Think I'm allergic to my Yorkie!!!
 

Hey All,
I have a lovely 1 year old yorkie and just adopted a second one last night. My new girl is 7 months old and much bigger with wiry hair. She's so very sweet but I've noticed since I stepped back in the house with her that my eyes have been very itchy. I gave her a quick shower this morning after she hopped in with me (surprise!) but it hasn't gotten any better.

Anyone else allergic to one yorkie and not another?

Thanks,
Deirdre

I am a very allergic person, yet not to my dog. I would try to brush her very good and wash her again with some sort of anti dander shampoo, then clean any and all bedding that she might have been on prior to her bath. It could be something on her prior to her bath that you are allergic too. Good Luck

Re: Think I'm allergic to my Yorkie!!!
 

Already called the groomer and have an appointment for right after work. She slept under the bed on the bare floor and she's currently on the floor under my desk next to my feet so there's not much to wash.

Keep fingers crossed!

Will do, I hope the groomer solves it for you

yorkie don't shed so you shouldn't really be allergic to them; maybe the shampoo you're using on her?

My daughter and I have BAD allergies to pets. We got Max, a yorkipoo and we seem to be doing ok. Both the yorkie and poodle breed are good for people with allergies since their coat is more like hair than fur and they don't shed dander as other breeds do. I still notice that if I pet Max then touch around my eyes, they get very itchy and red. I just wash my hands frequently and try to avoid touching my eyes.

Yeah, she's a little oilier than my little guy so I was thinking it might be that. I'll wash her really well at the groomer's / dog wash, wash my hands and face and see how it is tomorrow.

Thanks!
Deirdre + Pip and now Pixie

My allergies do not do well after I bring Max home from the groomers.
I think it is the spray they use after.
After I give him a bath my allergies stop acting up.

My allergies are not good when I bring my two back from the groomer either. I think all the dander in the air has a good part to do with it. You have to think, dander travel through the air and stick to things like furniture, carpet, other pets, and hard surfaces. Here is what I did....

When I came back from my vaca the dog sitter had not vacuumed everyday like I usually do so the dander levels in my house were outrageous. I bought 2 HEPA filters ( the tower looking ones used for cleaning the air in your house ) and bought a new HEPA filter vacuum. I placed a HEPA filter air cleaner in the two rooms they frequent the most, vacuumed, then I wiped down all the hard surfaces in the house with those little antibacterial wipes. I then proceded to give mine each a bath with ALLERPET D. This is a shampoo that reduces the dander on dogs for people who are allergic to them. I also washed all the blankets in the house.My allergies cleared up within 3 days.
I am not allergic to my dogs at all if I wash them on a regular basis at home, which is once a week. You have to think, if the groomer is using the same brushes on your dog as other dogs with more dander, the groomer is spreading the dander around. I don't know if they clean the brushes after each use or not. But all the dander in the air is bad enough for me, when they get back from the groomer, I give them another bath asap because my allergies cannot take it. Hope this helped.

Still itchy....
 

Still itchy but a little less so after we washed her and cut all the matts out of her hair.

Took her to the vet this morning and the vet thought she may be a yorkie / doxie mix. I had been thinking the same thing : ). I also noticed she has a little bit of dander, could be because she's a mix or because she hadn't been bathed in quite a while.

I'll bath her again in a day or who at home with our own brushes / towels / etc.

Thanks for all the tips!
Deirdre + Pip and now Pixie

I'll also look around and see about finding that AllerPetD shampoo.

: )
D + P + P

I have two doxies short hair, they are also a single layer coat like the yorkie, you shouldnt see any dander w/ them. Their coat is alot like hair as well. can you post some pics of her I would like to see what a yorkie/doxie looks like. you may not want to bathe her too often, it can cause dry skin. Good luck w/ your baby ;)

Carla :aimeeyork

I have been deathly allergic to animals all my life. Cats have always been worse than dogs (thank goodness) but I didn't care because I wanted a yorkie so bad and I hear people say that allergies and yorkies aren't usually that big of a problem.

I investigated before I got my yorkie and my doc said that its NOT in fact, the dander that we are generally allergic to--yet something in their saliva. I know, it sounds weird but it explains why I am so severely allergic to cats because they bathe themselves, yet our yorkies only lick themselves seldomly.

When I got Lillie, the first few weeks I noticed that I would sneeze and my eyes would itch, and I'd wheeze but I didn't care because I loved her so much and now she sleeps with me and you would never know that I used to be allergic to her. Keep her in your house for a while longer, maybe your body will get used to your pup and everything will be just fine...until then, invest in some Claritin. :D

Yeah, we got a yorkie because my husband was deathly allergic to our cat and we didn't want to go through the trauma of rehoming another pet. I've never had allergies which is why it's so weird that my new girl is effecting me.

She was very neglected, the didn't have a harness or leash for her, she didn't know how to even sit and forget about potty training. When I got her hair and the hair between her feet were all matted, her hair was very greasy and she stunk to high heaven.

Got her all pretty and dematted, had her toe nails clipped for the first time in her life, took her to the vet and we're redoing all her vacinations as we have no idea what she's had so far. Vet gave her an A+ for health, no luxating patella, just needs a tooth pulled when we spay her.

I'm betting that after I bath her a second time I won't have any itchy eyes...

Not sure how to load pictures here but if you imagine a larger size doxie with yorkie color and ears then that's Pixie! She's a chunk at 11.5 lbs and she's only 7 months. Wonder how much bigger she'll get...

Thank you everyone for your responses and suggestions,
Deirdre + Pip + Pixie

Hope its getting better for you!
 

I sure hope your allergies are calming down a bit. My husband suffers from allergic reactions and we have to be very careful.

Have a wonderful day!

Jessica

I hope you are doing better with your allergies. Its sounds like Pixie is very lucky to have you. Can't wait to see pics!

I'm very sad. I'm a collee student and I just moved home on April 20th which is the same day I bought my yorkie Lexi at 6 weeks old. Since I've been home my allergies have been CRAZY and I have took so many medicines and they don't work. My stepdad suggested maybe I'm allergic to Lexi... I better not be. I love her so much. I don't know what to do..

Do not touch or pet your Yorkie and then somehow rub your eyes. My eyes get very itchy when I do that. Wash your hands, keep them away from your face and enjoy your Yorkies. You can blow your nose like I do and remember Yorkies are not shedders. I would not get rid of my dogs because I am itchy.

Most allergists will tell you that it is not the hair or fur that people have allergies to but the skin that flakes off the pet's body and gets into the fur and then the air. The fur or hair has very little to do with the allergy.

There are anti dander shampoos, conditioners and sprays that are on the market that are supposed to keep dander to a minimum. Giving your pet a weekly bath in an anti dander shampoo or one that is all natural will help keep the skin from flaking so much. They say the sprays, if used daily, can help a lot, too.

I'm mildly allergic to my cats. I have to make sure I wash my hands after petting them and keep my hands away from my eyes.

My ex suffers severe allergies, we share custody of our babies...anyways, he definitely has a reaction to both our girls. I laugh because Mini is allergic to human dander.. very highly allergic.. and he is allergic to her yet they are inseperable! he never complains, but he takes meds and inhalers and if she misses her 2 a week bath...he really gets it bad.

I also have bad allergies :(
When I first got Nena my mom didn't like it because of my allergies but I never had an allergic reaction to her.
When we got Rufus, he was all dirty and oily and I started feeling some allergy reactions...after a good grooming it stopped (thank goodness!!)
Now every time Rufus need to be groomed I feel the allergies until he is fresh and clean again :)

This is an interesting topic as I believe, sadly I am allergic to Jess. I did get hives the first time she licked me but when I went back to try again I didn't. I figured it was a one time thing. That doesnt happen anymore but Slowly I have noticed my chest has been getting tight. It has happened more over a process of months. I am now almost at the point of wheezing.
I read a lot and they say you can either slowly desensitize to your pet or it gradually gets worse. She pees on a pad in the house and they say the pet urine is the worst. I do have a reaction to the smell of her pee. I thought it was just the smell but its not. Shes an itchy gal too so Im sure her dander is floating everywhere. I don't know what to do. Claritin d doesn't really help. Benadryl helps a bit more but it knocks me out. Im going to buy a hepa filter but I have a lot of rooms in the house. I am going to see my dr to get a referral to an allergist next week but that could take a long time. I don't know what else to do. Im home with her all day so I get exposed more than anyone...
:unlove:

Oh man! That sucks! So, have you tried washing her with a shampoo that will help HER not itch so much (probably dry skin = scratching = dander = mommy miserable)?

Of all the many animals to be allergic to, it has to be the dog! I love dogs! My daughter has the same problem. She went to the allergist and took the shots which helped . Her nose gets stuffy. We bought a honeywell air cleaner with the hepa filter, We put hepa filters in the vents in the wall. She grew up with poodles and Yorkies. I wash the dogs and keep them clean. I make sure her bedroom is clean. I would not get rid of your dog. Get some nose spray, go do the shot treatment and keep your dog. No love like a dog and if you keep her away from your face you will be ok.

My issues seem more asthma related. So I went and bought 400.00 worth of heap filters today. We will see how it goes. I have a daughter with allergic asthma so she is the priority. She isn't around Jess as much as I am. I am hoping to see an allergist soon. I haven't tried any other shampoos yet but prob next on my list..Do you recommend one?

Filters are nice but keeping up with the dander is what will really help you if you are truly allergic to the dander or the saliva. Pets do lick themselves and the saliva does dry and stay on the fur. Frequent bathing in an anti dander shampoo and conditioner formula or an all natural brand will bring down the allergens quite a bit. Using a spray anti dander on the pet's cost daily will also help. Vacuuming the floor and furniture frequently is a must. Using a humidifier in the dry months will keep the dander down as humid air prevents the dander from flying around.
A good antihistamine may help prevent some allergic episodes. Some people swear by the allergy shots. It is true that some people's systems do adjust to the allergen but some may get worse as the seasons change and other allergens become more active. If you feel you are developing an asthmatic condition you should see your doctor right away.

Going next week..

Hi,my mom is allergic to my yorkie too! I was wondering, are inhalers bad for you??? someone told my mom they are cancer-causing but i can't seem to find the relation online. Plllleeeeeeease advise! I am desperate.

Thank you so much <3
Gina

ps. hope things are better for you now. Im pretty suer people can be allergic to yorkies. I was talking to a doctor about it. Its less likely but still possible!

Similar to other posters, I am also very sensitive to allergens and have bad allergies. I was having a hard time at first when I got my lil Scottie and took Reactin daily.

But eventually my system 'adapted'. I went from having runny nose, itchy watery eyes, to just itchy eyes if I touch him and then rub my eyes. The obvious simple fix for me was just to not touch my eyes :D

Oh and when I comb his hair, I wear a mask to make sure I'm not breathing in his loose hairs.