I need help and suggestions when it comes to allergies

[JJC]

... although I'm officially in denial to my husband that I may be allergic to the girls.

For about the last 3 weeks I have been experiencing problems with sneezing, roof of my mouth itching, congestion, runny nose, and eyes itching from time to time so I know it's allergies. I will take benadryl for allergies and it helps but it also makes me very tired so I'm going to try Claritin and see if thats any better. My son has asthma and is allergic to some pet dander so I am very careful with his contact with pets. He has absolutely no problem with the girls but I'm afraid I may be the one having an issue. I have never had any problems before and I am still trying to officially live in denial that this may be the case. I keep praying I have not suddenly become allergic to pet dander and that it's something different. I'm looking for things to try around the house so that if this is the case I don't have to be dependant on medication for the next umpteen years.

I read a long time ago that a home needs to be vacuum one time a week for every person and pet in your house. I used to do this for years but have gotten off schedule and only do it 1-2 times a week so I'm going to get back in the groove of things and get it done 6 days a week.

I'm going to get the girls more bedding and exchange it out every couple of days instead of just washing once a week.

They girls get a bath once a week. I think I started using mink sheen on them about 3-4 weeks ago so I'm going to try a different shampoo as well. It's probably just cooincidence and I really like the shampoo but I'm willing to try something different for a while and see if that helps. We can always try to re-introduce it later to see if it might be the problem. It may even be necessary to bathe them more often so any suggestions on a good shampoo that wont dry them out would be greatly appreciated. I don't want them to suffer due to extra baths on my account.

If none of that works I'm going to get a good HEPA filter for the house so if you know of a good one I would certainly appreciate any information on it. I probably should have one anyway so it wouldn't be a bad idea to have one going round the clock now.

I am their caregiver so limiting my contact with them is not an option and I wouldn't do it anyway. They are my shadows and we just all around love on each other. The only time I'm not with them is when I'm at work or I'm going somewhere I can't take them. They do not sleep with me because their not fully housebroken so they sleep in their expen/kennel area in the living room so they have access to their potty pad when ever they need it.

I'm looking for any ideas and suggestions you might have. I'm trying to live in denial that it is what I know it is and I will go to the doctor if things don't improve after making changes but until then... I'm living in denial. I'm trying to think in terms of lifestyle changes that would benefit us all so I don't have to get an official diagnosis if that makes any sense at all.

Anybody else deal with this? What do you do that has helped to improve the situation?

Sorry for the long post and I thank you if you made it through reading the whole thing.

TYIA

BTW... happy Easter everyone!

[Beenie]

My husband suffers from allergies that trigger asthma, and next to cats dogs are his biggest trigger. He was okay with Chico the first couple of weeks we had him, then he started having reactions (mild compared to other dogs). He went to see his allergy Dr and was prescribed allegra, and a saline nose spray. The Dr told Paul not to touch Chico then touch his face, so now Paul washes his hands after handling Chico. There are allergen reducing products for bathing and for the carpet. I just make sure vacuum often, Chico gets a wet bath Mondays with a dry bath (with a spray "shampoo" for dogs) on Thursday, and all Chico's bedding gets washed on his bath days. I tried wet bathing two times a week and Chico got too dry, thus the wet bath. It's a lot of work, but so worth the reward and comfort of our household. Hope this helps you and good luck.

[JJC]

Originally Posted by Beenie

My husband suffers from allergies that trigger asthma, and next to cats dogs are his biggest trigger. He was okay with Chico the first couple of weeks we had him, then he started having reactions (mild compared to other dogs). He went to see his allergy Dr and was prescribed allegra, and a saline nose spray. The Dr told Paul not to touch Chico then touch his face, so now Paul washes his hands after handling Chico. There are allergen reducing products for bathing and for the carpet. I just make sure vacuum often, Chico gets a wet bath Mondays with a dry bath (with a spray "shampoo" for dogs) on Thursday, and all Chico's bedding gets washed on his bath days. I tried wet bathing two times a week and Chico got too dry, thus the wet bath. It's a lot of work, but so worth the reward and comfort of our household. Hope this helps you and good luck.

Thank you for sharing. I'm holding onto hope that it will get better. If you don't mind my asking what allergen reducing products do you use?