Pets
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
New baby and pet allergies...
So my newest son appears to have allergies... He goes by my mom on Tuesdays (cat) and my MIL (dog) on Thursdays and we started putting two and two together and believe that he has pet allergies... On T/Th's when he comes home, he is horribly congested, red nose, runny nose, the whole bit.
My mom made the decision to put down their cat (she was a older cat, and it was a choice they made)... So I won't have to worry about it then, but on Thursdays he will still be by my MIL...
Is there anything I can do to help him while he is there, as far as the allerigies go? I'm going to ask my MIL that her dog not go in my car while she has the kids/my car...
TIA for any advice...
Re: New baby and pet allergies...
Have you had an allergist confirm your suspicions?
Did the cat have anything else wrong with it or was it put to death only for a suspicion?
There's a long post in the FAQ's about allergies. The easiest fixes are frequent cleaning of all soft surfaces, air filters and wiping down the dog once he comes inside (their fur can bring in pollen/allergens from outside).
Kids that are exposed to allergens like pet dander early in life are less likely to suffer allergies as adults.
This was my question, too. I literally said, "Umm, what?!" out loud when I read that part.
I'm with the PP who suggested going to an allergist. Infants should not have many medications, so mediating your child is not a good idea without your doctor's knowledge.
My son has asthma. No one has suggested that we do anything with our dogs, they have just suggested many of those suggestions which are in the FAQs (and yes, we had it confirmed by a pediatric pulmonologist).
I wouldn't jump to any conclusions without proof.
This is what I thought, too.
OP, I really have no idea about this, the bolded in YellowUmbrella's post is what I always imagined... maybe your baby needs to develop an immunity (?--might be the wrong word I'm looking for here) to the pets.
But yeah, I'm with PP's and I hope for the cat's sake there was something else going on with it for it to be put down. I'd get an air filtration thing to plug in before I put my animals to sleep due to someone else's allergies. (IMO, anyway)
Yes. Also, eventually you adapt to your own pet's dander as well.
Other things I think are weird: dogs and cats have different types of allergens so it is not a foregone conclusion that the kid would be allergic to both dogs and cats. In fact, it isn't that common that someone would be allergic to both, especially at such a young age. Also, the allergens live in the home for 6 months or so, so simply killing the cat isn't going to solve the problem in the short term.
Thanks for the advice everyone.
I spoke with my sons Pedi and we are going to do allergy testing at 6 months...
My son goes over to my parents house more than once a week (i doubt that matters to anyone...). I understand that everyone has differing opinions on pets and what not. (Wow... that was flameworthy...)
Thankfully the dog that we have is hypoallergenic. I am not opposed to my son being exposed to things he is allergic to, but when he comes home from their houses and is red eyed, sneezy and miserable, I fail to see how that is beneficial to him. Additionally, he has FTT and so when he feels like that and refuses to eat (he hardly eats at MIL's house) when he gets home, its not at all beneficial to his health to be exposed to that.
There is no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic dog. Certain dogs and certain breeds can exacerbate allergies less than others (this is not true for all oodles and doodles b.c. their breeding is inconsistent, but is true for breeds like Portuguese water dogs), but none are truly hypoallergenic. From everything you've posted it seems like you don't have a very advanced understanding of allergies, especially pet allergies, yet. I think the FAQ can really help you with this.
Re. the cat, you all had it euthanized based on an unconfirmed suspicion that your child might be allergic with no real understanding of allergies. That isn't something that should be subject to differing opinions, it was a snap decision based on lack of information and misinformation. That's pretty messed up whether you like animals or not.
As for your MIL's, I would have her watch your child at your house. Having dog free areas, keeping the dog off the sofa, vacuuming regularly, etc. can all help reduce allergens.
I think the thing that makes me sad and frustrated is that you're just deciding your baby is allergic and the evidence you cite doesn't add up for those of us who know about pet allergies. I developed an allergy to my cats at the age of 26, despite growing up with a lot of them, and the timing and symptoms you're describing don't sound like a characteristic cat allergy to me. There are a million other things in the houses that could be causing these issues and with the baby going between multiple houses the symptoms don't definitively point to allergens in both.
You ended an animal's LIFE because you SUSPECTED your son was allergic?!?
Wow. Just wow.
::backs away quickly::
so, he goes over there one day a week and they have to change the dynamics of their house for y'all?!?
I'm sorry but that's very selfish of y'all.
and then to KILL and animal because of it?
wow.
My thoughts exactly.
Whoa.
Well my dog is getting old and sometimes I think she might make me sneeze. I should just kill her and see if that solves my problems! Great idea!