I am worried that in the few days we've been looking after Molly the border collie, my other half has been showing symptoms of allergy to her. Itchy eyes, inflamed skin etc. It's surprising as he's never had allergies towards dogs only certain cats and dust.
Any experience of this, anyone? Is it easy to control or does it make your life a misery?
Has anyone successfully controlled an allergy to dog fur?
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
-
jodieohdoh
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:17 pm
Not that I know of. I am not allergic to dogs in general however coming in close contact with a wet dog will give me asthma. I am allergic to cats too. My sister is allergic to a maltese who are supposedly hyperallergenic. 
First be sure it is the dog and not pollen/mold etc. If you are dog sitting for a short time then probably an OTC med will do(benedryl, claritin, etc)Try to keep dog outside as much as possible when hubby is home, vacuum really well, and limit her to 1 room when they both are in the house.
If its long term & not helped with an OTC med then he can get a shot.
Most people probably wouldn't want to go thru that tho--time/expense/pain.
Good Luck to you both!
First be sure it is the dog and not pollen/mold etc. If you are dog sitting for a short time then probably an OTC med will do(benedryl, claritin, etc)Try to keep dog outside as much as possible when hubby is home, vacuum really well, and limit her to 1 room when they both are in the house.
If its long term & not helped with an OTC med then he can get a shot.
Most people probably wouldn't want to go thru that tho--time/expense/pain.
Good Luck to you both!
-
Fundog
- Posts: 3874
- Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
- Location: A little gambling town in the high desert
My sister is allergic to pets, period. However, she is not willing to live without them in her life. She was a teacher for awhile, and had great health benefits. She decided to go through the desensitisation series of shots, so she can enjoy pets and be less miserable. It seems to be working for her-- whenever I see her, she doesn't show any symptoms-- if it weren't for the fact I was told about her allergies, I would never know she had them!
For those who are not lucky enough to have such a comprehensive health care plan, there are a lot of allergy control medications available these days. Some are over the counter, and some require a prescription. Talk to you doctor, and to several friends/acquaintances to choose the best one to start experimenting with first. Also, as time goes on, our bodies have a tendency to develop a resistance to certain allergy medications, making them less effective. In those cases, it is time to switch to another-- at least for awhile, so you can "fool" your body's immune system again.
For those who are not lucky enough to have such a comprehensive health care plan, there are a lot of allergy control medications available these days. Some are over the counter, and some require a prescription. Talk to you doctor, and to several friends/acquaintances to choose the best one to start experimenting with first. Also, as time goes on, our bodies have a tendency to develop a resistance to certain allergy medications, making them less effective. In those cases, it is time to switch to another-- at least for awhile, so you can "fool" your body's immune system again.
-
jodieohdoh
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:17 pm
-
Fundog
- Posts: 3874
- Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
- Location: A little gambling town in the high desert
Don't do anything drastic just yet. Give it some more time, to make sure it really is an allergy, and not a virus (there are certainly a lot going around lately!). In addition, some plant allergies may taking living in a region for many years before manifesting. Get a referral to an allergist, to find out for sure what is causing the symptoms. They can run specific tests to pinpoint the allergens. You'd feel awful if you gave her up only to find out that it wasn't the dog afterall!
They can be controlled depending on *how* allergic. We have a cat and a dog and I am slightly allergic to both 
Zyrtec (OTC allergy med) is fine for me but there is also prescription meds and allergy shots - although it can take up to a year for the shots to start working. 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I know in CATS you are allergic to a protein in the saliva. Most people are more "allergic" to cats because they clean themselves, spreading more saliva on their skin/fur, so I'm presuming dogs are the same.
So there's not really such thing as hypoallergenic dogs. Dogs with hair (compared to fur) can be less irritating, though.
Molly-dog could have a stronger allergen, that's just the way it is. My step-mother is allergic to cats but loves them dearly, and swears up and down that she has built a tolerance to *her* cats because she is much more allergic in other people's homes. Could be the case with your hubby.
I'm with Fundog ~ definitely get him tested at an allergist before making a big decision!
Zyrtec (OTC allergy med) is fine for me but there is also prescription meds and allergy shots - although it can take up to a year for the shots to start working. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I know in CATS you are allergic to a protein in the saliva. Most people are more "allergic" to cats because they clean themselves, spreading more saliva on their skin/fur, so I'm presuming dogs are the same.
So there's not really such thing as hypoallergenic dogs. Dogs with hair (compared to fur) can be less irritating, though.
Molly-dog could have a stronger allergen, that's just the way it is. My step-mother is allergic to cats but loves them dearly, and swears up and down that she has built a tolerance to *her* cats because she is much more allergic in other people's homes. Could be the case with your hubby.
I'm with Fundog ~ definitely get him tested at an allergist before making a big decision!
Allergies are funny things.
If i spend time with other peoples dogs I will find I wheeze a bit and can get itchy, but over time that goes away, as I get used to the dog or cat.
I am MUCH better with dogs fed on a raw diet, I can only assume these shed less fur/skin and lick/scratch themselves a lot less (certainly that is the case with my own dogs).
See if an over the counter antihistamine helps, and seriously consider allergy testing to find out exactly what is causing the reaction before doing anything as drastic as rehoming the dog. There are a million and one things that can provoke an allergic reaction in people, and these things can come on suddenly after years of being ok, or they can build up over time, or they can come on and wear off once you are used to something.
Saliva and dander tend to be more irritating than the fur or hair, but some types of coat on a dog will retain more dust/dander/saliva than others.
There is a product called Petal Clense which you wipe the dog with that can help a great deal, as can really thorough grooming with the appropriate brushes/combs etc outside (by someone not potentially allergic!).
Using a vacuum cleaner regularly that has a HEPA filter on it can also help a lot.
Not suggesting you arent clean and tidy....
- but extra vacuuming can do a lot of good.
Funnily enough though I have five dogs.. and I'm not the worlds biggest fan of housework, my house and other houses with lots of dogs but hard floors and leather sofas etc... doesnt set me off.
Houses with carpets though! Oooooooh... not good for me at all!
If i spend time with other peoples dogs I will find I wheeze a bit and can get itchy, but over time that goes away, as I get used to the dog or cat.
I am MUCH better with dogs fed on a raw diet, I can only assume these shed less fur/skin and lick/scratch themselves a lot less (certainly that is the case with my own dogs).
See if an over the counter antihistamine helps, and seriously consider allergy testing to find out exactly what is causing the reaction before doing anything as drastic as rehoming the dog. There are a million and one things that can provoke an allergic reaction in people, and these things can come on suddenly after years of being ok, or they can build up over time, or they can come on and wear off once you are used to something.
Saliva and dander tend to be more irritating than the fur or hair, but some types of coat on a dog will retain more dust/dander/saliva than others.
There is a product called Petal Clense which you wipe the dog with that can help a great deal, as can really thorough grooming with the appropriate brushes/combs etc outside (by someone not potentially allergic!).
Using a vacuum cleaner regularly that has a HEPA filter on it can also help a lot.
Not suggesting you arent clean and tidy....
- but extra vacuuming can do a lot of good.Funnily enough though I have five dogs.. and I'm not the worlds biggest fan of housework, my house and other houses with lots of dogs but hard floors and leather sofas etc... doesnt set me off.
Houses with carpets though! Oooooooh... not good for me at all!
