[Amanda_1981]

I'm pretty sure.. almost positive that I'm allergic to my dog. I got him almost 3 years ago and have noticed that during that time period, my 'seasonal' allergies (which should only be dormit in the spring because the testings showed I was allergic to trees at that time) have gotten increasingly worse since I got him. I've also noticed that during the times when he sheds very heavily (summer and winter), are the times where my allergies are the worst. I've never been tested for pet allergies, but am starting to wonder if I should start taking something for that specific kind of allergies and see if it helps. I've tried pretty much every nasal spray, puffer and pill and none seem to work. My allergies (and asthma now) keep getting increasingly worse. Everyone always thinks I'm sick with a cold because I'm so filled up all the time. I can't even remember the last time I could breathe through my nose. I could never ever get rid of my dog and am hoping that there has got to be some sort of pill or spray I can take that's specifically for pet induced allergies? Anyone know of any good ones or tips I can do to lessen the effect of the allergies? I notice that my anxiety and insomnia seem to be worse during the times that my allergies are real bad because I feel like I'm not getting enough air when I breathe. My asthma has also never been this bad before. I know the cold weather is definitely a factor for asthma problems, but I remember last winter, even on the coldest days, I only had to use my inhaler once or twice a week. Now I'm using it 2-3 times a day. I am not sure but wondering if maybe the allergies are what's making my asthma worse?

Any suggestions or tips on what I can do to help myself be able to breathe better during these times? Thanks!

[serafim_etal]

The first thing you may want to consider is an appointment with your GP to rule out bronchitis. I have severe asthma and thought I was having a major flare...went to the doctor and found out it was actually bronchitis...which is going around our area in a big way right now!

One thing to keep in mind, allergies get worse the longer and more often you are exposed to an allergin. So it is possible that you have "new" seasonal allergies. However, the timing really does seem to point to the dog. I have cats, and I have issues wit cat allergies. How I cope with it is....when the animal is actively shedding, vacuum every single day (brush or vacuum the furniture also. It is recommended to not let the animal in your bedroom if you are allergic; I can't bring myself to do that, my cats even sleep with me. So...I put a big sheet over the top of the bed in the morning, covering everything, including the pillows. The cats are free to lay on te bd, and at night I have a relatively cat hair free bed. Of course they leave har when they sleep with me, but then I brush the bed wit a lint brush every morning. Another thing that may help is frequent grooming of the dog. By a professional groomer. Frequency of grooming depends on the type of dog, some are sensitive, some are oily, etc. Check with a groomer or your vet to find out.

Good luck!

[(JD)]

Hi Amanda.
Yep, I have allergies and a dog too.
Living with allergies requires a lot of extra time spent on just trying to be normal.

If you can, see your allergist. Mine could make a desensitizing formula made from the dog hair/dander etc. (ENT is deceased now )

BUT there are things to do that make living with your dog easier. (Oh and yes, a shedding dog can wreak havoc with an allergic person.)

Wash all the bedding in hot water, or at least with high heat drying. That will kill allergens built up in them.
Don't let the dog sleep on the bed with you. (sorry )
Don't have carpeting in your home, but surely not in the bedroom.
Vacuum down the walls and floors and even wash them with warm water if need be, to remove allergens.
You can put full covers on your mattress and box spring and pillows, to prevent dust and spider mites and dander etc from bothering you. (They used to be a horrible plastic that was hot and made crinkling noises: no more!)
WEAR A MASK when dusting, cleaning the house, and when brushing and washing the dog.
Hose the dog down with plain water often (this really cuts the shedding and dander!)
Change the air filter on your a/c or heater once a week until you have allergies under control. Use the full cover zig zag kind, not the see through kind.

I'd be careful about using the nasal sprays. They cause you to build up a resistance and needing more and more and still won't work then. Try not using any for a week or so, then slowly add back in. (They can cause nasal drip!)

It could be also that the winter fronts are bringing in tree pollens from another part of the country, and bothering you too.

Make sure you wear a mask and wash your hands after brushing or playing with the dog directly. They have dog shampoo that limits shedding, it's great but you have to follow the directions.

See if any of that helps. Eliminate all you can first for a week or so, and then slowly add back in etc to see how much you can tolerate?

[shezbut]

Hi Amanda _1981,

I'm allergic to pets as well, and strongly agree with Sky. I have loved my pets dearly, but I sure paid for it! My dog and cats passed away several years ago, but my allergies are stronger now than ever. I can't imagine getting another pet.

The dog can't go into the bedroom at all. The area in which you spend lots of hours almost every day (or night) is your bedroom. That's a lot of time stuck with a major allergen. Fur and dander goes flying every time those dogs scratch. Not good at all.

Regarding medications, maybe I'm an unlucky person, but no medication has ever helped me with my allergies. And I seriously mean nothing! I have tried it all ~ prednisone, singulair, sudafed, tylenol sinus, etc, etc. None of those did squat for me, so I highly recommend keeping your house, vehicle, and self as fur-free as possible.

After you pet him/her, wash your hands with soap and water. Use a brush that helps pull excess fur out every day. Wash your hands immediately after. Wash his/her sleep blanket or mat at least weekly. Keep it out of your bedroom and vehicle.

Very best wishes to you and your dog.

[Yoda]

Those are some good suggestions for dealing with allergy to dog.

Do make an appt with an allergist for skin testing for not only dog but for other things. Allergies can improve and worsen over time. All my life I have been severely allergic to cats but last year when I was skin tested again the doctor was stunned because I was hardly reacting to the cat and he gave me another shot of the control shot, histamine. Yay, I am getting better.

Since your symptoms have worsened since being with your dog it is possible that is the cause but immune systems do change so perhaps it is something else. Or the dog and something else.

Lots of options for asthma treatment available. I like albuterol nebulizers better than the rescue inhalers because it feels like the nebulizer gets deeper into my lungs.

Good luck.

[Amanda_1981]

Thanks everyone for the tips! I would like to get more allergy tests done to see if my theory is correct and I did mention it to my doctor when I went for my monthly b12 shot the other day and she just said to get rid of my dog and said I wouldn't even be able to get the allergy shots for pets because she only gives it to people who have no choice to be constantly surrounded by them (like vets, etc). She did give me a stronger inhaler for my asthma.. I think it's called advair. I guess maybe she wants to see if that helps before doing additional testing. Unfortunatly I have carpet all over my house and the type of carpet it is makes it very difficult to vacuum all the fur out. I have to vacuum almost every day and still can't get all the ton of fur out that is in it. I've never seen a dog shed so much in all my life! But I could never EVER get rid of him... he's my baby boy and I love him so much! He helps with my anxiety so much too. I am bad though and let him up on the furniture and my bed.. It's a bad habit I tried to break a long time ago but I wasn't successful. I really wish I could take all the carpet out and just have hard wood floors but since I'm renting (I rent a townhouse), they won't allow it. Me and my sister are however thinking of moving in the fall to a duplex that has hard wood floors. I think that would make a huge difference. I think I also need to invest in a really expensive vacuum that's specifically designed for getting out dog fur. Does anyone know if you need to be referred by your family doctor in order to see an allergist? My doctor has mentioned a few times that she doesn't want to do additional allergy testing because she said it would be almost impossible to find out because it could be thousands of things (even when I told her I think it's dog related she still wouldn't do any testing to see), but then again, maybe that was because she wanted to see if the new inhaler for my asthma helps.

Thanks for the tips about the hot water and wearing a mask and furniture covers.. I never thought about that before! I will give that a try and maybe that will make a huge difference with my allergies and asthma.

Thanks again everyone for all your tips and advice! I appreciate it!

[Yoda]

Was that an allergist who told you to get rid of the dog? My allergist said I could keep my cats inside just not in my bedroom. Besides I read somewhere that even if you do get rid of a pet it takes months and months to get rid of the allergens the pet has already left in the carpet, the couch, the walls, the curtains,...

[(JD)]

Find another allergist.
It's up to your own health insurance as to how you see a specialist, whether you need a referral from your GP/MD or not.
There are numerous products that help with allergens (I like Bissell products myself)...

feel better soon.

[serafim_etal]

Originally Posted by Amanda_1981

I did mention it to my doctor when I went for my monthly b12 shot the other day and she just said to get rid of my dog and said I wouldn't even be able to get the allergy shots for pets because she only gives it to people who have no choice to be constantly surrounded by them (like vets, etc). She did give me a stronger inhaler for my asthma.. I think it's called advair.

Telling you to get rid of the dog was a very insensitive thing for your doc to say!

Please remember that the advair is NOT a rescue inhaler. It is a maintenance inhaler that is used twice a day, every day, whether you feel like you need it or not. It is also not to be used more than twice a day; if it seems to help, but not enough, ask your doc for a higher dosage, do not increase the number of puffs! Advair comes in 3 dosages, 50/150 (or 100, not sure), 50/250, and 50/500...it is two medications combined. Notice that the first medication stays at the same dosage when the other goes up, this is why you don't increase the frequency, but rather increase the dosage of the inhaler.

Good luck!

[Perna]

I have two cats and am sensitive to them. I found out when my first cat of 18 years died and I was without a cat for over a year. The cat had been an outdoor cat but then got sick the last year of its life so spent more time inside and with me (in my lap) and I'd get hives most night and stuff. All that went away after he died but my elderly neighbors got a kitten and I went to see it, didn't stay but 5 minutes but broke out in hives soon after getting home!

These two cats were difficult for awhile but some people get use to one's own pets over about six months and I'm okay with them and put up with the extra congestion. I just make sure I wash my hands after any time I pet or play with them and make sure my bed is made so my little girl can't sleep on my sheets but stays on the spread which stays away from my face at night. My house is not great/done well for my other sensitivities, "mold" and dust; I'm carpeted throughout with cheap carpet (want to replace it with wood some lifetime and only have a few rugs) and my husband smokes but I eat well and take supplements and work at making my health better and that makes everything across the board better. When I don't take my asthma meds like I'm supposed to that gets worse, etc. I think everything is connected to everything else so if you can improve something a bit in any area (that's easiest) it might improve your stuffiness situation too.

I am allergic to almost everything and have asthma too. Since my insurance no longer cover Allerex which is Dallergy, I have to take over the counter Zyrtec D or Claritin D. (which you get from your pharmacist)

There are no actual antihistamines that work just for pet allergies (most work for ALL allergens), but many do work like the ones I mentioned. I noticed you didn't say you tried these, these used to be prescription only until a few years ago.

As far as the testing goes, it can be very painful and expensive. (believe me I know and if you don't like feeling of tacks put into your back, than you don't want to do it). THere are other kinds of tests, but this one is the most reliable. But no matter if the test confirm the allergy or not, it is still treated the same way. So I say, save your money and just get some Claritin D. It will take a couple of weeks to get the full effects of the antihistamines. Good luck. I am allergic to dogs too, and there is no way I am getting rid of my pets. Now the carpet, was worth it though.

[shezbut]

"Thanks everyone for the tips! I would like to get more allergy tests done to see if my theory is correct and I did mention it to my doctor when I went for my monthly b12 shot the other day and she just said to get rid of my dog and said I wouldn't even be able to get the allergy shots for pets because she only gives it to people who have no choice to be constantly surrounded by them (like vets, etc). She did give me a stronger inhaler for my asthma.. I think it's called advair. I guess maybe she wants to see if that helps before doing additional testing. Unfortunatly I have carpet all over my house and the type of carpet it is makes it very difficult to vacuum all the fur out. I have to vacuum almost every day and still can't get all the ton of fur out that is in it."

(((Amanda)))

I'd recommend that you go to see an allergist. It's incredibly insensitive of your doctor to tell you to get rid of your dog & that she didn't give pet shots unless absolutely required. That's pure baloney! She can advise you that the "wisest recourse" is to simply get rid of your dog. That may be true. It also may not be true. The wise thing would be to get allergy tested, to see what your trigger/s are & how bad the symptoms can be. Then the allergist can give their advice on the best course of treatment.

I certainly understand your feelings about your dog. I was the same way with my pets. I sure as heck wasn't willing to give my dog and cats up! So, I simply dealt with it the best I could. That led me to not allowing pets into my bedroom ever. We had pretty old carpet too, and vaccumed daily. I was willing to make my recommended changes, to make my symptoms more liveable and hold onto those pets that I loved dearly.

It has been about 5 years, since the last of our pets passed away. It still hurts when I think of them and look at pictures, I miss them so much! That is why I can't even consider getting another pet ~ and going through all of the physical stuff & then face the emotional pain later on. I become very attached, they are such sweethearts! Hope that explains where I'm coming from a little better.

Best wishes to you!

[(JD)]

There are some allergist that don't use the needle/prick provocative testing. They use a lucite bar that you hold and the machine notes whether you have a electronic change/allergy...

I wouldn't go to just any allergist though, but that's me. I also wouldn't put up with congestion. Been there, done that...ended up with nasal polyps that had to be surgically removed.
Yes, washing walls, floors, drapes etc helps too.
(When I was little everything was plasticized...but back then they didn't know I am allergic to petroleum based products (plastics.) But the smell of new plastic can get to you too...
Get rid of clutter and dust catchers. Keep table tops ..dressers etc clear. Wipe things down with damp cloths to keep from flying the dust and dander around.
Just don't let the dog sleep in the bed with you... and if you can, don't let it sleep in the room with you or be in your bedroom. I think that will help immensely.
"Get rid of the dog." Sigh imagine!