At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

So we went to an allergist today for my 2.5 year old, who had hives on and off for about a month, and has a chronic night time cough that may or may not be asthma.

Anyways, they did a full panel skin test, and turns out he's absolutely allergic to nuts (which I suspected, because I have a nut allergy - he's never tried any nut products before for this reason)....and dogs. We have a dog. My in laws have a dog, my dad has a dog, my sister has a dog...we're a dog family.

Now - neither of these are the cause of the rash. That was seasonal and has gone away. But the doctor thinks there may be a link between the cough/asthma and the pet allergy. He suggested a few things for management, and also has my son on antibiotic for 10 days to rule out an infected postnasal drip.

But now I'm so worried it's gonna turn out my puppy (who we've had since before my son was born) is gonna be the culprit of the chronic cough. And I don't even know how to wrap my head around it.

Is it possible to have a kid with a pet allergy and still have pets? I can't imagine our life without our dog, and without dogs in the future. Of course I want my son to be happy and healthy, and it's killing me that we may have inadvertently been making him somewhat miserable.

I'm just...stuck. I don't know what to think or do.

At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

My mom has a pet allergy, and went through shots to desensitize her, although I'm not sure how practical that is with a 2.5 year old. There have to be options though, bc I'm like you and getting rid of my dog wouldn't be one of the possible solutions.

At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

Not sure what options there are since your child is so little (shots, allergy meds, etc). Personally, I'm against long term meds unless absolutely necessary so we would have given up the dog if it was determined that was the problem. You could look into hypoallergenic dogs, but that's not always a solution since people are also allergic to saliva. I know some people are ok with meds, but there was a recent article about the problems with Benedryl if taken too often, and I have no idea about long term effects of allergy meds/shots for someone so young.

When DS born, we had a dog and he seemed fine with him (and it was a long haired non-hypoallergenic dog). When DS was 2.5, our dog died and 6 months later we tried getting another dog but our son almost immediately got swollen eyes. It's like he was fine being around dogs at first, but now, if a dog licks his face, a big red tongue shaped welt appears. Now we have a cat. ;)

Message edited 6/9/2016 9:49:15 AM.

Re: At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

My son (7) has a slight dog allergy and we have a non-shedding dog (a Bichon). He has no issues.

However, we knew about the dog allergy before we got our dog, so we made sure to get one that was non-shedding, aka "hypoallergenic."

What kind of dog do you have?

At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

I feel like my child's health would have to come first. I would not give my child medicine just to keep a dog around. Maybe you can give your dog to a family member to care for, so it's still within the family and you'll be able to see it.

Re: At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

Re: At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

I have a dog and grew up with dogs and I have a dog allergy. My allergist did not recommend getting rid of the dog. He said to modify meds and see if I can deal - he thinks my allergies would get worse without a dog

Re: At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

Re: At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

I'm allergic to cats and I have 2.

In the beginning I took a lot of Zyrtec or Claritin.
Then I built up a tolerance to my own cats by being exposed to them all the time.
Kind of like getting allergy shots.

Now I'm fine around them, but other people's cats bother me.

Re: At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

Unless my kid had a life threatening allergy to our pets we would find a way around it. Antihistamines, separate sleeping areas etc. Also exposure to dogs and cats at a young age has been linked to less atopic disease and asthma in older children. I may be partial though being a vet

Re: At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

My DS had a chronic cough. It was 100% a dust mite allergy. We got an air filter in his room & the difference is astounding. When he goes to places that are dusty... It kicks up again.... Same unproductive cough.

He also tested positive for cats. He grew up with a cat at my mom's... The primary babysitter when I was at work (5 when all this came to focus after 1 year of coughing!). I love cats, but I wouldn't get one. He definitely starts coughing at mom's house.

The good news is, we got off all meds!

I would send your dog on vacation to a family member & clean vigorously & see if it has an effect!

Message edited 6/10/2016 6:31:06 AM.

At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

My nephew started getting hives and it turned out he was allergic to the dogs at his dads. Dogs that he had been around for years (he is 8 and was recently tested). They aren't giving up the dogs, but they are vacuuming a lot, and he is not allowed to be in direct contact with them. Tough situation! But in the end, I think the health of your child is the most important.

At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

Both my kids have dog allergies and their sitter has a puggle and my mom has a maltese. Some days are worse that others for their reactions to them but the reactions are not severe at all. Mild skin irration and sometimes runny noses and/or itchy eyes. We have found nightly bathing helps. Keeping the dog mainly in one area of the house, never in bedrooms or up on couches and things. No licking, handwashing if touching, I would also invest in a good vaccum with a hepa filter and some air purifiers around the house. Also if you have carpet I would consider ripping it out and putting in hardwood or pergo floors that can be mopped. My uncle has horrible dog allergies but they have a golden retriever and following these rules help alot. We also keep them cool in the house as I have found if they are hot the allergies flare up worse.

Message edited 6/10/2016 8:35:32 AM.

At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

I'm allergic to cats. I have two. They set off little bumps near my cheeks and bad itchy eyes and nose/throat. But it's secondary to dust.

My daughter has eczema and her skin can become bumpy and rashy when exposed to certain triggers like dust and you guessed it... Cats. When she's really bad she will scratch and bleed herself. She's been on meds for allergies since 2.

We have two cats. They've been part of our life since before she was born.

She is going to be 8. Her reaction to cats has greatly reduced. Her allergies are seasonal and she still takes meds but even her eczema has come under control. She's grown tolerant to cats better than I have.

We would never give up our cats if there was another solution. Our was meds, cleaning, lifestyle change and monitoring. A lot of work on our part when she was younger. Her room was off limits to the cats and we never went into her room with clothes exposed to the cats. Her bed was made quickly to keep her sheets (things that touch her skin) free from any possible exposure to cat hair. Living with two fluffy hair shedding cats means cat hair is EVERYWHERE as is dander (the REAL cause not the hair itself) so we pulled up carpet before we moved into our home, keep shoes off, change clothes often, bathe her and took her directly in her room. Just things that kept her comfortable as much as we could. It paid off.

Now the cats enter her room in the morning for love and attention, right up to her bed. she pets them each day before crawling out. She and I.. the allergic to cat women LOL but only secondary. Catch us around dust and we're sneezy, watery eye misery messes!

Message edited 6/10/2016 11:24:24 AM.

Re: At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

Posted by petvet

Unless my kid had a life threatening allergy to our pets we would find a way around it. Antihistamines, separate sleeping areas etc. Also exposure to dogs and cats at a young age has been linked to less atopic disease and asthma in older children. I may be partial though being a vet

At a bit of a loss - allergy related...

my DS is allergic to dogs. we didn't know until a peanut allergy sent us to see an allergist and she did full panel testing. at the time, we had a 3 year old bulldog. the allergist did not say we had to get rid of the dog. plenty of people are allergic to pets and are able to manage the symptoms through medication. my DS is also allergic to dust. the allergist did recommend certain things like keeping the dog out of my son's room and his play area, constant vacuuming with a HEPA vacuum, etc. he was on daily claritin and inhaler. his symptoms were managed fine so we kept the dog.

years later, we no longer have the dog and we are slowly weaning him off most of the medications. the allergist seemed relieved when she learned we no longer had the dog. but, unless the symptoms can't be managed, they will not tell you to get rid of the dog. they will leave that decision up to you.