Allergies and having pets

CrackedCorgi

CrackedCorgi

Tourist
I have had pet allergies my whole life, mainly cats and dogs. the last few years ive been recieving immunotherapy, getting close to finishing actually. My allergies arent as severe as they were before but they are still too bad to see being able to comfortably own a pup or a kitty (and some others) in the future.

I want to know if anyone else has had this experience in any form and what has helped with easing allergies. I have tried an array of meds and whatnot but i still wanna hear anything ya got.

The only pets i have had were guinea pigs and leopard geckos, did not grow up owning any pets though. Had these as am adult. I was surprised at not being allergic to piggies!
 
If you're up for something Corgi sized I would highly recommend a Havanese. They only have a light silky top coat and like other hypoallergenic dogs they don't shed. Plus they are pretty smart for a dog their size, like house broken within a fortnight.
 
Uma Oshichi said:
If you're up for something Corgi sized I would highly recommend a Havanese. They only have a light silky top coat and like other hypoallergenic dogs they don't shed. Plus they are pretty smart for a dog their size, like house broken within a fortnight.
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the thing is, "hypoallergenic" pets arent really a thing since its more than just the fur that produces the allergies. its also their skin cells, pee, poop, and even saliva. ive been around all kinds of pups too and as soon as i touch my eyes or nose after petting, its over lol. very sad because idk how the whole thing with hypoallergenic pets got started tbh but i quickly learned it wasnt really a thing since i struggled so bad with chronic allergies as a kid and it sounded hopeful :husky_sad:
 
CrackedCorgi said:
I have had pet allergies my whole life, mainly cats and dogs. the last few years ive been recieving immunotherapy, getting close to finishing actually. My allergies arent as severe as they were before but they are still too bad to see being able to comfortably own a pup or a kitty (and some others) in the future.

I want to know if anyone else has had this experience in any form and what has helped with easing allergies. I have tried an array of meds and whatnot but i still wanna hear anything ya got.

The only pets i have had were guinea pigs and leopard geckos, did not grow up owning any pets though. Had these as am adult. I was surprised at not being allergic to piggies!
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So I have extreme allergies and was on venom therapy for years. Check with your allergist and make sure they are board certified. My allergist said that I needed to acclimate myself to animals. This was exactly what venom therapy was, injecting the allergens directly into my body to lower my immune response. I still flare up from time to time. Now I can be around cats and dogs. I still have to wash my hand after petting a cat. With dogs, im completely fine now.
 
CrackedCorgi said:
the thing is, "hypoallergenic" pets arent really a thing since its more than just the fur that produces the allergies. its also their skin cells, pee, poop, and even saliva. ive been around all kinds of pups too and as soon as i touch my eyes or nose after petting, its over lol. very sad because idk how the whole thing with hypoallergenic pets got started tbh but i quickly learned it wasnt really a thing since i struggled so bad with chronic allergies as a kid and it sounded hopeful :husky_sad:
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Oh wow I had no clue I thought it all had to do with the amount of shedding. You probably can't even go to a pound and see which dog affects you the least because the whole place would make you react.

gayzoo91 said:
So I have extreme allergies and was on venom therapy for years. Check with your allergist and make sure they are board certified. My allergist said that I needed to acclimate myself to animals. This was exactly what venom therapy was, injecting the allergens directly into my body to lower my immune response. I still flare up from time to time. Now I can be around cats and dogs. I still have to wash my hand after petting a cat. With dogs, im completely fine now.
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Since its an autoimmune issue, if isolate the exact allergen you could also CRISPR that shit. There is probably allergy immunization trials go on considering AIDS is all but cured (at least to the point where HIV is no longer detectable).
 
I have also heard of someone exposing themselves little by little over a very long period of time to dogs without an allergist and then becoming able to own a dog. Still, I recommend the allergist. You could die by doing it wrong.
 
I definitely have been doing exposure therapy on my own terms when I dont shy away from friends with cats or any others. My bf has a dog and a rabbit we care for together. I am also allergic to rabbits but not as severely as the dog. So I know my allergies aren't as bad as they used to be but they aren't to a point where I can comfortably own a dog or cat or similar. I'm still scared to let them lick my face or give them forehead kisses. I can smooch our bunny fine but staying at his place for more than 2 days and even slamming 2 Zyrtecs and my daily Singulair won't save me :/

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I do have chronic asthma as well. So my allergies and asthma are best friends lol. Had asthma since like 2 years old. I'm tired of having to wash my hands after every interaction with a cat or dog after being on allergy shots for almost 6 years now. I am thankful for everyone sharing their experiences with me here.
 
My husband, unfortunately, is in a similar boat as you are, and is pretty allergic to our Lab girl. He is also on immunotherapy, and the father he goes along, the better it does seem to get. I have found though, that his allergies and asthma aren’t nearly as wound up around dogs with shorter coats, much like Labs, Rotties, and other short haired dogs, but dogs like Newfies, St. Bernard’s, etc, are killer on him. I try to keep a good bathing schedule for her, and that also seems to help keep a lot of the dander at bay.
 
There is cat food out there that is helpful apparently. Chickens, when close to cats, develop an anti-allergy substance that is also present in the eggs they produce. Feed those eggs back to the cat and it stops producing allergens. It's reeeeally expensive though. I think it's made by Purina?
 
FTM_DogLover said:
There is cat food out there that is helpful apparently. Chickens, when close to cats, develop an anti-allergy substance that is also present in the eggs they produce. Feed those eggs back to the cat and it stops producing allergens. It's reeeeally expensive though. I think it's made by Purina?
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Yes, here it is

Pro Plan LiveClear Cat Allergen Reducing Food | Purina

With more than a decade of research, Pro Plan LiveClear is a first-of-its-kind cat food that safely and effectively reduces cat allergens. Learn more about how it works.
www.purina.com www.purina.com
 
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