Anyone allergic to animals and still have indoor pets?

[Whitters20]

Hi there. I have two cats and one dog, all of whom live inside. I think I might be allergic to them (or the cats at least) and getting rid of them is not an option (one of the cats is not adoptable and they can't be seperated).

Background info-I never had indoor pets growing up and didn't develop any type of regular allergies until I was about 19 or 20 (just like my dad did). I know I'm allergic to cigarette smoke and various outdoor things (weeds, pollen, etc). I've had the cats the longest (4 years) and lately when I hold them I start to itch. My allergies in general have gotten much worse over the past 5 years (I'm now 25). I've tried Allegra and Claritin which didn't help. Right now, I just take a benadryl and a sudafed at night so that I can sleep (and breathe). I manage okay during the day.

I was just wondering if anyone out there knows any "tricks" or what prescriptions have helped you? On a side note, I currently don't have health insurance but I will in a few months. I plan on going for allergy tests and maybe asking about getting shots. Thanks in advance for your advice.

[SingleWhiteFemale]

I am. :( I finally discovered it when after my cat died and I went around to several shelters, and my eyes were itching, my arms/hands were itching if I pet a cat, and I had bouts of sneazing. However, I've had cats my entire life. I guess I've gotten used to their dander, and the new/unfamilar animals set me off. I recently got a 2 yr old Balinese, and anytime I was near her I would sneeze and rub my eyes like mad. Over the past month and a half, it's gotten better, to the point only my nose is running. Small victory, really. I wouldn't get rid of my cats for the world, and I know I'll always be a cat owner.

I do go with Zyrtec though, when I just can't deal and wait it out. It does help quite a bit, though not perfect... makes things a million times more bareable.

[tlew12778]

My allergist told me that you eventually get used to your own pets. Have you had yours for a long time?

You can also try some anti-allergen products for your carpets and stuff. My mom used to use them. I think you can find them on drsfostersmith.com. You could also try bathing your cats (but I doubt they will adapt to that very well if they are adults).

[fuzzy]

Yes. I'm allergic to all four of my cats and my dog. And my horse. But he's not indoor. ;)

I tend to get used to my animals after a while. I've always had pets, they've always been indoor, and I've always been allergic. Not having animals is simply not an option for me. So the first year so after I get them tend to be bad, and then things seem to setle down. Also, for the record, my allergies are NOT severe. Itchy eyes, the sniffles, etc. But I can manage.

You may want to play around with different allergy medications. Claritin didn't do much for me, but Allegra is a life saver. Zyrtec might be worth a try. I also use a nasal spray in combination with Allegra. It helps tremendously. I also use Benadryll spray if I happen to get an occasional skin rash.

I vaccum a lot and have hardwoods instead of carpeting. When my allergies are really bad, I throw a sheet over my bed so the cat hair and dander doesn't get on my pillow cases/quilt. My cats aren't allowed in my closet (i.e., near my work clothes).

My brother's allergies are much worse and he dos get shots. It makes life much, much more bearable.

[jnettie]

DH is allergic to our cats. Here's what we do:

We put a product called Allerpet-C on them once a week or so. We buy it from our vet, but it is in some pet stores (not Petco, but some of the small, local places). It's a liquid you rub into their skin. They hate it, but it has the pleasant side effect of making their fur really soft. It is both a skin moisturizer (to prevent flaking skin that carries alergens) and also binds to alergens.

We feed them really good food. Nutro Complete-care. But any high-quality food will do. This way, they are more healthy and shed less.

We also have an air filter in the house.

DH and SIL are not allergic to our cats unless they lick them or scratch. My Dad's allergies are far reduced when he's here (his eyes itch, but he doesn't need his inhailer).

Hope this helps!

[Whitters20]

Thank you all so much for your help. I know that people can develop allergies to things as they get older but it seems like I wouldn't be allergic to the cats I've had for over 4 years. Maybe I'm really allergic to something else. I guess I'll know more after I've had allergy tests. I don't have severe allergies, just itching, watery eyes, and a stuffy nose. But one of my cats does love to sleep in the bed (under the covers) and the dog sleeps under the bed :) .

SingleWhiteFemale-I will definitely ask the Doc about Zyrtec. I've taken it in the past when I get a reaction to poison ivy.

tlew12778-thanks for the website, I'll go check it out.

fuzzy-I'm glad your horse doesn't live inside! :D That would make life interesting! I may have to try and ban the cats from the bedroom even though I like taking naps with them. And we are thinking of getting wood floors in the bedrooms next year.

jnettie-I'm going to ask our vet about Allerpet-C. And I didn't know better food helped with shedding. I guess when I start working in a few weeks, we'll have to upgrade.

[greenbunny]

My best friend's husband is really allergic to everything (foods, dust, grass, mold, pets, etc.) and they have two cats. Besides all the good suggestions above (like meds, coat treatments) they had luck when they moved to a condo without much carpeting. Their new place has mostly tile and hardwood flooring. I realize it's costly and definitely a long-term solution, but, if you are in a fairly permanent situation, it seems to be a big help to them.

[daener]

An allergy nasal spray has worked wonders for me! I think it's called Nasal crom.

[jnettie]

They make Allerpet for Dogs and Birds, too! Allerpet-D and Allerpet-B!

If you buy the giant bags of food, it's really not much more than the el-cheepo brands. I think we pay $23 at Petco for the giant bags of Nurtro, and get a few wet food pouches as a treet for the girls. The giant bag lasts at least 6 months.

The funny thing is that we were told that Sissy would only eat the cheep brands when we adopted her, so we mixed the cheep with the good stuff for a while. Soon, we discovered that she was eating the good food around the cheep stuff! Our kitties, at least, like the good food better. I guess my girls have expensive taste. ;)

[honeygirl]

I'm allergic! I've had allergies all of my life but they've changed over the years. We have an indoor dog and cat.

What's worked for me is taking out the carpet in the bedroom and putting in pergo. Also washing the sheets and pillow cases with hot hot water at least once a week. I also have a pillow liner thing on my pillow (some sort of a zip up thing that keeps the dust/dander away from me), that I wash weekly. We have allergy filters for the house (they are regular filters, but have higher allergen protection or something like that) and also a air purifier in the bedroom (one from the Sharper Image). If that wasn't enough we try to vaccum once a week with our Dyson (seems to pick up a lot of cat hair and dust).

I use the high does of Allegra (180mg) and have rhinocort on hand. Lately my allergies have been getting better so I only use the Allegra and am even thinking of lowering my dose. I think I've tried almost every medication out there over the years including: Nasalcrom, Zyrtec, Claritin, etc. A natural remedy that seems to help me a lot is a "neti pot". They clear out the sinuses and nasal passages and have decreased my symptoms and even helped me to get over sickness quicker.

Good luck!

[Whitters20]

Thanks again for the advice.

honeygirl-does your Dyson really pick up the hair good? I know that's a problem for us. Our cheapo vacuum only picks up some of the pet hair, not all of it. We've been saving our money to get a really good vacuum and hopefully we'll have one for Christmas. The one I'm looking at is a Dyson Animal vac for like $550.

greenbunny-we replaced the carpet in part of our house last Christmas. But we are thinking of replacing the other parts (the bedrooms) with laminate or hardwood. It's hard because of the expense though. Technically, we rent from my brother in law and are thinking about buying the house if we can afford it. I figure we'll be here at least another 5-6 years.

jnettie-I think I'll try the Nutro with our cats. It's what our Vet recommended for the dog although we feed him a cheap brand now since I haven't been working. It's amazing what an extra paycheck can do for a household. :D

[honeygirl]

honeygirl-does your Dyson really pick up the hair good? I know that's a problem for us. Our cheapo vacuum only picks up some of the pet hair, not all of it. We've been saving our money to get a really good vacuum and hopefully we'll have one for Christmas. The one I'm looking at is a Dyson Animal vac for like $550.


Yup, it picks up hair very well. It's kind of gross how much hair comes off of our animals! It is a bagless vac, so easy to clean up the hair, etc.

We have the yellow Dyson, we've had it for about 2 years.

[MLA]

I am. I've always been allergic to cats and dogs and have always had indoor pets. I only have cats now, but I'm more allergic to them than to dogs.

I swear by Claritin. I don't have to take it everyday because I've built up a bit of a tolerance to my own kitties. But if I take it every three days or so, it keeps me from having any allergic reactions. If I go longer than that, I tend to get itchy eyes. The thing with Claritin is that when you first start using it, you have to use it for a while before it becomes effective -- I think it has to build up in your system. So if you weren't taking it for a while, that may be why it didn't work for you.

ETA: Oh, and the Dyson is AWESOME. I vacuum at least every other day and sometimes every day, and it picks up tons of fur every time!

[jnettie]

Definately understand the paycheck issues! For the first time in 2 years, DH and I are both working full time. We discovered the joy of bulk buying then - plus the time it saved!

Oh, yeah, vacuuming makes a HUGE difference! We just got a new, awesome vacuum (not a Dyson, the Linens n' Things gift certificate didn't have that much dough on it!) and DH vacuums at least twice a week now. Gets up all the cat hair.n I think it's a Hoover, but I'm too lazy to get my butt off the couch to make sure.

[Whitters20]

Thanks again for the help. I've been lurking in the Dyson thread so now I'm just waiting for enough money to buy one.

I think I'll try the Claritin again before I got to the doctor. I didn't take it for very long. Only about 4 weeks and not every day. So, I'll try it every day for a while and see if it helps.

[honeygirl]

Thanks again for the help. I've been lurking in the Dyson thread so now I'm just waiting for enough money to buy one.

I think I'll try the Claritin again before I got to the doctor. I didn't take it for very long. Only about 4 weeks and not every day. So, I'll try it every day for a while and see if it helps.

Just an FYI on the Claritin. You don't need to buy the expensive Claritin product, you can buy the generic (Loratadine) for MUCH cheaper. If you look on the labels you'll see that the only ingredient is the drug Loratadine, so save your money! I've seen the generic products everywhere that the Claritin is sold. It is the cheapest at Costco.