Are My Pets Poisoning Me?

[Brightstar]

Hi all,

This is a fabulous site, I only found it last night googling info on what happened yesterday and have already learned a lot.

I noticed yesterday after feeding my pets (mini farm here lol) and smooching with one of my ponies, he'd been lipping at me and I had pony drool and feed residue on my arm inside my elbow. Thinking 'ick' I just wiped it off and didn't think much of it. Got back to the house and not 10 min later noticed my arm is itchy... look at it and EEK!!! Red, nasty, pimply looking rash!

I showed it to DH who immediately said 'Can't be gluten, you didn't eat it." to which I replied "Well what else could it be? It's milled grain in their feed!"

Which got me thinking, my hands and arms are always itchy after I feed, even after washing them and recently it's been a lot worse and then it hit me... 2 weeks ago I was given 1/2 dozen bags of feed wheat which I've been giving to the calf and chickens. The feed wheat is quite dusty and I know I get it on me but I didn't think it would hurt me unless I ate it (so the Dr told me) but it sure seems like I am showing contact allergy symptoms.

Anyone else had issues like this? I need to look into alternative feeds I think.

Reading on the forum this morning I see shampoo and conditioner can cause rashes so I'm off to read mine because I also have a scalp rash I can't clear.

I has thought I was doing ok with avoiding gluten most of the time given DH still eats it but I knew I was getting some CC. From this forum I found even kissing can make me sick!

With all the grain in the cat, dog, pony, calf, goat and chicken feed I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how to get around it all.

I diagnosed myself late last year after years of Dr telling me there was nothing wrong or I was just stressed/depressed and did an elimination type diet test. Dr agrees with my diagnosis. I'm still trying to get my head around everything I have to avoid and all the things that can make me sick I never thought about before.

Worked out just last week I also have sensitivity to cows milk so looking for milking goats as I can drink goat milk just fine.

This diet thing just keeps getting more complicated!

Thanks for reading, I'm so glad to find people who understand and don't think I'm crazy.

[ravenwoodglass]

While you may also have an allergy to wheat what is more likely happening is your breathing in the dusty wheat. DH is an antibody reaction in the skin which happens when the gluten contacts mucous membranes in the nose or eyes which then cause the antibodies to flare.

You need to make sure you wash well after feeding the animals. Also wear a dust mask and put your hair up under a hat. If you can keep an old long coat or robe in the barn area and perhaps even change clothes afterwards or even better have someone else feed them it might be a good idea.

If you do have DH you also need to avoid iodine in foods and supplements for a while. It takes some time for your skin to get rid of antibodies and it will take a while for them to leave.

[Mari]

Nice to hear from another mini farmer, I did biointensive farming for 15 years before retiring. I didn't raise animals, had dogs and cats over the years. I'm very sensitive to gluten, being near a pot of boiling sphagetti gave me problems for days - was I ever fog headed and scared to drive. I could not use some fertilizers and soil amendments so learned more natural ways to grow food crops and nursery plants. Loose straw and hay, green grass would give me a prickly rash so wore long sleeves/gloves while handling it. I avoided dust as much as possible, the inexpensive dust masks worked quite well.

People with digestive system damage and poor immune systems tend to acquire parasites more easily than other people as they have lost the bodies first line of defense to these invaders. Some of these parasites can cause allergies and increase an allergic response to allergens in general. Often the usual lab tests won't find them but there are test offered at Metametrix Labs (from your Dr) and Diagnostech Labs (from your vet) often will. I did not have the tests but used several herbal parasite programs and got out many parasites and stay on a maintenence program to help with reinfections.

One local ND used muscle testing and a small machine to id parasites in her clients. She told me that one person who raised horses had about 8 parasites and 4 or 5 of them were horse parasites.

You will learn to adapt to gluten-free farming. I would sell at a small local farmers market and three of of women were Celiacs. One woman was a cattle rancher, Another raised sheep for wool and produce.

[Brightstar]

ravenwoodglass - I didn't know about the iodine, I shall keep an eye out for that. I'm guessing it's for sure in my seaweed rice crackers.

I will try the dust mask, I think there may be some in the shed. I do try to be good about wearing long sleves but it's so hot here at the moment (summer in Australia) and I do pay for it if I don't. I also have 'critter clothes' that I only wear out to feed. I might have to start showering after each feed while I have this dusty wheat. A hat is a great idea and i really should have thought of that!

Mari - I know exactly what you mean about the rashes from handling hay and straw. I use wood shavings as bedding because I react so badly to straw and I can't deal with it every day cleaning boxes. I always have hayfever meds on hand when I have to go get hay because I know I will be utterly miserable without them. I also get hayfever when DH mows the grass and when the farmers around here cut hay.

What you say about the fog headed is interesting, I've been feeling like that lately. Not pleasant at all.

I had no idea about the parasites, that's pretty scary! Defiantly something to look into.

Love to hear more about your biointensive farming, that sounds very interesting.