Allergic to Dogs? - discussion board

	Allergic to Dogs? - discussion board Welcome! This board is for sharing information, experiences, suggestions, and questions among pet allergy sufferers (people allergic to dogs). It is not intended to replace advice from medical professionals. Always contact your own allergy specialist for the diagnosis and treatment of your allergies! There is NO "non-allergic" (no allergy causing) dog breed! All dogs produce dander, saliva, and urine that people can be allergic to. However, some dog breeds supposedly produce less dander than others. These breeds are often referred to as being "hypo-allergenic" (LESS LIKELY to cause an allergic reaction) or "allergy friendly". Read more. For more allergy messages, visit the "Allergic to Dogs?" bb archives. You can switch between two different board styles by clicking on the "switch to threaded style" or "switch to board style" link. I like the board style because it puts the latest messages on the top. Please, use descriptive subject lines.
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Angela

Apr 2, 08 - 6:47 AM

Son has pet allergy - do we find our dog a new home?

We just found out a couple of weeks ago that my 3 year old son has pet allergies (as well as others such as grass pollen, ragweed, and milk). We initially went to the allergist because he has eczema. In January he had pneumonia and wheezing. A couple of weeks later he again was sick with bronchitis and wheezing. His pediatrician suspects that he could also be asthmatic. We have had a lab living in the house for 2 years. We have also had a cat in the house ever since he was born. He has never shown any signs of pet allergies. However, after he had pnuemonia in January we visited a family member who has several cats living in the house. He ended up in the ER with what can be best described as panting. I assume it was an asthma attack. I wasn't surprised by the positive cat allergy test, but was by the dog allergy. We are heartbroken about the results as we really love our dog. The allergist said that often when children have lived with a pet from an early age they won't show outward allergy symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, ect. He did start him on Flonase and recommended antihistamines as needed. Luckily, he does not have indoor allergies (dust mites, ect)other than our pets. I have read so much, but still don't know what to do. My son comes first and I don't think that it is fair to expose him to a known allergan, especially since he is so small. However, he and his older sisters are extremely sad about the prospect of finding our dog a new home. The cat has already moved outside as he has always been indoor/outdoor so he is now strictly outdoor. Is it possible for allergy sufferers to become immune to their own pets? Or do I risk making his allergy worse by continuing to expose him to the allergan? I take asthma very seriously and I don't want to risk his health. I am also hoping that by eliminating as many triggers as possible that I will fend off any future asthmatic episodes.

Up until my son had pneumonia, he had never shown any indication of allergies or asthma (other than the eczema). We had visited the same family member on several occassions and he never had any trouble. Can a lower respiratory infection cause an immune system response that leads to asthma?

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