This one is for people who are allergic to pets, but have successfully
lived with them. Someone at the dog park has a 2 year old Lab, and
recently had a baby. Turns out, the kid has allergies, and both the
allergists who were consulted recommended strongly that they get rid of
the dog. The parents are heartbroken, but don't know what else to do.

Are there any options that would allow the baby and the dog to coexist
harmoniously? They are managing temporarily by banishing the dog from
the bedroom, installing a whole house air purifier, bathing/wiping down
the dog frequently, etc. but they can't really keep the two apart once
the child becomes more mobile.

Suja

In article i7T4f.5293$vk1.4336@dukeread04,
Suja wrote:
Are there any options that would allow the baby and the dog to coexist
harmoniously?

This is not the way Modern Parenting is done, but one of my
sisters (born 1957) was allergic to *everything* as an
infant, even to the point where she was having to drink
goat's milk (I think breast feeding was considered infra dig
at the time). My mother finally said "screw it" and started
treating my sister normally. Sue was sick for a month or so
but she outgrew it and now is only allergic to strawberries.
But I suppose that sort of thing these days would lead to
child abuse charges being levied against the parents.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

What we have here is a form of looting. -- Nobel laureate in
economics George Akerlof, on Bush economic policy

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 15:53:53 -0400, Suja ,
clicked their heels and said:


This one is for people who are allergic to pets, but have successfully
lived with them. Someone at the dog park has a 2 year old Lab, and
recently had a baby. Turns out, the kid has allergies, and both the
allergists who were consulted recommended strongly that they get rid of
the dog. The parents are heartbroken, but don't know what else to do.

Are there any options that would allow the baby and the dog to coexist
harmoniously? They are managing temporarily by banishing the dog from
the bedroom, installing a whole house air purifier, bathing/wiping down
the dog frequently, etc. but they can't really keep the two apart once
the child becomes more mobile.

Suja

Studies show that children who grow up with animals have fewer
allergies as adults. I KNEW there was something to blame my parents
for!

How recent is this baby? Are dogs the only thing the baby is allergic
to (I highly doubt it). What are the baby's reactions?

Allergies are usually to many things and many of them can't be
avoided. Pet hair exists on people's clothing and can send an
allergic person into a tizzy. Trees and grasses can't be avoided, nor
can dust or mold. Limits are one thing, avoidance another.

I have severe allergies and asthma. I live happily with my 2 cats and
2 dogs, in every inch of my house. Air cleaners, a Dyson, and built
up immunity to my own pets all help.

I won't give up my work, but I have to be careful about some of it. I
don't touch cats in people's homes or in the shelter (except Skip and
then I had to adopt him!). I resist much touching of pitbulls, dobes,
bulldogs, pointers and the like, because my skin reacts poorly.

I take a ton of medication, especially since July, when I had a
triggered reaction to who knows what, and can't wean off pred or I
have huge hives, which can be deadly. I take asthma meds and
antihistamines, etc, and one day, I hope to become non-dependent on
pred, but that is the situation now. I just started on a new rug
called Xolair, which we're hoping makes a difference.

I was re-allergy tested before the Xolair approval (blood test, can't
go off meds to be skin tested). Nothing has changed from 17 years
ago, when I was first tested, Incredibly high numbers are cats. Told
my allergist I won't get more, but mine are 4 and 12, so they'll be
around awhile. One sleeps with me and is frequently on my lap.
Second highest numbers are dogs. Hairy dogs seem better for me and I
will always have dogs and they will always sleep in my room. My dr's
are smart enough to not challenge this. Of course, sports like
flyball are pretty big tests - all the dog hair flying around and
handling the saliva of dogs on the tennis balls. I may have to
rethink some of my involvement there, if I can't knock this latest
problem.

can't avoid the trees, grasses, molds, dust, tobacco, etc, altogether.
Still, I don't mow, don't garden, and don't sit in grass without a
blanket.

I am an adult and make these decisions for myself, but I also found
allergists who are willing to work with me. I think your friend can
as well. I wouldn't be getting rid of the dog but I would be working
on other solutions and finding the right dr.

--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album

Janet B wrote:
Studies show that children who grow up with animals have fewer
allergies as adults.

I showed that one to my anti-dog SIL. At least she has no problems with
her kid becoming a dog lover, and didn't take any offense to his first
word being 'Khan'.

How recent is this baby?

5 or 6 months, I think.

Are dogs the only thing the baby is allergic
to (I highly doubt it).

No. I don't know exactly what, but dust and mold are on the list, along
with dogs and cats. I don't think I ever asked what sort of tests
they've done. They've so far ripped out all the carpet in the house,
changed detergents, soaps and lotions for everyone, are cleaning the
house and the dog twice a day, etc.

What are the baby's reactions?

From what I understood, lots of skin issues, and some breathing difficulty.

I am an adult and make these decisions for myself,

I think that is part of the problem. They both know that they would
just manage the situation if it involved them, but don't think they can
do that with a baby involved. There is no way to tell if he is going to
get better or worse over time, so they may well be putting off the
inevitable, and compromising the baby's health along the way.

I think your friend can
as well. I wouldn't be getting rid of the dog but I would be working
on other solutions and finding the right dr.

They've already consulted two. I seriously doubt if they're going to
ignore what the majority opinion is, just to keep the dog. Unless they
have some way of mitigating the kid's reaction to the dog.

Suja

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 16:48:10 -0400, Suja ,
clicked their heels and said:

They've already consulted two. I seriously doubt if they're going to
ignore what the majority opinion is, just to keep the dog. Unless they
have some way of mitigating the kid's reaction to the dog.

a very tough decision. Boy is there a lot of info out there though.
One article was at least good enough to point out that if the dog has
to live outside because of a child's allergies, to place the dog
instead, as it's not fair to the dog.

One article links antibiotic use to increased allergy and asthma in
babies and children. I thought that was pretty interesting,
especially considering all fo the kids who get given stuff at the drop
of a hat, for every ear infection, cold, etc.

The advice remains the same across the board - keep dog out of
sleeping spaces, reduce ALL allergens in order to make a difference
(yes, carpet is the first thing to go!), use of HEPA filters, hot
water washing of cloth items, using only washable stuff, encasing
mattresses and pillows in allergen-specific covering, etc.

As far as majority opinion, 2 wrongs don't make a right?!?!?
Seriously, there are some very conservative and non-progressive drs,
and for many, it's the "easy" solution. Unfortunately, it may not
solve the kid's problems and then they will have given the dog away
for what? Some trials may be helpful to them to see if things
really improve sans dog. That would mean getting every fiber of the
dog out of the house (hah! I find dog hair of long ago pets.......)
and keeping everything else the same. Good luck to them. Getting rid
of the dog may not really get rid of the dog!




--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album

"Suja" wrote in message
news:i7T4f.5293$vk1.4336@dukeread04...
Are there any options that would allow the baby and the dog to coexist
harmoniously? They are managing temporarily by banishing the dog from
the bedroom, installing a whole house air purifier, bathing/wiping down
the dog frequently, etc. but they can't really keep the two apart once
the child becomes more mobile.

The first consideration is, of course, how severe the baby's allergic
reaction is. Anything life-threatening, and attempts at compromise just
can't be the first line of defense.

For less severe allergies, most allergists will suggest first making the
bedroom as clean as possible. After all, where else do you spend such a
large continuous block of time?

After that, it's address the issues of carpets, curtains and air filters.
The best - and perhaps the only effective - filters are ones that address
the problem in the whole house. If you have forced air heat or AC, then the
filter should be on that unit. Unfortunately, babies tend to play on
carpets. Roll their little faces around in the fibers. You can use
playpens or spread out blankets, but eventually you've got to let the kid
out onto the carpet itself.

These people are *doing* all the right things. It IS possible that the
baby's allergy will change as she grows and her system gets better regulated
to living in the real world. It is also possible that the dog allergy is
not the greatest trigger to the baby's allergies. (And we all know, right?,
that's it's usually the dander and not the dog hair.) They could get rid of
the dog and find out that it didn't help the overall situation noticeably at
all - that the worst of the triggers was something else and the dog allergy
was relatively minor.

If they are managing now, and the baby isn't having any terrible reactions
to the allergens right now (and nothing life-threatening is expected), I'd
be inclined to see how it goes with all the changes they've made so far. DH
had a really bad allergic skin reaction a few years ago. We made the
suggested changes in the bedroom, I vacuumed every day, he didn't sit on the
carpet to play with the dog - we did all the stuff you can do without either
spending a fortune or completely rearranging your lives. The allergist said
that it was set off by an over-reaction of his system and that it was a
matter of re-setting the trigger points back to normal levels. A couple of
months of very expensive drugs, and there was improvement. It was months
before we could really be certain that it was working - and a year or two
before he stopped having the reaction at all.

I know a lot of adults who are allergic to dogs and/or cats and yet still
live with them. We have had friends who would make sure they took
antihistamines before coming into our house. But a baby does make it
trickier to decide what to do.

~~Judy

Suja wrote:

No. I don't know exactly what, but dust and mold are on the list, along
with dogs and cats. I don't think I ever asked what sort of tests
they've done.


I'd say this was the place to start. Find out exactly what tests were
done and how the doctor came to the conclusion that the baby is allergic
to dogs. I'd like to think this doesn't happen any more, but back in my
day, it wasn't uncommon for the doctor to tell the parents to get rid of
all common allergens including dust and dogs without ever having
determined that this particular child was allergic to that particular
allergen.


That's what happened to me. Granted this goes back 47 years, but my
parents dutifully kept my brother and me away from pollen, dogs, cats,
dust, mattress dust (a little different from the other kind), down,
feathers and a bunch of other things because we exhibited all the usual
symptoms. I went on believing that those were the things I was allergic
to well into adulthood despite evidence to the contrary. Only as an
adult did I learn that that was a list of the most common allergens.
There had never been any tests!


Now I'm not accusing this doctor of being so irresponsible. Maybe s/he
did do a blood test, but I'd certainly start by asking to rule out the
possibility that the dog isn't the problem at all.


If the dog is a problem, they might try weekly baths (for the dog) and
daily vacuuming (for the house) to see if that helps. It could be that
pollen is the main culprit (for which filtered air in the form of air
conditioning and heating filters can be a big help) and the dog is only
a contributing factor.


--Lia

"Suja" wrote in message
news:i7T4f.5293$vk1.4336@dukeread04...

This one is for people who are allergic to pets, but have successfully
lived with them. Someone at the dog park has a 2 year old Lab, and
recently had a baby. Turns out, the kid has allergies, and both the
allergists who were consulted recommended strongly that they get rid of
the dog. The parents are heartbroken, but don't know what else to do.

Are there any options that would allow the baby and the dog to coexist
harmoniously? They are managing temporarily by banishing the dog from the
bedroom, installing a whole house air purifier, bathing/wiping down the
dog frequently, etc. but they can't really keep the two apart once the
child becomes more mobile.

I had a Boxer come back to rescue due to a newborn being allergic.
Specialists were seen and also recommended the dog go. From my
understanding you cannot safely administer allergy meds to a baby and
asthmatic type allergic reactions are extremely dangerous. They knew the
dog would be miserable if banished outdoors.

I can't remember the age that its safe to start treating allergies with
medication like Claritin (toddlers can take Claritin-like meds from what I
remember) and much depends on the type of reaction that infant is having.
It may be possible to close off part of the house to the dog, a part you
never take the baby to, but if its going to create a serious quality of life
issue then it may be better for them to seek help in rehoming the dog.

--
Tara

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 15:53:53 -0400, Suja wrote:


This one is for people who are allergic to pets, but have successfully
lived with them. Someone at the dog park has a 2 year old Lab, and
recently had a baby. Turns out, the kid has allergies, and both the
allergists who were consulted recommended strongly that they get rid of
the dog. The parents are heartbroken, but don't know what else to do.

Are there any options that would allow the baby and the dog to coexist
harmoniously? They are managing temporarily by banishing the dog from
the bedroom, installing a whole house air purifier, bathing/wiping down
the dog frequently, etc. but they can't really keep the two apart once
the child becomes more mobile.

How are the child's allergies manifested? Does s/he have asthma?
That's a much more serious situation than sneezing, itchy eyes, runny
nose, etc.

Most allergists are famous for recommending that their patients get
rid of their pets. It's sort of a mantra; people might as well skip
the office charge, because that's what they'll say. However, an
increasing number of pediatricians believe that children should eat
dirt, live around pets, and basically not live in a sterile
environment, in order to strengthen their immune systems. Moreover,
many children who have allergies and asthma in early childhood outgrow
their allergies, often completely.

I'm allergic to both cats and dogs, and I'm asthmatic. I'm very
allergic to cats, the highest reactivity possible, and I used to have
asthma symptoms from being around them. I found that living with
animals to which you're allergic is very similar to taking allergy
shots for something to which you're allergic. That was a decision I
made as an adult, though, and I don't know how many parents would be
willing to make such a decision on behalf of their infant - - or how
many physicians would support such a decision.

Mustang Sally

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 15:53:53 -0400, Suja wrote:


This one is for people who are allergic to pets, but have successfully
lived with them. Someone at the dog park has a 2 year old Lab, and
recently had a baby. Turns out, the kid has allergies, and both the
allergists who were consulted recommended strongly that they get rid of
the dog. The parents are heartbroken, but don't know what else to do.

Are there any options that would allow the baby and the dog to coexist
harmoniously? They are managing temporarily by banishing the dog from
the bedroom, installing a whole house air purifier, bathing/wiping down
the dog frequently, etc. but they can't really keep the two apart once
the child becomes more mobile.

That's a tough one. I have bad allergies, the worst of which are to
trees, which blow stuff everywhere. Both schools I work at this year
have something(s) there that makes me break out in hives. But I go to
work daily. I take zyrtec and benadryl. I had allergy testing done
and the shots over a year or two. I no longer show any reaction to
anything I got the shots for. The problem with the allergies at work
is that they don't have any tests for it. They have tested for all
the usual culprits that they have tests for, but I show no reaction.
So much stuff is in the area that it could be just about anything. I
still manage on antihistamines. At home, I use air filters, am
getting rid of all the carpeting I can and draperies in the bedroom
and wash all bedding regularly. Whatever it is does tend to come in
on my clothes when it is windy, so I have to be really careful or else
I have to be on heavy duty antihistamines 24/7, which I don't like to
do. When my kids were little, they had some pretty bad allergy
situations, too, but benadryl worked well and there is claritin for
children (even available for infants with doctor's ok) if they can't
afford to be sleepy. Whether or not it can or should be managed
depends on the nature and extent of the allergies and how the child
responds to environmental and other measures they do take. Sometimes
it is manageable and sometimes it isn't. I certainly would understand
parents not being willing to put their child through all I go through
to manage my allergies, but I can't imagine at least trying if the
trigger was a beloved pet. At least infancy should buy time to see if
anything helps and if not to take the time to find a good home for the
dog. It should be pretty easy to keep the baby's room clean enough,
for example, until it gets more mobile. By the way, my dad has
terrible allergies. Doesn't stop him from petting all the dogs when
he comes over. It did stop him from being around the stray cat we
hosted temporarily way back when, but his reaction to the cat was so
extreme he couldn't take it.

--
Paula
"Anyway, other people are weird, but sometimes they have candy, so it's best to try to get along with them." Joe Bay