There is no breed of dog not even a Poodle or Chihuahua that
will not trigger sneezes, rashes or asthmatic reactions. Allergic
reactions can vary from dog to dog or cat to cat according to
Jonathan Corren Clinical Professor of medicine and Director of the
Allergy Research Foundation at the University of California.
It is the Dander and top skin and certain proteins in saliva
and urine that cause people allergic problems according to Emily
Rothstein a resident in dermatology at Cornhill College of
Veterinary Medicine. Any dog or cat that urinates or licks has the
potential to be an allergic-type breed.
Most research on pet allergies has centered on allergies to
cats, maybe this is no surprise because they are twice as likely
to make their owners sneeze as dogs. Longer haired cats tend to
shed less allergen and consequently owners with allergies have
fewer reactions. Cats that are short haired traditionally give off
more allergen, it is not known if this is true for dogs.
HOW TO BEAT PET ALLERGIES
Research has shown that if a cat or dog is washed about once a
week the airborne allergens are cut drastically. It is recommended
that dogs should be kept outdoors at night. Dogs and cats that
live indoors should not spend any time in the allergic person's
bedroom and never allowed on beds.
Dander collects in the carpets. upholstered furniture and
bedding so for those suffering allergies it is better to be
without carpets and have wooden furniture or leather. Bedding
should be encased in plastic and if it is impossible to remove
carpets then these should be steamed cleaned every three months to
remove allergens. It is also advisable to wash walls and floors.
Animal allergens are very small and very sticky and once they
are secreted they dry on the animals fur, become stuck on fur and
become airborne during petting and grooming. According to Bonnie
Eiche a spokeswoman for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation
"They are so small that they can stay airborne for a long
time and because they are sticky, they adhere to walls, clothing,
and heating and cooling ducts."
About 7 years ago I gave up smoking and noticed that I was
coughing and choking when handling dogs. After a few tests I was
duly informed " Mr. Dogman you are an asthmatic and allergic
to dogs" "No not me......not possible thats my job"
but sadly I now have to take all kind of things to help control my
allergic symptoms from medication to inhalers and most important I
wash my hands more than a surgeon and change my clothes about
three times a day and wash my dogs every week.
But with all my allergies I could not live without dogs because
I feel that dogs enhance our quality of life and are worth having
around.
Commitment, Firmness, but kindness
