6 Best Hypoallergenic Rabbit Breeds For People With Allergy

Fluffy animals are one of the best stress relievers that we can have, and most of us love to have them in our house. The problem arises when pet owners have allergies since not all rabbits are hypoallergenic. In this article, you will know what rabbits are hypoallergenic.

What does a hypoallergenic rabbit mean?

There are several causes why a person gets an allergy. Some of these causes are pollen, dust, food, and fur. You read it right! Fur can trigger someone’s allergy. But a human body has a defense mechanism to fight off these foreign substances once they attack the body.

Once a hypersensitive person gets any of these allergens, that person’s immune system will produce antibodies. These antibodies will fight off that foreign substance that may be harmful to the body.

As a result of an allergic reaction, the person may have digestive problems, rashes, and trouble breathing. When the allergy gets severe, a person suffering from allergies may get anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis is a severe and lethal allergic reaction that may cause a person’s blood pressure to drop instantly.

Thus, you must be cautious in getting pet animals, particularly dogs, cats, and rabbits. You must check first whether they are hypoallergenic or not.

Hypoallergenic rabbits are those rabbits whose fur contains few allergens. Most rabbits are not hypoallergenic, and you need to avoid these breeds. These rabbit breeds’ fur is prone to animal dander which catches substances that can trigger someone’s allergy or asthma.

Animal dander is mainly composed of a rabbit’s dead skin and a specific type of protein that gets off from the rabbit’s fur once they start shedding.

To avoid getting allergies from rabbits, we listed six breeds perfect for people with allergies.

What rabbits are hypoallergenic?

Rabbit allergies are associated with those rabbits with long fur or hair and those that shed a lot. Fortunately, there are some rabbits that you can still bring home as a pet. These breeds share the same physical characteristics: small-sized, short hair, and shed less.

Here are the best six hypoallergenic rabbit breeds that you may get.

1. The Tan Rabbit Breed

hypoallergenic rabbits

Most people mistakenly call these rabbits hare as they have a similar look. Though they are of compact sizes, they have beautiful long and lean legs and a smooth arch body structure.

The Tan Rabbit family doesn’t need extra grooming as well since they have long hair but beautiful short fur. The length of their coat and their compact size help a lot for them to become hypoallergenic. Which makes them a good pet rabbit for those who have allergies.

 

2. The Rex Rabbit Breed

hypoallergenic bunny

The Rex Rabbit Breed is one of the largest commercial rabbit breeds. They are raised and farmed for meat due to their muscly legs. This breed has an average weight of roughly three pounds and is widely known for its strength, colors, size, and silky fur.

This rabbit breed is hypoallergenic because it sheds less. The Rexes rabbit breeds are known for their colors, size, and silky coat.

They also have lovely rabbit traits that make them the best pet buddy.

 

3. New Zealand White Rabbit Breed

are rabbits hypoallergenic

Though most hypoallergenic rabbits are compact-sized, a select few giant rabbits make a list, and the New Zealand White Rabbit is one of them.

The only problem with the New Zealand White Rabbits is commercial rabbits. Thus, they may not work well with their owners, especially with the children and new rabbit handlers, as they do not have the ideal pet temperament.

 

4. Californian Rabbit Breed

hypoallergenic rabbit

Another domestic rabbit that made our list is the Californian Rabbit Breed, primarily raised for its meat and coat.

What makes them best for seniors, first-time handlers, and children is that their coat is short, making them pick up fewer allergens than other rabbits with long fur.

However, you should be mindful every spring if you choose this rabbit. The Californian Rabbit breed is usually shed during the spring season. Most of the time, they shed twice a year.

Thus, you may need a groomer every spring or time they shed to help them with their shedding. You may also need to put them outside your house if their pen is inside the

 

5. Silver Fox Rabbit Breed

are bunnies hypoallergenic

Though this breed was commercially raised for their meat and unique fur, the Silver Fox rabbits make a good pet for people who has allergies. Apart from that, they belong to the gentle rabbit group. They work well with children making them the best house rabbit.

There’s a catch, though. Unlike other hypoallergenic rabbits with short fur, the Silver Fox rabbit breed has a longer coat than other rabbits on the list.

Also, their fur does not fly back when stroked in the opposite direction. For the fur to be back into its place, you need to manually stroke it back to its place.

This fur characteristic means that their fur won’t easily get tangled or matted since the strands stay as is when stroked instead of blending with the other four strands.

Additionally, the Silver Fox rabbit has fewer chances of getting or accumulating pollens and other allergens because of this characteristic.

 

6. Silver Marten Rabbit Breed

hypoallergenic rabbits breeds

The last but not the least hypoallergenic rabbit that we have on the list is the Silver Marten. Silver Marten is an old rabbit breed developed by breeding a wild rabbit with Chinchilla rabbits in the 1920s. As a result, the Silver Marten inherited the gorgeous thick yet smooth fur.

Though the Silver Marten’s size is between medium to large, this does not affect their fur characteristic, and the fact that they shed less means that you do not need to hire a groomer to maintain their fur.

These characteristics made them the best candidate for hypoallergenic pet rabbits.

They are also lovable and make excellent pet rabbits with children.

What rabbits are not part of the hypoallergenic rabbit group?

It is easy to determine which rabbits are not hypoallergenic. You don’t need to know their breeds since you can quickly classify them based on their coat or fur.

Rabbits with thick and long coat and those that shed a lot in a year are those rabbits that can quickly get pollens and dust that may trigger your allergy.

Some rabbits that may trigger your allergy include the following:

Can you turn a non-hypoallergenic rabbit into a hypoallergenic rabbit?

While it is true that most rabbits are non-hypoallergenic, there are ways to make these rabbits accumulate fewer allergens.

Remember, allergies are maybe caused by pollens, dust, food, and other allergy-triggering substances. Since the rabbits in this topic are pet rabbits, you will not be making a rabbit stake out of your pet rabbit. This leaves us with pollens and dust as the primary cause of allergy.

If your pet rabbit triggers your allergy, it may mean that they are dusty and stinky. Since you have already figured out the possible causes of your allergy, the next thing you need to do is to address it. The best thing to do is hire a groomer to have them cleaned.

However, it doesn’t stop there. You also need to clean their hutch or rabbit pen. Otherwise, your newly groomed rabbit may still have a bigger chance of getting some allergens.

Thoroughly clean their cage and include their toys. Wash them if they needed, too.

Another way to lessen or prevent rabbit allergies is to let your rabbits put their hutch or pen outside your house. This will decrease the dust particles and the spread of animal dander in your home.

Lastly, you must also observe your hygiene. You must also wash your hand after holding your rabbits if possible. And you must practice changing and take a bath regularly to remove all the rabbit dust in your body.

What to do if you get a severe rabbit allergy?

Before you go to the Doctor for a possible rabbit allergy, you must ensure that what you have is an allergy and not just a simple sneeze. Here are some of the symptoms when you get a rabbit allergy.

  • Shortness of breath
  • Hives
  • Swelling
  • Low blood pressure
  • Palpitation
  • Dizziness
  • Itchy and Watery eyes
  • Clogged nose (Runny nose in some cases)

If you have all the minor symptoms listed above, you may just treat your rabbit allergy like a regular allergy. Take an anti-allergy medicine that you can just buy over the counter.

However, if you have low blood pressure, shortness of breath, and palpitation, you must go immediately to the hospital as these symptoms can kill you.

Summary

Contrary to what most people believe that the fur triggers a person’s allergy, allergies are caused by certain substances that stick to the rabbits’ fur. Thus, any rabbit breed with pet traits makes a good pet. Just make sure that they, their place, and their toys are clean.

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