Growing up my dad had cats. At one time he had 6 cats. All through high school I remember having a runny nose and itchy eyes. Everyone thought I just got sick easily. When I went to college I didn’t go to my dads home as often. I also didn’t get as sick either. However, when I went to visit I began to realize that my runny nose always occurred while at my dads. It wasn’t until then that I realized I was allergic to cats. An allergy that was later confirmed with my doctor.
Being around cats cause a physical response for me that is unpleasant. Ironically we do have a cat of our own now. I have to take a nasal spray and pill everyday for my reactions to not occur. Which even then is not enough at times. For others, reactions can be even worse. The same can happen with dogs. Proteins in saliva, urine and dander can cause a reaction to those who are allergic. The proteins, allergens, are so small that they can be airborne. In sever cases, a person walking into a room can cause a reaction. People’s immune response can be different. Some times I get a mild anaphylactic shock where my airway passages begin to swell and cause wheezing.
So why am I mentioning allergies?
Not only can people be allergic to cats, but also dogs. Two groups of people bought a dog from my in-laws. Both had someone who never knew they were allergic to dogs. One had to go to the hospital as a result. That resulted in a sad day for the puppy and puppy parents.
Hopefully most people know if they are or are not allergic to dogs. Some may not. In that case, if someone is taking a puppy home from us, hopefully they will know before hand. Making contact with the puppies and mother should at least cause some reaction during or after the visit. If there is any uncertainty on whether you are allergic to a dog, then you might want to consult a doctor. There are allergists who can run tests to see if you are allergic to dogs amongst other things.
It’s not our intention to place our English creams into a new home, only to find out later that someone is allergic. In reality we hope that doesn’t ever occur. I’t can be a bit traumatizing on a puppy if they have to be given a second home. We also don’t want to cause unneeded trauma on owners.
A relevant update.
Recently someone also posted on a golden retriever forum about certain hair types being more hypoallergenic in golden retrievers. She was a bit mislead. Her reasoning was that golden retrievers with silkier fur results in less allergies than from ones with course hair. The reality is if you are allergic to the dog, the hair type will make no difference. The allergy from dog saliva will stick to the fur no matter what. A softer fur does sometime result in less allergens being brought into the home from outside. However, that is a result from allergic reactions from outside such as pollens. This situation is not a result of allergies to a dog. The one way to tell the difference is during winter months when pollen is less, the allergic reactions will also decrease. An allergic reaction to a dog will not change with seasons.
Leave a Reply