How to know for sure if pet allergies are causing asthma?

[Planogirl]

Do get the testing done! I have several family members with all kinds of allergies but pets don't bother them in the least. You just never know until you get things checked out. I realize that the baby is awfully young yet though but when you can, the test results can be real helpful.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Youngest DS was tested for allergies. He showed a reaction to cats but not dogs. DS's bedroom is on the 2nd floor. We have 2 dogs (only had 1 at the time he was tested). One is a Shih Tzu and the other a Lab. The Lab is not allowed on the 2nd floor. DS's mattress and pillows are encased in plastic. I also have an electronic air cleaner attached to my furnace and we have central air. DS was about 8 when he was tested and diagnosed with asthma. He has been fortunate, in that he hasn't experienced a major problem with breathing. I took him in for a check-up 2 weeks ago and his allergist seems to think he may be outgrowing it! He said unless any problems come up, he would see him in a year!
Good luck to you and your DS. I hope he doesn't have to lose his pet!

TC

 

[Dakota_Lynn]

Can you have your dogs stay with a relative for a few weeks? If so, put the dogs on loan for a few weeks, thoroughly clean the house and then see if your son gets better. If he does, please find new homes for the dogs.

This is in response to people's posts on this thread in general; not necessarily to the OP! My allergist has expressed frustration at how many people are unwilling to get rid of their family pets to save their children's health. He said that all they can do is medicate these children like crazy and tell parents ways to minimize exposure; but the bottom line is that if your child is allergic to animals, if you want your child to have a healthy life, the animals must go. Allergies effect every part of a person's life; especially if asthma is part of the allergies. Imagine going to school and trying to study and concentrate when you have a constant runny or stuffy nose. It's like having a cold 365 days a year. Imagine trying to run around with your friends when it's hard to breath. It's like recovering from bronchitis 365 days a year. Imagine being sleepy from the allergy pills and wired up from the asthma inhalers. Concentration becomes difficult and life in general is not as good as it is for people who are healthy. It's not a fun way to live. In my opinion, if a parent (and I'm not meaning the OP-just anybody in general with this problem) can't completely eliminate his or her child's symptoms by environmental control, then the pets should go. It should NOT be about symptom reduction; it should be about symptom elimination! Symptom reduction will not give your child a normal life. He or she will always be just a little sick and believe me, nobody performs tasks, whether it is school or work, as well when they are feeling under the weather.

Another thing people should keep in mind; children will likely argue that they can handle it and would like to keep the family pet. Kids want their pets! But generally, kids living with allergies don't realize just how sick they are until they find themseslves actually living allergy free. I know I was so used to a constant "cold" from being around cats that when that cold of 19 years finally went away, I couldn't believe how much better I coped with life in general. My miserable high school grades became honor grades in college; and I do believe that was the difference between being miserable all the time and being healthy! You can't concentrate when you feel that poorly. So please people, for the sake of your children, if they have symptoms despite your efforts to control the envirinment, please give your pets to a relative! Your child needs these years to learn and play and he or she needs to be able to make the most of these years!!! Keep in mind that when your child becomes an adult, then you can own pets again. And don't forget allergy shots! I've been getting allergy shots for a couple of years and I can actually handle exposure to cats now; first time in my life! It is wonderful! But it is a process that takes a few years and the animals shouldn't be in the house during that process!!!

 

[jonestavern]

DS16 has asthma--not anywhere near as severe as he had as an infant/young child--. He is allergic to some dogs & some cats.
We had 2 dogs, kept the same way, one a mixed breed pound puppy one a Boston Terrier, he is slightly allergic--red rash, puffiness, sneezing-- to the 23# BT & was never allergic to Sydney, who weighed 60# & had longer fur than Zippy. Very odd
My FIL has 2 cats, again both kept under the same conditions, DS & DNiece7(also has asthma) both are very allergic(red rash, swollen faces, watery eyes, sneezing etc all within 30 min!) to one & not to the other!
Princesskitty1 & Kim in TN said it very well.
by the by,Our Dr, an excellent fellow, as well as other DRs, was actually educated, on asthma & allergies, by a pulmonolgist nurse practioner. I took DSthen an infant to 5 Drs before a family friend, a nurse, diagnosed him as asthmatic. She was often a 'helping Mom' at nursery school so was able to observe Patrick.
Sue is a personal friend & also was born & raised on a dairy farm & has been a dog breeder. Her younger sister had CF, her DH has severe asthma(all 4 kids are CF free & only 1 has mild asthma, PTL) so she combines a lifetime of experience & a love of animals with a great education.
good luck, you're on the right track with the cleaning encapsulating matresses & pillows
I do think, along with other posters, that the dogs will have to stay out of the playroom. If should you decide to give the dogs up, just please send them to a 'no kill' shelter-
actually our dog Sydney(who lived to age 15) we adopted when he was 3. His loving family had to give him up when one of their infants proved allergic. We even had a reuniting with his previous owners (they now have a rescue Greyhound), who were overjoyed to see him again. We loved that dog sooo much--(he died this past Mother's Day). I think we gave the Sydster of love a good life, & he gave us much more.
so things, if they must go that way, it can work out

Jean

 

[Christine]

My son has asthma (he is 11) and he is not allergic to cats or dogs (he's been tested). We have two dogs in the house. Do I think his asthma is worse at home than other places--maybe. It's really hard to tell. He is allergic to so many *other* things that it is impossible to know.

I will say that one time my son landed in the hospital for 5 days because of his asthma. At that time, he had been going to before and after school care with a woman that my DD had been using for years. She was an animal breeder. She had 3 dogs that had the run of the house, two cats that had the run of the house, and two birds. Down in her basement, she had a set of dogs that she used for breeding. There were always puppies there. Her house was very clean, but it was still too much for him. We never saw anything visibly wrong with him (like a rash or runny nose) but he breathing was just more problematic (which is hard to tell too). One day, he got a virus and that was it. We ended up in the ER.

I determined that being around all those animals just put him at a disadvantage. We got him out of the hospital and never had him go back to this woman's house. His breathing was so much more improved and he has never had another attack (that was 5 years ago).

I'm not sure, at this point, that I'd be getting rid of the dogs until you can positively identify it. By the way, 18 months is not too young to allergy test. My son had a reaction to peanuts at 9 months of age. Around 1 year of age, we took him to an allergist and he was tested for foods, environmental allergens, and dog/cat dander. We had him tested over the next 3 years to see if anything changed and to confirm it all. So, go to the allergist.

 

[golfgal]

I agree that you should see and asthma/allergy specialist. They will treat his problems differently then at ped or GP. If he is allergic enough to the dog or what ever, they will show up on the test. My oldest is very obviously allergic to cats but it didn't show up on the tests. He has some other allergies that didn't show up but the dr looked at him and said "I can SEE his has allergies". He has the characteristic dark circles under his eyes, his nasal passages were swollen, he is constantly sniffing, rubbing his nose, etc. There are things you can do to help his symptoms now and the sooner you start, the better off he will be.

Long term problems can result from not treating him and different things like he might not grow to his potential because he isn't sleeping well.

 

[DisneyLovingMama]

Thanks for all the great posts. Just let me reiterate, I'm really not looking to get rid of the dogs now, especially before I know they are the problem.

DS is on Albuterol and pulmacort right now - no other allergy medicines. I have another appointment on Tuesday with the allergist, so will discuss everything with her then.

I've been taking the steps recommended by DS's primary care. He said to take these steps to see if DS improves - said it was the "easy" way to determine if DS was allergic. The dogs are just kept downstairs as part of their training. Less rooms to clean

 

[Jennifer S]

My sons have allergies and our primary care doctor could never get them under control. We then went to a pediatric allergist and she made great strides in helping them. You will be surprised in the difference. Looking back I wish I would have went to the allergist sooner. You will see. Good luck.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Dakota Lynn, all allergist do not agree with yours. I went to one allergist years ago that was sure I was allergic to cats. I tested negative and he tested me a second time with a more sensitive test and I still came out negative. I'm sure that he would have suggested getting rid of the animals if I had of come out positive.

Many other allergist work with a family to try and have them keep the pets, even if there are allergies. Of course sometimes the allergy is too severe for that. But other measures should be tried first and a person should be sure that it is an actual pet allergy before even considering getting rid of the animals.

My 2nd son was a good example of someone who could have bad asthma as a baby/toddler and then grow out of it. We could have run and gotten rid of the animals (cats at that time) only for him to still have all the same troubles.

I did keep my son with our pediatrician, but he was an asthma and allergy specialist. I would not normally stay with a pediatrician for this type of care, though.

 

[RitaZ.]

One thing to remember about asthma, once a person starts having full blown asthma attacks, the lungs are permanently damaged which eventually leads to decreased lung capacity. My DH's lungs operate at 70% capacity, which will only decrease as he gets older. I have read some interesting articles on the permanent damage caused by asthma vs. the damage caused by COPD, the effects of asthma affects the lungs differently. Apparently this damage isn't reversible.

As for getting rid of pets to avoid the incidence of asthma, I'm all for it. Having allergies is one thing, but if those allergies bring on asthma, then that is damaging the lungs. My MIL smoked and had dogs in her house, she didn't think either were a problem for DH. It wasn't until DH moved out of her house that he noticed the difference in his asthma, but the damage to his lungs was already done after years of having asthma.

This is a very sensitive topic for me because of what I have seen DH go through over the years. I hate to see him struggle to breathe, I can't tell you what it does to me. He almost died after an asthma attack that was triggered when he visited his mother's house. Obviously some people have a genetic predisposition for it, but, like everything else, given the "wrong" environment can really set things in motion. The asthma may not be totally eliminated, but the triggers can definitely be avoided and lessened. With asthma it's really all about prevention.

BTW, the best thing DH did was to see a pulmonologist for his asthma. Of course, the medications available today to treat it are much better. He hadn't been able to breathe through his nose until he began treatment with the pulmonologist. Something so simple to those of us that are able to do it, but to him it was a life changing experience.

 

[CathrynRose]

So, DS's Dr. thinks he's allergic to our dogs, and that his breathing problems and possible asthma will only get worse. I've already removed all the stuffed animals, carpeting, etc from DS's bedroom and some of the other carpeting throughout the house. I'm not sure what to do with this latest idea by the doctor.

Is there any way to know for sure it's the dogs? If so, what should I do? I'm not really a dog person (they were soon to be ex-dh's brainchildren), but both kids love them. I vaccuum every day, but there is always hair all over the place.

I dont know how to "tell for sure" but I can tell you both my youngest and I are allergic to animals. But we dont get watery eyes, or running noses, we wheeze...bad!

Asthmas *is* a symptom of an allergic reaction. Some people may get hives, some people may get stuffy, and some people may wheeze.


Growing up my mom had cats whom I was so stinking allergic to. But I loved them as much as she did - we didnt want to get rid of them - there is some "stuff" they sell at pet stores, for both cats and dogs - you spray it on their fur, and it dries and makes it less allergenic. And it works... as does that febreeze spray for allergies. Give it a shot....

 

[CathrynRose]

Can you have your dogs stay with a relative for a few weeks? If so, put the dogs on loan for a few weeks, thoroughly clean the house and then see if your son gets better. If he does, please find new homes for the dogs.

This is in response to people's posts on this thread in general; not necessarily to the OP! My allergist has expressed frustration at how many people are unwilling to get rid of their family pets to save their children's health. He said that all they can do is medicate these children like crazy and tell parents ways to minimize exposure; but the bottom line is that if your child is allergic to animals, if you want your child to have a healthy life, the animals must go. Allergies effect every part of a person's life; especially if asthma is part of the allergies. Imagine going to school and trying to study and concentrate when you have a constant runny or stuffy nose. It's like having a cold 365 days a year. Imagine trying to run around with your friends when it's hard to breath. It's like recovering from bronchitis 365 days a year. Imagine being sleepy from the allergy pills and wired up from the asthma inhalers. Concentration becomes difficult and life in general is not as good as it is for people who are healthy. It's not a fun way to live. In my opinion, if a parent (and I'm not meaning the OP-just anybody in general with this problem) can't completely eliminate his or her child's symptoms by environmental control, then the pets should go. It should NOT be about symptom reduction; it should be about symptom elimination! Symptom reduction will not give your child a normal life. He or she will always be just a little sick and believe me, nobody performs tasks, whether it is school or work, as well when they are feeling under the weather.

Another thing people should keep in mind; children will likely argue that they can handle it and would like to keep the family pet. Kids want their pets! But generally, kids living with allergies don't realize just how sick they are until they find themseslves actually living allergy free. I know I was so used to a constant "cold" from being around cats that when that cold of 19 years finally went away, I couldn't believe how much better I coped with life in general. My miserable high school grades became honor grades in college; and I do believe that was the difference between being miserable all the time and being healthy! You can't concentrate when you feel that poorly. So please people, for the sake of your children, if they have symptoms despite your efforts to control the envirinment, please give your pets to a relative! Your child needs these years to learn and play and he or she needs to be able to make the most of these years!!! Keep in mind that when your child becomes an adult, then you can own pets again. And don't forget allergy shots! I've been getting allergy shots for a couple of years and I can actually handle exposure to cats now; first time in my life! It is wonderful! But it is a process that takes a few years and the animals shouldn't be in the house during that process!!!

I agree with your entire post - it wasnt until I grew up, moved out and got married that I realized: "Gee, Im not using my inhaler every single day!!!"

But, I also loved our animals - I wouldnt want to just get rid of them, either.

Its a tough call - honestly. Try that spray, it truly worked to lessen the symptoms. My mom never found this stuff, until after I was out of the house - but I was able to visit her without ending up in the emergency room that night.

On a side note - I cant even walk into someones house, with cats without almost instantly wheezing. I think those years of over exposure made things terrible worse.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

Asthmas *is* a symptom of an allergic reaction. Some people may get hives, some people may get stuffy, and some people may wheeze.

Asthma CAN be a symptom of an allergic reaction, but isn't necessarily. Lots of kids have asthma who don't have allergies (although certainly allergies can trigger asthma). In my experience, the biggest trigger of asthma is upper respiratory infections (colds)--winter is the worst time for asthma, at least here in Florida. And (believe it or not), wheezing in a very young child is not necessarily asthma. It can be the result of bronchiolitis and kids can end up having periodic wheezing for months and months, without going on to develop asthma.

Smoke is also a huge asthma trigger, even if a person is not technically allergic to smoke. My point is just that asthma triggers are not necessarily allergic reactions-respiratory infections, cold weather, stress, smoke (not just cigarette smoke, although that is a huge trigger, but leaves burning, etc.) and unknown factors all contribute to asthma exacerbations.

 

[Dakota_Lynn]

Dakota Lynn, all allergist do not agree with yours. I went to one allergist years ago that was sure I was allergic to cats. I tested negative and he tested me a second time with a more sensitive test and I still came out negative. I'm sure that he would have suggested getting rid of the animals if I had of come out positive.

Many other allergist work with a family to try and have them keep the pets, even if there are allergies. Of course sometimes the allergy is too severe for that. But other measures should be tried first and a person should be sure that it is an actual pet allergy before even considering getting rid of the animals.

My 2nd son was a good example of someone who could have bad asthma as a baby/toddler and then grow out of it. We could have run and gotten rid of the animals (cats at that time) only for him to still have all the same troubles.

I did keep my son with our pediatrician, but he was an asthma and allergy specialist. I would not normally stay with a pediatrician for this type of care, though.

I would be willing to say that the majority of allergists, if not all of them, feel that a person who is allergic to something and is symptomatic around that object is better off healthwise to have zero exposure to the object that he or she is allergic to, especially if that person has asthma. As another poster mentioned, asthma damages the lungs. That is not good no matter how you slice it! If that asthma isn't 100% controlled, then nobody should expose the patient to whatever is causing the allergy!!! I have had allergy doctors in three different states and they all feel that way. They also know that a great many people are unwilling to get rid of the things their kids are allergic to. Plan A to an allergist is always to keep his or her patient completely away from the allergen. Plan B happens when mom or dad loves their cat or dog too much to get rid of them. When a patient's family shows reluctance to get rid of the family pet, the allergist moves toward explaining ways to minimize the allergens in the child's environment despite the presence of the animals. This is not optimal and I can assure you that any allergist on the planet would tell you that the elimination of symptoms is the goal! If a pill and excessive cleaning can eliminate symptoms to a dog allergy, that is fine. But if there are any symptoms at all, that is not healthy. Anyone who says otherwise is in denial. Sure, you will hear allergists coach people on ways to make the child more comfortable while sharing a home with the family pet that he or she is allergic to. But the allergist only gives that coaching because he knows that is the only way to help the kid. There are a LOT of people in the world that minimize or don't take allergies seriously. Allergy doctors are aware of this and they do the best they can.

And of course one should be certain that the pet is causing the allergy before getting rid of it! I doubt anybody would disagree with that statement!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Actually the last 2 allergists that we've seen have said the same thing about not making the decision to get rid of pets, and that was before testing. I'm sure it would have been different if we were talking about severe asthma and/or a severe pet allergy. Problem with most people is that there is not one trigger and it's impossible to get rid of everything a person is allergic to. Dust is a very common allergen and it's possible to take measures to decrease the dust, but there's not totally getting away from it. Of course it makes sense to eliminate the things that are possible to eliminate if the problems are severe.

I do think that it's easier to deal with a mild dog allergy than a mild cat allergy. Try telling my cats that they can't go into an open room. I don't think so... However, we keep a baby gate closed to keep the dogs from going upstairs. Not so much to keep them out of the bedrooms, but to give the cats a sanctuary away from the dogs, but it does assure that the dogs are not in the bedroom.

Oh, and my son is older, with a very mild allergy. My son who had asthma doesn't have the pet allergies.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Actually the last 2 allergists that we've seen have said the same thing about not making the decision to get rid of pets, and that was before testing. I'm sure it would have been different if we were talking about severe asthma and/or a severe pet allergy. Problem with most people is that there is not one trigger and it's impossible to get rid of everything a person is allergic to. Dust is a very common allergen and it's possible to take measures to decrease the dust, but there's not totally getting away from it. Of course it makes sense to eliminate the things that are possible to eliminate if the problems are severe.

I do think that it's easier to deal with a mild dog allergy than a mild cat allergy. Try telling my cats that they can't go into an open room. I don't think so... However, we keep a baby gate closed to keep the dogs from going upstairs. Not so much to keep them out of the bedrooms, but to give the cats a sanctuary away from the dogs, but it does assure that the dogs are not in the bedroom.

Oh, and my son is older, with a very mild allergy. My son who had asthma doesn't have the pet allergies.

I have severe asthma that hasn't been under control for awhile. I have severe allergies that haven't been under control, either. We are now looking at sinus surgery to see if that helps things (CT scan on Tuesday!). I am allergic to anything that grows - dust, grass, trees, pets, etc. Anything and everything.

I can't eliminate my allergens, I just can't. We have 2 dogs. I lived pet free for 6 years and my asthma and allergies didn't change at ALL. So, we decided that obviously cat/dog don't add anything worse to the mix then I already deal with so we have 2 dogs. They bring me more joy than most other things.

My allergist/asthma specialist knows about the dogs and we talked extensively about my history. He has not suggested getting rid of them because of what my history shows - no changes at all in lung capacity, allergy issues, medication needs, hospitalizations, etc since getting them. I wouldn't be gaining anything but instead losing a lot by not having them in my life...

What does that say for others? I'm not sure. When you are allergic to SO many things, and so many things are triggers, you might not see a change at all in eliminating 1 item from the household and the ramifications of doing so (ie, losing a beloved family pet) won't be worth it. That is what we found.

We do maintain the dogs regularly - the one that sheds (very little, btw) gets furminated. Both are bathed regularly, esp when things are in the air outside that they bring in on their coats. I think that helps some, maybe?

 

[Aidensmom]

Actually the last 2 allergists that we've seen have said the same thing about not making the decision to get rid of pets, and that was before testing. I'm sure it would have been different if we were talking about severe asthma and/or a severe pet allergy. Problem with most people is that there is not one trigger and it's impossible to get rid of everything a person is allergic to. Dust is a very common allergen and it's possible to take measures to decrease the dust, but there's not totally getting away from it. Of course it makes sense to eliminate the things that are possible to eliminate if the problems are severe.

I do think that it's easier to deal with a mild dog allergy than a mild cat allergy. Try telling my cats that they can't go into an open room. I don't think so... However, we keep a baby gate closed to keep the dogs from going upstairs. Not so much to keep them out of the bedrooms, but to give the cats a sanctuary away from the dogs, but it does assure that the dogs are not in the bedroom.

Oh, and my son is older, with a very mild allergy. My son who had asthma doesn't have the pet allergies.

I agree with you. I have severe allergies and moderate asthma. As a child, I was allergic to cats, I no longer am. I am, however, allergic to so many other things it would be impossible to ELIMINATE my symptoms unless I lived in a plastic bubble. I DO live a normal life, even if my symptoms are not eliminated, and at times, not even that controlled.

I am allergic to dust, mold, ragweed, various grasses, perfumes, cigarette smoke, various detergents and cleaning agents, pineapple, horses, various plants and flowers, various insect bites and stings (bee and wasp stings will cause an anaphalctic (sp?) reaction), etc, etc. We had a cat when I was a child. We did not get rid of it because I was allergic. There would be no point, I would have symptoms because of all of the other things I was allergic to that we could not control. My parents did take away all my stuffed animals, I did not have carpet in my room, we didn't plant certain plants, etc in an attempt to control my allergies, but there is no way they could eliminate things. Our cat was much loved by me and my entire family. Getting rid of her would cause more trauma than keeping her. She was no longer allowed to sleep in my room however.