Dog Allergy Symptoms
Jun 15 2009 in All Site Articles, Food Allergy News by Ruth LovettSmith
Our Wheatens Finley and Maggie
My son is allergic to many things; peanuts, tree nuts, egg, sesame, soy, dust mites, many pollens, cats, and dogs. Yes, he is allergic to dogs and we have decided to get a dog.
You see the funny thing is that allergies are not all that cut and dry. When we visit homes with dogs, my son has no reaction. When he pets dogs, he has no reaction. He does however have some mild reactions when licked on the face by some dogs or by rubbing his eyes after touching some dogs.
We had a cat once and my son tested negative to cats. The cat died and months later my son tested positive to cats. When we visit homes with cats, he has no reaction.
Some people in our position would never get a dog. I’ve consulted with various forums and many individuals straight out thought I was a bad parent for considering it. Maybe these parents have not read the studies on how pets make us live longer.
It’s true, pets have in fact been shown to keep people from becoming lonely and depressed. Those with pets are healthier and live longer than those without. Having a pet is an extreme amount of responsibility and a great way to teach life lessons to children of all ages. And even some individuals with dog allergies have grown immune to their own dog.
Of course if I thought getting a dog would put my sons health at risk I certainly would not consider it. The following is what I did to make sure we were making the best choice possible.
1. I researched breeds of dogs. Some are more allergenic than others. There is no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic dog, but some breeds cause little to no reactions in some allergy sufferers.
2. I visited dogs with my son. I let him play with them, let the dog lick him, and watched for reactions.
3. I researched how to minimize allergens in the home.
4. I found a reputable breeder and asked for references. I emailed and asked for allergy sufferers and their experiences.
5. I found others with allergies with the breed we were looking into to see how it worked out for them.
6. I found a back up home in the event it doesn’t work out. Thanks mom and dad!
On June 27, Finely the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier will be coming home to join our family. He’ll be 8 weeks old. Wish us luck!
Are you living with a dog and have a dog allergy? I’d love to hear about it!
2012 Update
The boys are doing well with Finley, and so far no allergic reactions. We even brought home another Wheaten in the Spring of 2010. Our son still tests positive to dog on allergy tests, but the numbers are low and he’s reaction free. A pet may not work in your home if you have allergies. However, if it’s important to you to have a pet for your children – you may want to discuss with your allergist and try visiting a variety of pets to see if one might work for your family.
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Freshwater Aquariums said on June 20, 2009
Love your blog, it’s nice to see one with quality information for once. Keep up the good work! I have lots of pet related site if you are interested in a link exchange.
Ruth LovettSmith said on June 24, 2009
Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words! If you would like a link exchange-visit our Sponsors section above for more information.
Heidi Schoenberger-Cobert said on July 26, 2009
Good for you…we’re in the same position with our daughter and think a dog is a good idea for all of the reasons you listed above. We’ve dealt with similar allergies and see similar results. Thanks for your honest words.
Ruth LovettSmith said on July 26, 2009
Thank Heidi for stopping by and for your kind words. Finley was 12 weeks old yesterday. We’ve had him for 4 weeks, and so far no reactions!
If you decide to pursue a dog, I would say visit the breeds you are interested in. Also, visit with the adults. Their dander and saliva is supposedly different than puppies.
So far so good. I’ll be keeping everyone posted in the blog.
FYI-it’s so much work taking care of a puppy! :)
JHollister said on January 1, 2011
Hello! Same story on this end! I have 2 boys with dog allergies. We experienced many dogs in the past, and my boys reacted to all of them. I grew up with dogs and I mad a promise to my boys that I would find a dog that they could tolerate. I did my homework too, and decided to get a SCWT/poodle mix. We have had our baby for 1 1/2 years and we couldn’t imagine our lives without her. In the beginning, I gave the boys Zyrtec, but I did that mainly as a preventative. We are living reaction free!! We are now wanting to get her a playmate and are considering a full SCWT. It is a blessing that God created a breed of dog for children like ours with allergies.
Ruth LovettSmith said on January 2, 2011
JHollister – so glad to hear that your family is doing well with your dog!
Finley is about 1.5 now and we’ve added a new Wheaten to our home as well. Maggie is 7 months and the dogs get along great!
We LOVE having two! Best of luck!
Susan H. @ The Food Allergy Chronicles said on January 9, 2012
My eldest son has mulitple food allergies: dairy,egg,beef,sesame,peanut/tree nuts,fish,shellfish,raspberries and mustard. He also suffered with severe eczema throughout his childhood and both my sons have asthma. Our wheaten was a part of the family before the kids were born. I have dog allergies so we decided on a wheaten for my allergies. Every allergist,dermatologist and doctor we saw always recommended that we not have a dog…we could not part with him and were not 100% sure that he was a problem. Three years after he died, the amount of time the doctors told us it would take to get the dog out of the house, our son’s eczema cleared up and both boys’ asthma improved. (my eldest was able to get off the puffers completely) We are puppy sitting a wheaten for a week…after 2 days both boys’ are back on their puffers and my eldest skin is showing signs of redness. I believe their conditions to be the result of having the wheaten…much to our chagrin…we will enjoy our time with our wheaten friend but know that in reality we will not be able to own one again. So sad!
Ruth LovettSmith said on January 10, 2012
Susan,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story. I’m so sorry to hear about your Wheaten. There truly is no such thing as a completely hypoallergenic dog – however some allergy sufferers are able to tolerate some breeds. Though, as you’ve experienced – some are not. We actually visited with a Portuguese Water Dog before we got our Wheaten and my son could not tolerate the PWD even though some with allergies can. I hope your boys are doing well.