HELP! What to do about allergy to dog?

[a-sorta-fairytale]

I have always had dogs. I have had various mutts, a rottie, a boxer, etc since i was a kid. I have an allergy to cats. I have never been allergic to dogs. We just got a bassett hound from the humane society and i am dying. I have nonstop itching, coughing (which has made me puke i coughed so hard), my sinuses are killing me and we have all had red eyes. We washed her right when we got her and have every week since.

Is there anything i can do to lesson my allergy reaction to her? A special shampoo or anything?

[mandib50]

i wonder about this too. i have 3 dogs and have not been allergic to dogs ever. i find that this winter i have been bad, with an itchy throat, red itchy eyes, runny nose etc. i don't know what to do either because i don't want to be on allergy meds 24/7 but i can't have them in the house all day either at this point anymore.

[lifeguard]

I developed allergies for the first time a few years ago. The things I have found that have made the biggest difference are:
-keep the animals out of the bedroom at all times
-get rid of all carpets in the house except for small rag rugs that can go into the washer easily
-wash my hands when I've been touching the animals a lot & be really careful not to touch my eyes & face
-take the dog to someone else for grooming (so I don't have to deal with the extra allergens grooming kicks up & so that it's not happening in the house)
-do laundry more frequently, especially things like blankets on the couch, dog bed covers & jackets or such.
-when we bought new furniture we got leather - it really wouldn't have been my first choice but it makes such a HUGE difference in the allergen level in our livingroom
-we don't have as many pillows & such on our sofas, I made our curtains just the length of the windows instead of to the floor, & I make sure any "soft" surface items in the house can be washed easily
-when possible I open the windows & air out the house
-we have a very good vacuum cleaner. I know some people like the bagless hepa vacuums but ours has a hepa filter with a bag. The problem with the bagless is when you go to empty them into the garbage all that fur & dust & dander flies around - the bags are much neater to dispose of. We vacuum frequently, including moving furniture, especially when our big dog is blowing her coat.
-sometimes dh has to step up & do more cleaning 'cause I just can't handle it without having a full out asthma attack but that is much rarer now that we have things in a manageable state.

[a-sorta-fairytale]

so far we already do most of that but thanks for the reminder about opening the windows - hadnt thought of that yet.

i was so hoping there was a magic "dog allergy be gone" shampoo or spray

[Arduinna]

If you are all reacting and never had allergies before I wonder if it's something used on the dog. Did you get him from a shelter? I'd give him a bath in some oatmeal shampoo.

[whiddle]

Bathe (the dog) only one time per month. The more you bathe (the dog), the more oils the dogs produces which is what causes the reaction.

Also, use a soap-free shampoo. It doesn't strip the oils from the dog.

[Trac]

People generally roll their eyes at me when I say this...but, my ND (and chiropractor, too) has on a few occasions "de-sensitized" some of our allergic reactions. For me: the sun, coffee, my wedding rings, and the odd lotion. For my son: horses...he still gets a bit stuffy and should probably go for another round, but previously, the whites of his eyes would swell up, so things are better. Maybe it's a bunch of hooey, but it sure seems to work for us!!

[lifeguard]

Trac - How did the desensitizing work?

[a-sorta-fairytale]

i worry about washing her less because she rolls and digs in the dirt with such joy that she then carries a ton of dust into the house too. But if it would help i am willing to try anything.

i would like to know more about the desensitizing too.

I would normally not be so bothered but with being pregnant i do not want to cough till i puke i feel bad enough already.

[Asiago]

Bathing the dog weekly in a mild shampoo can help, even a thorough plain water rinse is helpful.

We adopted a dog that my husband was allergic to also- hives, watery eyes, congestion.

One of our veterinarians reccomended bathing the dog weekly to reduce the urine, dander and saliva on the coat. This helped immensely right away. We still do it seven years later as it works so well.

I had a friend who was severely allergic to cats. She bathed hers weekly also and was able to live comfortably with them that way.

[North_Of_60]

Dog saliva can be as much a source of allergens as dander (usually in the form of dried saliva from self grooming or drooling). In fact, usually more so than cats. I've seen people have a lot of luck using silicone based products on their pets to allow saliva and dander to be repelled by the coat, there by making them "cleaner" to the touch.

My favorite product for this is called Cowboy Magic. It says "dust repellent" on the label, and comes in a spray bottle. Bath your dog, rinse the dog well, and mist the spray on once the dog is dry. In between baths wipe the dog with a microfiber towel (which acts like a magnet and grabs loose hair, dander, dried saliva, etc), and re-mist as necessary (you'll know by the feel of the coat when it needs to be re-applied, it won't have that "slick" feeling to it anymore).

The bonus is that this stuff smells GREAT. Very clean and fresh. I absolutely love it. And as the bottle says, it's a great dust repellent. I actually spray it on the bottoms of their feet because we have lots of sand and dirt on our property, and it makes wiping their paws a breeze.

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by whiddle

Bathe (the dog) only one time per month. The more you bathe (the dog), the more oils the dogs produces which is what causes the reaction.

Also, use a soap-free shampoo. It doesn't strip the oils from the dog.

A good quality shampoo that is pH balanced for dogs will lessen the damage (if at all) to the natural oils of their coat if it is properly diluted and rinsed out well. Do not ever use full strength shampoo on a dog's coat. You only need enough suds to create an emulsion to help pull dirt/dander/dried skin out so it can be rinsed away. It also depends on the breed. Some breeds are more prone to oily skin, which can and should be bathed more regularly. Basset hounds fall into this category. I'd say a healthy basset can be bathed bi-weekly with no problems at all, more if you're careful.

There is very little information out there to indicate that seborrhea is caused by over bathing. In many breeds it's genetic (bassets being one of them), and in many other cases it's a secondary problem to an already existing condition, usually metabolic disorders, parasites, or fungal infections. Not bathing.

The key - determine your dogs skin type and use a GOOD QUALITY shampoo indicated for said skin type.

Plus, healthy skin and hair comes from the inside. A good diet is a health investment. It is absolutely worth the extra money to buy quality food or supplements.

[Asiago]

It's not even so much as the shampoo that is important but just the act of rubbing the coat and rinsing it.

All we've ever used were a few drops of shampoo diluted in a cup of water and it's worked well.

[a-sorta-fairytale]

NO60 - thank you - where do you get this cowboy magic?

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by Asiago

It's not even so much as the shampoo that is important but just the act of rubbing the coat and rinsing it.

All we've ever used were a few drops of shampoo diluted in a cup of water and it's worked well.

Yep. A good scrub and a good rinse go a long way.

Originally Posted by a-sorta-fairytale

NO60 - thank you - where do you get this cowboy magic?

You can get it online, or at any feed store that has horse products. I think it's actually marketed for horses, though a lot of their products are horse/dog/cat safe.

[North_Of_60]

Here's a link to it:

http://www.cowboymagic.com/products-...bodyshine.html

[a-sorta-fairytale]

awesome - i will call the tack and feed store near dds school tomorrow