Coping with a Dog Allergy

Unfortunately, not everyone can enjoy the companionship and protection offered by a dog as they are allergic to them. Allergies are becoming increasingly common, and along with the ususal seasonal allergies such as hayfever, pet allergies are on the rise too. However, just becuase you suffer from allergies, it doesn't mean you have to rule out pet ownership, there are ways that you can manage the effects of a dog allergy to the point where you can share your house with one.

The key to managing your allergy is to first understand the allergy. Dog allergies are caused by a hyper-sensitive immune system reacting to basically harmless proteins. These can be found in the dogs dander (shed skin cells), saliva and urine. The reaction to these proteins can cause runny nose, watering or swollen eyes, wheezing and even skin rashes. For those that suffer from asthma it can also trigger an asthma attack.

It seems that it is possible to be more allergic to one breed of dog than another, and although this hasn't been proved as such, many people with allergies have found they can own certain breeds of dog. Of course this is only discovered through trial and error, however if you have friends and family with well trained dogs you may be able to find which cause a reaction and which don't.

The key to minimising the severity of the reaction is minimising the amount of dander around your house. This can be achieved by doing things such as having at least one dog-free room in the house. You should keep your bedroom dog free at all times, in order to have allergy free sleep. This can be done by installing a baby gate at the foot of the stairs preventing your dog from going upstairs. Of course some dander will spread naturally, but it will provide you with space where you will be relatively unaffected. Don't allow your dogs on the furniture, it should be easy with some simple dog training techniques, if you are unable to do this then limit them to one area where you don't want to sit. Carpets will harbour a lot of dander, if possible then hard flooring such as wood or tiles is perfect, however this isn't always practical so regular hoovering of all the areas the dog goes in will help minimise the build-up. Be sure to wash your hands and face after touching your dog, this will decrease the amount of time any dander stays on your body and washing your face prevents it from reaching your eyes or nose potentially causing a reaction. Of course, there are anti-histamine medications that you can take to help alleviate the symptoms, but these should not be seen as a long-term resolution.

While these tips won't cure you of your dog allergy, they can certainly go a long way to helping you cope with it, and hopefully allow you to have a dog in your house without suffering the resulting allergic reaction.