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Skink Allergies?
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 6:15 pm
by Emz3
So... I get allergy/asthma type symptoms when I clean my skink's tank. It's very strange! I clean their tank as needed, but generally once a week. (With poop pick up in between.) I have noticed that after I clean out the tank my allergies act up. I am super confused because I thought skinks were hypo allergenic? A normal cleaning consists of tanking my potato lizards out and letting them crawl around. I pull out their wood hides, rocks, water dish, fake plants, etc. I give everything a good shaking out and clean their water dish well. They have carpet in their tank so I vacuum it or wash it in the washing machine if it needs it. I rarely wipe down the tank glass, but I do when it needs it. Almost, instantly, my nose starts to run and toward the end my lungs tighten up and I cough and wheeze. I don't think I'm actually allergic to the skinks, but what else could it be?! Is there any other skink by-product that I could be inhaling?!
Just thought I'd throw this out there to see what others think?
Re: Skink Allergies?
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 6:29 pm
by Susann
Are you allergic to dust? That would be the only thing I can think of unless you react when you're holding the skinks...
Re: Skink Allergies?
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 6:34 pm
by Emz3
Dust was my only thought as well, but I keep them in a big walk in closet with wood floors. Not a very dusty room, but I'm sure there is dust. ...and I am allergic to dust. I never react to them when I am handling them. Weird, huh?
Re: Skink Allergies?
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 6:53 pm
by Toria Dawn
Is it just the carpet in there or do they have a substrate? Lots of substrates could cause allergy symptoms. Maybe the wood hides? When I had a house with carpets, I always found vacuuming gave me allergies (all the dust in the vacuum). Maybe you're allergic to vacuuming!
Re: Skink Allergies?
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:55 pm
by donkeybuff
I get a runny nose and sneeze when dealing with dust from cypress mulch.
Re: Skink Allergies?
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:27 am
by bluetonguerocks
it is most likely due to the dust cos i do face the same issue when i clean out the tank
Re: Skink Allergies?
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 12:51 pm
by Emz3
Dust really does make the most sense even though it's not a really dusty area. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't something creepy like fungus, mold or poop dust!
