Allergic to Dogs After Pregnancy? Tips and Advice!!!

Hi A.....First I have to say How sad....We just got a new dog and Iam allergic to his hair. I get hives, but I still love him to death. You could be allergic to different things. But I do agree with one of the other moms statements. I could have been a shampoo that the pound had used on the dog before you adopted him. I would get him back and have him/her groomed and see how it goes after a day or two and if it doesnt work get some allergy meds...good luck

Hi A.,
After I got pregnant I was allergic to everything. I had 2 cats & suffered for 3 years before I gave them up. You should go to an allergist & have them test you. This way you will find out what you are reacting to. It could be the dog or just the shampoo they used on him. If you are allergic then they can give you options on dealing with them. I didn't want to take any drugs so I was misserable for 3 years before I just couldn't take it anymore. It was like living with a bad cold all the time. I loved my kitties & it was hard to part with them because I had them for over 9 years. It came down to choosing between my quality of life & them.

Are you taking any new medications? This sounds crazy but I took Lexapro for a few months last year and I became severly allergic to things that had not bothered me at all previously.(like the food I feed my fish!) It was absolutely horrible, but after doing some research on-line I found out that drug can make you hypersensitive to some things. It even made my seasonal allergies MUCH worse. As soon as I went off it problem solved! Also, like the other posters mentioned, it could be something on that particular dog, like flea powder. Don't give up on him yet!!

Could you have been allergic to something ON the dog? aka: some sort of outdoor dust, something from the shelter, flea powder, or even the shampoo they used at the shelter.
Maybe you can give the dog a bath at your house and see if its better!
Your husband shouldn't be mad at you - you can't help having allergies!

Hi A.,
I did develop an allergy to dogs and cats after getting married, buying a house then having kids.

I have multiple allergies. But a environmental allergist is where I learned that I have dust allergies and they consider pets like dust. The dust and particles will cling to their fur and when we pet them, wrestle with them on the floor it kicks up the dust off of them and the carpet, furniture etc.
The environmental allergist I go to gave me an option; do shots or do drops under the tongue as needed. I did drops.
I love dogs to much not to have them. I just work on my immune system and work on taking care of myself. My allergies aren't that severe.

Are you sure it isn't something else like the shampoo the rescue used on the dog? Maybe it was the breed?

With cats their is something in their saliva that people tend to be allergic to. When cats lick themselves their saliva is always exposed and when we pet them we then have it on our hands and if we don't wash them after petting the symptoms may begin.

I have a new sheltie with long fur; I have to keep up with the vaccuuming and dusting. Then I have to make sure I brush my new pup often and keep her bedding and blankets washed on a regular basis. Of course it depends how severe your allergy is. I know with the winter coming and the furnace is now kicking in, my dust allergies are now beginning again.

I've read that if you rinse your dog with distilled water it should help. If your house is dry in the winter, yes our pets can become static cling and attract more dust to them. I suppose one could spray a dog with a gentle mist of distilled water before brushing. I am going to try that with mine this winter. I just bought a Furemover deluxe rubber brush to brush the fur off clothes, carpet and furniture. So far it does work on the carpet. It is ectrostatic and has multi uses according to the package. It is made by Evriholder. I got mine from Linens and Things which sadly is going out of business. The companies phone number is: 800-975-0335 just in case.

Hugs to you and I hope this helps.

Linda

I have allergies too, mainly environmental but also to my cat. I'm more allergic to her when the environment is setting me off!! But I still keep her.

The question you have to ask yourself is, "Is this dog worth it?" There are so many allergy remedies out there from OTC pills, prescription meds (which can be used if you are breastfeeding....check with a specialist), and natural remedies like the Neti Pot (very weird but works on some of my symptoms). You have to decide if the dog is worth it. See an allergist, take meds and play with the dog if you want him. There are ways to manage allergies.

After growing up with at least one dog around all the time, I was very surprised to find that during my third pregnancy I developed an allergy to my golden retriever. Needless to say, the kids would have rather gotten rid of me than the dog. Since I'm also allergic to grass and dust, which also started during the pregnancy, it seemed pointless to get rid of the dog. I have taken claritin d, zyrtec, and now xyzal to control the nasal symptoms, and we co-exist very well. As long as your breathing is not affected, it is possible to keep a dog. My son is now 17, and doesn't have two heads or anything from all the meds I took when I was expecting. I have spoken to other moms who have had issues with allergies which began during pregnancy, and others who have great relief from their allergies during pregnancy. {A mom who was expecting her fifth told me she wished she could be pregnant all the time since she got such relief from her symptoms. It seems a lot easier to take claritin to me) I have less of a reaction now than when I was pregnant, but I still need something.
Good luck

If you REALLY want the dog go to your doctor get an allergy test. See if you really are allergic to dogs an not something that might have been on the dog. If you infact are allergic to dogs ask your doctor to give you an allergy shot also known as immunotherapy which will help. Or you could get a hyperallergenic breed of dog. Though that wont help you get this exact dog back, but will allow you to have a family dog. Just some options to consider. Many times dogs that run through fields or in fresh cut grass can make people have allergic reactions also. I would get an allergy test done to see what you really are allergic to.

I suffered from allergies to pets as a child, which was problematic because our house was full of pets (dogs and cats). I had allergy shots and over time (a few years) they built up my immunity to the allergens. Now I am able to have pets and be around them without getting sick. I'd talk to your doctor about seeing an allergist who can give you a scratch test and shots.

Your reaction may have nothing to do with post pregnancy...As we age we can either develop allergies or outgrow them. It could be you are allergic to a specific breed of dog. If you really want to attempt to keep the dog, I would consider allergy testing. They can tell you specifics about your allergies and it is painless.

Judging from your symptoms, if it is allergies and you don't seek treatment, the more you are exposed, the worse it will get. Worse case scenario, the scratchy throat (which I get with my cat and my son gets with fruits) could end up closing up on you and then you would have a problem with your breathing.

I go for allergy treatments, shots once a week that have now a year later turned into every other week, and they have helped me a great deal.

Good Luck,

C. T.

Wait, it could have been a shampoo, a flea lotion. Take the dog to a groomer or have your husband wash him and see how that helps.

could there be a chance you're just allergic to whatever shampoo or flea treatment is on the dog? i'm not saying bring the dog back home because the back and forth would be enough to confuse anyone, let alone the shelter employees and the dog. but it would be worth going and maybe asking if you could smell the shampoo they used and any other things they might have on the dog that could be affecting you. if the dog wasn't freshly bathed, it's also possible that all the extra dander and stink is just setting you off, so i'd give the dog a good cleaning, brushing, etc before jumping to any conclusions. i know when our dog came home from being boarded, even when he was bathed a few hours before picking him up, he was pretty stinky just from the smell of all the other animals around -- it does cling to them and i could see that as maybe causing issues if your system is sensitive to it.

It could have been the shampoo that they used on him.

If you have ever watched the Brady Bunch . . .everyone thought that Jan was allergic to Tiger (the dog) and all the kids were sad when they had to give him away. As they were taking him away, Jan carried the shampoo and started sneezing . .. it was the shampoo and not Tiger, afterall. They got to keep Tiger and were a big, happy family.

All this to say is that there might be things you can do (new shampoo, medications, natural methods to treat allergies . . .if you have questions about that, let me know).

I hope you get to a resolution that you can all be happy with.
B.

You have a few options - get tested for allergies by your doctor (they'll probably send you to an allergist) and find out what you are allergic to. Then they can discuss the best treatment option safe-ist for you. I do immunotherapy shots, but please be aware that they take a long time - I've been on them for 2 and a half years and still have at least a half year left. I also take zyrtec because how sever my allergies to mold and dust are. If you are severly allergic, the allergy may not go away completely with immunotherapy - I deveolped an allergy to our dog while living with him (you develop new allergies about every 7 years because of the environments we live in - things are not being evaporated like they used to be because of pollution), but my allergy was moderate and with treatment I am no longer allergic to him.
If that is not an option for you, try taking claratin or zyrtec (or the generic brand) because they are over the counter.
You can also bathe the dog in a hypo-allergenic shampoo - I did it and it helps them shedd less dander...which is what you would be allergic to, not the hair.
Also, someone else mentioned the shampoo or flea treatment the shelter used - ask them what they used...it could be something in there...bathe the dog right when you get him in the hypo-allergenic shampoo as it would clear off anything they put on him.
I'm not pursuading you - just giving you options...

I had a similar happen to me with a cat. Found out later that allergies are actually a sign of a weak immune system. That makes sense after having a baby, it can take a toll on a women's body. What I did was do things to build my immune system and got rid of sugar, white flour. Became attentive to all the chemicals that surrounded me in my life, got rid of ALL junk food and if God didn't grow it, I didn't eat it.

Work on building your health and be conscious of what can tear your health down. We kept the cat and I eventually got over it. I added some really good food supplements to my diet at the same time. For me the cat was a god send. Wonder where my health would be today if I hadn't changed.

I had the same thing happen to me. I grew up in a rural area out in the middle of nowhere. I was not allergic to anything. We had cats and dogs as family pets when I was growing up. After my first daughter was born, I became allergic to cats and dogs. I am the only one in my family with allergies. I wonder sometimes if it is caused by living in this area for so long. My family all live in central Illinois and none of them have any. Talk to your doctor and get some allergy meds, see how it goes or you could go to an allergist. It is worth a try.

R.

A., I don't know about the new allergy but wonder if your body would get used to the dog once he's been around. I am blind and have a guide dog, and no one told me (she is my first) how important she would be in my life so I understand how you can love the little guy. A friend comes to my house every couple of weeks. She was sniffly at first but is fine now. She said she had a similar experience when visiting someone with two Labs (mine is a black Lab), and after a little while, her body adjusted. Perhaps you could give it a try again. I wish you well.
S.

Hi! It can happen! I became allergic to seafood after giving birth to my second baby! I have eaten shrimp, crab, lobster, etc. consistently since I was 18 years old. We used to go to Red Lobster every Friday with my in-laws for dinner. After baby number 2, my body changed! It sounds like yours did too. I went to an allergist and I he confirmed it and even gave me an Epi-pen to use if needed. My reactions have gotten worse and worse and now even if my food comes in contact with seafood, my throat begins to swell. My advice would be to get tested right away. I really hope it was just the dog's shampoo . . . It's terrible to not be able to have a dog! (My son is allergic!) Good luck!

Maybe you are not allergic to the dog, but some soap or something else used on the dog. Good luck!

I probably would have tried over the counter allergy medicines like Zyrtec and or Claritin. We recently inherited a Golden Retriever and the first few days were a little rough. This doggy needs a home. I'm glad the kids and I chose the claritin our puppy keeps us smiling everyday. Good luck!

I gained all sorts of allergies after I had my first born. Funny thing is he is allergic to EVERYTHING. I got a puppy when he was 9 months old and it had to go back right away because we both couldn't tolerate it. When I talked to my allergist, he said there is really no such thing as a non-allergenic dog. Some breeds may raise your hystamine levels more than others, but if you're allergic to dogs and constantly are around one you can become more sensitive to other things you otherwise weren't allergic to. Any drug, you ultimately build a tolerance toward and shots may work, but it'll take awhile.

Sorry, but I do know what you're going through.

Hi A., I am no doctor, but my immune system got really funky after delivering both kids and over reacted to everything. Which is kind of what allergies are all about. It took a while for my immune system to settle down, but that may be what you are going through. Aside from pregnancy, I have pet allergies and still have a house full of wonderful pets. I used to take allergy medicine but after a while your body gets used to the dander. IMHO a great dog is worth the stuffy nose. Take care, S.

You have to feel healthy in your home....if that means not having a dog than your husband needs to understand that and care about your well being.

A.,
It just doesn't seem to me that you gave it NEAR enough time. If you really loved the dog I can't help but think you would have tried to stick it out for a little longer than one day. I did develop allergies while preggers but just environmental. Before you give up on a dog so easily maybe you should speak to your doc to see if it is even possible that you all of the sudden became allergic. It isn't fair for you to be miserable but it isn't fair, either, to bring the dog into a loving home only to return him to a cold, dark shelter 24 hours later. There is no way you could know if you have an actual allergy so quickly. But it would be terrible for the dog for you to bring it back into your home for longer and then still have to return him. Please just think it through!

Well here is my story..After my last son was born when i came home to 3 cats) I thought i was gonna die ...I itched and couldnt stop sneezing.. These guys were my babies.So i took some advice and started washing them in anit dandruff shampoo and so far so good ...I vacuum and sweep alot and some times need a little benedryl but for the most part i think its worth it

If you have a dog allergy you are NOT allergic to ALL dogs. You could be allergic to one and not the other even in the same breed. I had allergy testing done and I am also allergic to dogs, but this is what the dr told me. Each dog is different to you on an allergy level!

Sopposidly our body chemistry changes every 7 years so you may have built an allergy to shedding dogs. You can try a nonshedding breed or take an allergy syrup or pill. Nobody has to suffer anymore. Soft coated Wheaten Terriers are awesome. Very child friendly, stranger allerting, and completely loving animal. Besides, they look like a junkyard dog for the 1st few months then the hair grows out a yellowy-white that's absolutely gorgeous, soft, and smooth.