On Allergies and Dogs
When I was a child, I had a chronic cough and none of the doctors could figure out why. I was subjected to just about every allergy test imagineable, blood tests, needles, pricks, probes, and breathing tests. Nothing ever came up positive and most doctors just shook their heads. It wasn’t until much later in my life that doctors began to realize that a chronic cough could be a symptom of asthma just as much as hindered breathing was. It appears I had mild asthma.
Regardless, throughout my whole childhood, my mother insisted that I must have allergies, and there were various things I was not allowed to have or do. Owning pets was out of the question and the possibility of allergies was always mentioned, although I’m certain it was more because my parents didn’t want to have pets.
As soon as I moved into my own home and had a backyard, I got a dog for the first time in my life. Anna. She’s fantastic, and guess what? I’m not allergic.
I was reading an article on ScienceDaily.com that explained how many people who believe they have allergies in fact don’t. It made me wonder how many people believe they have allergies to dogs when they really don’t. (Read the article here)
If you are thinking about getting a dog, allergies don’t have to stop you. First, you might want to visit your doctor and find out for certain that you are indeed allergic. Second, you can ask them about the latest treatment options that may afford you opportunity to live with a dog.
Failing that, there are several breeds of dog that are considered “hypoallergenic”. Now this doesn’t mean they are guarenteed not to set off your allergies, it just means that they give off less allergens. Most people that are allergic to dogs are allergic to their dander, the flakes of skin that come off and float around in the air. Dogs that have specific types of fur and those that have very little fur tend to give off less dander.
You can find a list of “hypoallergenic” dog breeds on Wikipedia here.
Here are some tips that can lower your allergic response to dogs:
- Keep dogs out of your bedroom and close the door. This will help keep dander levels to a minimum.
- Keep dogs off of the furniture. Dander collects in the upholstery.
- Wash your dog often. Bathe your dog once per week to lower the amount of dander, but do not wash more often as drying their skin can cause even more dander production.
- Brush your dog often, but do it outdoors. Brushing your dog will help remove dead hair and dander. Doing it outdoors means the dander that’s released is not released into your home.
- Get a HEPA air filter. The right air filter can remove allergens and drastically reduce the amount of dander present in the air.
- Clean clean clean! Launder your dog’s blankets and pillows often. Dust all surfaces with a wet cloth often. Vacuum with a hepa filtered vacuum often. Don’t allow dust and dander to build up.
If you are still too symptomatic to own a dog, it may be possible to find other ways to spend time with dogs. Perhaps you can volunteer time at an animal shelter or rescue foundation. You could work part time in a pet store or grooming parlour. You can visit friends that have dogs or take someone’s dogs out for a walk. Allergies do not have to be the end of your love of dogs!
