Posted on 03/05/2014 6:32:43 PM PST by mojo114
LOL
See post #40.
Speaking as a life long allergy sufferer I have to say get rid of the dog. Since your child is young he may out grow his dog and cat allergy. I say this with a heavy heart because I know how much joy dogs and cats can add to his life.
depends on how bad things are.
try to avoid snuggling with the pup, and keeping the pup out of your kids bedroom.
wash hands after petting the dog
vacuum frequently with a vac with a hepafilter
consider a hepafilter air cleaner for the kid’s room
if all of those don’t improve things, then you may have a tough choice to make. don’t know what the impact of allergy medicine is on a toddler, or if there are allergy shots recommended for toddlers - I’d ask the Doc
I don’t know about not building up a tolerance (not immunity). I’m horribly allergic to cats, but after almost years with the monster herd (a mamma who gave us 4 kittens that we kept) I’m doing better.
1) lots of vacuuming
2) limit where the dog goes, especially to the child’s bedroom. Have areas of he house where the child can go that are dog hair free.
Very limited exposure, with amounts building over time. They are now treating kids with peanut allergies by giving them peanuts every day, starting with extremely small amounts that gradually increase over time. (according to my allergy doctor.)
four years with the monster herd
My granddaughter is allergic to cats, dogs, goats, cattle and who knows what else. The only solution besides 24/7 allergy medicine that we’ve found is a poodle.
I think that is untrue. I think it would be true to say that some allergies cannot be mitigated. But not all and certainly not in children.
Many children outgrow childhood allergies.
I have had some experiences with that personally, but everyone does not react the same or have the same reactions.
Recently there was a paper on the peanut allergy that as most know can be fatal. In this case they introduced peanuts to a child in very small micro amounts under medical supervision. They actually were able to fix the problem.
Works in pets too. I have a weinerdog that was allergic to a particular flea chemical. But without it, in the south, he was being eaten by them as well as mites..So finally I had to do something so I went to the farm supply store and bought a bottle of the chemical. I diluted it into a spray using 1/8 teaspoon to 10 ounces of water...sprayed him, and no reaction....raised the amount to 1/4 teas. and I got a hive breakout so I backed it off to the 1/8 and continued for two weeks...spraying him everyday. Long story short, within 3 months I had increased the dose to the level of a flea bath mix and then applied the monthly flea application that is 50% Permethrine, and he now has no problem with the chemical..
Having said all that, I would limit the contact with the puppy. Just having the dog in the house should give enough exposure and if that is too much, you might think about not having a pet until he stops showing allergy signs. As the child will certainly come into contact with many pets over time...and some Diphenhydromine would be helpful. (benadril) But be careful with it....it will put then to sleep....they have a dose for kids, or did....(long time since having kids around)
A person can’t build up an immunity from uncontrolled casual exposure. If that were true, allergies wouldn’t be a problem. However it is possible for some to do it gradually and in precise steps through a lengthy series of allergy shots. Growing out of an allergy is unlikely, but sensitivity with age can change, and more likely a person learns to avoid or limit exposure as they grow older.
My second wife could not overcome her allergic reaction to me. Shame. Come to think of it the first one had the same symptoms.
I totally agree.
It is not unusual for the immune system to react harshly the first few times it is exposed to something it never saw.
My bet this is that kind of reaction and that it will settle down.
One of two things is likely:
It will calm down and no longer be a problem, even though the child may always have some minor sensitivities... OR!
It will get much, much worse. Fairly quickly. A good indicator would be to take the childs temp when he hasn’t been exposed and after he has been exposed. If you see his temp jump more than a degree or so after exposure, that sounds like a bad sign to me.
I am not a medical professional, just a guy who has been around for a while, raised on a farm and seen plenty of allergies. Also had them myself...
Some you outgrow, some you don't (like hayfever)
This allergy to a dog lick, is probably due to a enzyme in the spit that the child had never come into contact with before and will most certainly contact in the future...But not being there I can't say for sure..It takes some work to determine it.
But as long as the allergy is not serious and contact with the animal can be controlled. In my opinion it is better to try to condition the child to the allergen or substance because going through life with a pet allergy is not going to be pleasant for the kid, or for future acquaintances and friends.
That's all I have to offer....based on my own experiences. Many kids today, and even a couple of my grand kids, have been too removed and protected from various substances, bacteria and other things in a effort to protect them, and the ability to do this because of the changes in society over the decades....(like sanitary daycare) and so forth. As a result when to contact these things, they can react severely. Develop issues where you feel the need to protect them. But what if the protection is actually making it worse. Or in some cases, causing the reactions.. Life is a dirty place. Kids will get into it and you cannot stop that. If there is even a slight possibility that you can condition a child to live in that dirt without a reaction, I think it's better to do that rather than try to eliminate that dirt from his path in life. That's my opinion.
I built up immunity with cats. My dog is hypoallergenic so no problem with him. But, cats used to make me unable to breathe and it was awful. After a time it subsided.
>> most humans are not allergic to fur, but to enzymes in the dog’s saliva
bttt
Mine is a mix breed of bichon frise and shih tzu. They do not shed, are hypoallergenic. Range from small to medium sze. They have hair versus fur. Soft as a teddy bear, which is what they are called. sweetest dog ever.
I would insert a sarcasm tag, but I can't truthfully do it...LOL
My present wife probably wishes she was allergic to me, but she has not found one in 37 years....
My son has severe allergies. He was fine around my roommate’s chinchillas until we brought them out of the cage. The poor things were so nervous that they shed some of their beautiful coat. At that point, my son had a severe reaction.
It could be the anxiety that the puppy is going through that generates the release of fur/proteins/endorphins/stress hormones/dandruff/whatever and that’s what the child is allergic to. There could be a test to see if this is the case. See if the child, in the middle of the night when the puppy is asleep, has the same reaction. Basically, when the puppy isn’t anxious.
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