Man's Best Friend: Dealing with a Dog Allergy

Having a dog allergy can be tough on both yourself and man's best friend as the battle to keep the dog can intensify your symptoms and cause living with Fido to be quite uncomfortable. Still, many people face the decision of getting rid of the family pet over a child or parent's allergic reaction to the pet every day and it never gets easier. There is, however, an assortment of other tactics and cures you can employ to help with a dog allergy that can save both you and your best friend an awful lot of grief.

A dog allergy can strike anyone at any age, period. There is no age requirement or limit to suffering from a pet allergy, it just happens and that's really all there is to it. Most people that suffer from different pet allergies also suffer from allergies to pollens or to molds as well. It is also highly common for there to be a genetic trait in dealing with allergies to pets, so chances are if it is in the family line it could happen to you as well as anyone in your immediate family.

It should also be noted that no dog is considered non-allergenic because the same allergens are present in all types of pet hair and dander. All dogs produce dander, all dogs urinate and shed skin, and all dogs lick themselves. This makes all dogs an allergenic possibility regardless of their individual hair type. There are dogs that produce less dander but this does not eliminate the presence of dander completely and still makes all dogs a possibility for an allergic reaction.

Dog allergies produce symptoms that are a lot like hay fever or seasonal allergy symptoms.

If you suffer from a dog allergy you might experience runny nose, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, scratchy skin and throat, watery eyes, and other such symptoms that are akin to airborne allergies. This is because a dog allergy affects the same allergenic systems in the body much the same way hay fever and other seasonal allergies do because of the smallness of the allergen, or pet dander in this case.

There are a few tips, though, that can save you a lot of problems with your dog and your family that may be allergic to dogs. For starters, always wash your hands after playing with your dog. This ensures removal of the dander. You might also want to consider changing your clothing or taking a shower or bath for a more thorough treatment. Also, keep dogs out of certain rooms of the home like bathrooms and bedrooms to reduce the areas that the dog's dander will affect. Limiting exposure to allergens is always a good way to limit the actual symptoms of a dog allergy.