby is introduced to his first complementary food. Baby food often contains rabbit meat, which has dietary properties and is perfectly suitable for children in comparison with the same chicken. Meat is also nutritious and rivals turkey in the amount of fat it contains. However, the peculiarities of the child's body may not perceive the rabbit protein, causing an allergic reaction.
The allergy that appeared in infancy in a small patient will manifest itself with further contact with the animal.
In some cases, protein components contained in the skin, coat and rabbit secretions, such as saliva, can cause severe allergies. At the same time, the possibility of eating rabbit meat without further reactions is not excluded, but contact with the animals themselves causes allergy symptoms.
Rabbit allergy sources
The main part of the allergenic particles that cause the reaction of the child's body are concentrated in rabbits:
- in the outer skin layers (epidermis) and wool,
- in the saliva secreted,
- in urine and excrement,
- in meat tissues and internal organs.
Allergic reactions in children by pediatricians began to be observed most often due to the fact that decorative rabbit breeding produces amazing breeds of animals for home keeping, differing in color, an unusual palette of the eye iris. Such decorative rabbits are willingly given birth as pets, without thinking that hybrid breeds took from their progenitors the ability to shed at least twice a year, leaving dead skin particles behind. Falling off residues and hair during the shedding process become one of the main components of house dust, which causes allergies in a child.
For persons with an increased threshold of sensitivity to rabbit protein contained in the epidermis, even short-term contact will cause subsequent complications. Allergy to rabbit hair is most common in children.
The urine and excrement of rabbits has a high allergic concentration. For this reason, allergies can form and appear after two or three cleanings of the rabbit cage.
Symptomatic signs of allergies
The manifest allergy to a rabbit in a child is directly related to the reaction of the child's body to a certain type of protein, to which an increased threshold of sensitivity has developed.
Protein in waste products
Allergies caused by urine and pet excrement can come on quite suddenly, and their symptoms are increasing at a high rate:
- there is a persistent hysterical cough,
- there is a feeling of insufficient air and there are severe attacks of shortness of breath, like asthmatic,
- nasal congestion occurs, sneezing, nasal discharge of a liquid consistency appears,
- there are cases of swelling of the laryngeal tissues,
- redness of the skin in the facial region, cervical region, and body is recorded.
If the patient has a diagnosis of bronchial asthma, the reaction to the waste products of rabbits can lead to suffocating attacks.
Caring for animals and close contact with them leads to the appearance in children of rhinitis and conjunctivitis with an allergic nature.
Allergy to meat products
The entry of an allergen into a child's body with the use of rabbit meat, an allergic reaction can be observed in the oral mucosa and the lower part of the gastric intestinal region. Among the main symptoms of an allergy to rabbit meat:
- the appearance of bouts of nausea,
- flatulence - bloating,
- arising pain in the stomach and intestines at the same time or symptomatically,
- digestive disorders in the form of diarrhea.
In extreme severe cases, anaphylactic shock is noted, the appearance of which is often associated with the use of rabbit meat and the alpha-galactose contained in it.
Attribute response
In rare cases, children have an allergic reaction not to the animal itself, but to attributes that are helpers and necessary means for keeping and caring for rabbits. These sources of allergens include:
- feed mixtures,
- fillers for domestic rabbit litter boxes,
- animal bedding for cages.
Allergy treatment regimen and prevention
Diagnosis of rabbit allergy and its treatment is carried out on the basis of blood tests for the presence of F213 immunoglobulins, the excess of the required amount of which indicates a positive reaction. External signs of the disease - laryngeal edema, urticaria on the skin, shortness of breath, can also serve as symptoms for the diagnosis.
The most important aspect in the treatment of allergic reactions is the frequent confusion of their symptoms with the symptoms of acute respiratory infections, therefore, with self-treatment, time is often lost and the disease starts.
Signs of allergy in children to rabbits are manifested and proceeding more acutely than in adults and, if ignored, can lead to serious consequences.
Among the main drugs prescribed by pediatricians for diagnosed childhood allergies:
- antihistamine series,
- absorbents,
- corticosteroids for acute forms of the course.
However, the first recommendation for the patient will be to eliminate the source of the allergy.
If you are not ready to part with your pet, then you can provide for some restrictive measures of direct contact as preventive measures:
- the rabbit must have a closed cage, from which the animal is released for a walk every day, while if the child is allergic to a rabbit, other household members should be involved in cleaning the cage,
- contact of a child with an animal should be predominantly visual,
- during the molting of the rabbit, it is necessary to comb out in a specific place in order to maximize the collection of wool and dead particles of the epidermis after the combing procedure,
- it is necessary to exclude the stay of the rabbit on upholstered furniture and in bed, and after his walk to wash the floors.
It is better to place the cage with the animal away from the child's room.