Ever wondered what you would do if you suddenly woke up one morning to find your child’s ears acutely painful and it turned out to be your new puppy’s doing? Indirectly, of course, that’s exactly what happened to my neighbor and longtime client, Manny.
I work in a strip mall in South Miami next to a Cuban bakery that’s been there ever since I can remember. Manny is the owner and, like his dad before him, he serves me my traditionally Cuban, thimble-sized servings of syrupy-sweet black espresso a few mid-mornings a week.
Manny’s young family had been preparing for a dog for some time now. For years now, they’d considered getting American Bulldogs like Manny’d had growing up. Instead, they settled on a feisty rat terrier who seemed like a dream pup.
At eight weeks and all of two pounds, this little guy was housebroken, ate like a champ and proved clear of all major puppy diseases at his first well-pup visit.
But, of course, there was trouble in paradise. Manny’s son seemed to catch a cold soon after the pup was brought in. Then, four days later, an early-morning emergency room visit with a wailing child confirmed the severity of a painful, sinusitis-originating ear infection. Allergies, they said.
Manny’s worst fears had been confirmed. Turns out said child had previously experienced allergies to dogs but had done very well over the past year whenever he interacted with friends’ and family’s canine companions. They’d figured it’d be safe after testing the waters so carefully beforehand.
Now the dream pup’s got a new home with granddad—for the moment. Manny’s still hoping everything will somehow work out.
His reaction is typical of most families whose pets and their immunological pathologies collide. There’s that moment when you’re already head over heels, blinded to the possibility of catastrophic clashes between what’s best for our bodies and what we want for ourselves and the pets in our lives.
No, I know what you’re going to say. But it’s easy to say that you’d never get rid of a pet in the event of allergies—but is that always the case?
In my opinion it’s always a matter of degree. Several years ago, after trying to live with two cats and a four year-old child with early symptoms of asthma and chronic sinusitis, I relented, too. I found them great homes and they’re happy now but at the time it seemed like the world would end.
Sure there are things you can do: bathe the pets often, use acepromazine drops in their water, hyposensitization (allergy shots) for the humans, keep the pets out of bedrooms and/or build outdoor enclosures—but not all cases are amenable to such cautionary ablutions.
It’s always worth a try…but if an emergency room visit, severe pain and the threat of more of the same have been your experience, I can understand why finding a new permanent home for your beloved pet might become inevitable.
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Acepromazine drops? My only experience with Ace has been as a sedative; I'm confused by how this would help an owner who is experiencing an allergic reaction.
SunRaven01 August 21st, 2008 03:11:00 PM
So glad you asked...acepromazine IS a tranquilizer but somehow, someone, somewhere discovered that a very dilute solution of acepromazine denatures dander proteins in the saliva of cats when they drink water with this solution added to it (specifically cats, though my son's allergist says it can work for dogs, too). It has absolutely no untoward effects is such minuscule doses--we're talking micrograms here and has been known to work virtual miracles for those who have mild to moderate allergies.
My recipe: Dissolve one 25 mg tablet of acepromazine in a one ounce dropper bottle. Add 2-3 drops in every fresh bowl of kitty water.
Anyone else have experience with this? I always thought it was semi-voodoo until my son's allergist started printing this out for her patients.
Dr. Patty Khuly August 21st, 2008 03:17:00 PM
Oh yeah, that's a one ounce dropper bottle with tap water in it.
Dr. Patty Khuly August 21st, 2008 03:18:00 PM
How big is your water bowl, and do you have a reference? (Since I'm not a vet, and would have to convince mine.)
I have recently developed allergies that have started to cause problems with my ears. My doctor started to suggest it might be the cats, but then proscribed a nasal spray after my steely glare. Fortunately, I don't have to worry about kids, and the nasal spray seems to help. (After the deep cough that lasted for months, and the ear drum bursting, you start to think about options.)
compcat August 21st, 2008 04:01:00 PM
Back when I was on the board of the National Council for Pet Population Study and Policy (which studies why animals get relinquished and what to do about it), I could swear there was a study that said human allergists tell parents to get rid of the pet as almost a knee-jerk reaction before they know for sure that it is really the pet the child is allergic to. Often pets get blamed, when it's instead the pollen that sticks to their bodies, not the pets themselves. It might not seem like it to some, but that's a big difference to me.
I have had terrible allergies and mild asthma my whole life. I grew up with dogs. I had all those allergy shots to desensitize my system from age 14-21, when docs finally figured out I wasn't sick all the time ... that I was just allergic to the world. They poked me with a whole bunch of things (trees, grasses, molds, household stuff, etc.), and I believe I proved allergic to about 75% of everything they tested.
Technically, I still am allergic to dogs (and cats), but I have 2 dogs in my life. As an adult, that's my choice... obviously.
My main questions would be ... Are doctors sure it's the pet causing the problem? And, how dangerous is the exposure?
Roxanne August 21st, 2008 04:11:00 PM
I joke that I'm allergic to anything with hair. But everyday for more than 12 years I went to work as a veterinary technician. Eyes watering, sneezing, sniffling ... are you OK? my clients would ask. I have hairy pets of my own, too, and happily live with the added expense of daily Claritan-D. Luckily, my kid has shown no signs of pet allergies, but she could still develop them. It's easy to put yourself through misery, but not so easy to put your child through it. So, I haven't answered the question, "What would I do?" Not sure I know.
Somyr August 21st, 2008 05:46:00 PM
I was a severe asthmatic growing up and we had cats and dogs. I'm glad my mom & dad didn't get rid of the animals because it turned out that I had a form of "seasonal" asthma and was allergic to molds. But, as a previous reader noted, it's almost a knee-jerk reaction to tell parents to get rid of the animals. Thank god this didn't happen in my home. I still use inhalers and I DO own cats & dogs to this day.
Vicki Tankersley August 21st, 2008 06:00:00 PM
I feel your pain, Dr. Khuly, after 7 ER visits last year my pulmonologist reprimanded that I get rid of all three rabbits or else.... when I tried the "but I'm a vet I can't possibly re-home my pets" excuse, he mellowed for a moment, sighed aloud and then suggested shaving the bunnies down very frequently... turns out his daughter was severely asthmatic around buns also, and this worked for her. So I have bunnies that look ridiculous, carpets that are very appreciative, and a decreased reliance on my Xopenex inhaler.
meowdoc August 21st, 2008 06:21:00 PM
There are always ways to work with the pets and the allergies. I have heard this excuse for getting rid of pets so many times I want to vomit. and You would have to be in anaphylactic shock to convince me it was a real complaint that a solution couldn't be found for. We live in a world where pets are disposable and people use any all excuses to assuage their guilt. Do real people have real allergies that absolutely can't be around pets....sure...but it's not a common thing, and certainly not as common as the Dr's tell people either. and scratch tests....everyone will test allergic to many things on scratch tests. Sorry, this is a topic that really makes me "break out in hives"
LorriM August 21st, 2008 06:40:00 PM
Lorrie M: You and me, too. Great post!
Vicki Tankersley August 21st, 2008 06:59:00 PM
My family didn't allow animals because we all had asthma and allergies, but now my house is full of them. I am a firm believer that you become acclimated to your own animals after helling it out for a little while with medication. I also work with animals, and asthma is still slightly an issue, but it is controllable with medication, and I believe many other things also trigger my asthma besides animals.
The ace drops in the water is interesting! I don't believe I've heard of that.
Thanks Dr. Khuly!
Pam Holt August 21st, 2008 07:21:00 PM
Allergic people (such as myself) can definitely acclimate to individual animals with repeated low exposures.
What about HEPA filters throughout the house? I've heard that helps a lot with dander. And don't forget just simple frequent vacuuming/sweeping - get a Roomba if you don't want to do it yourself. My parents' cat-filled out is infinitely more amenable to me when they've actually taken the time to vacuum a few days before I visit.
zandperl August 21st, 2008 07:56:00 PM
Thanks for posting about the Ace drops in the water! That's very interesting!
As for this puppy, unless Granddad is willing to keep the pup forever, I would recommend contacting the breeder (I am HOPING here that they followed your advice and got the pup from a reputable breeder?) and give the pup back for a refund. It's a very difficult thing to do, but better now than in a few months when the pup is more attached to them and it will be more traumatic for the dog to go back. I've seen so many of these cases where the new home really doesn't WANT to give the dog up, but they mess around for several months or a year or more before finally deciding they can't keep the dog. Which does the dog no good at all!
In the meantime, they can research allergy treatments, have a dog come visit their home from time to time overnight or for a weekend and see if they can get a handle on the kid's allergies. Then try getting a dog again.
Just my opinion!
Barb August 21st, 2008 08:39:00 PM
I would look into having the affected person treated with NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique). The practitioner (frequently a chiropractor or naturopath) will test for the allergy using client-supplied hair. If there is a reaction, then the treatment typically takes 1 or 2 sessions. The tough part is keeping the client away from the allergy source for 25 hours. See www.naet.com for more info. I've used it to clear some of my own allergies and some that my animals had to various substances.
kabbage August 21st, 2008 09:10:00 PM
compcat: Thanks for asking. My son's allergist says 2-3 drops per pint. In response to your question I researched the ace drops thing and found one abstract:
http://www.aaaai.org/aadmc/ate/category.asp?cat=99...
24 cats were treated with ace for 8 days (concentration and method of administration unknown) and the quantity of allergens in the air around them remained the same. It was not, however, a practical study on how humans react, though, just a study on whether the allergen concentrations decreased.
Dr. Patty Khuly August 22nd, 2008 07:38:00 AM
Unfortunately, the link I included above takes you to a sort of home page. Enter "acepromazine" in the search bar and you'll get the abstract.
Dr. Patty Khuly August 22nd, 2008 07:39:00 AM
Thanks! It's worth a shot. Anything that lowers the threshold seems to help. For example, even with routine vacuuming, covers, and occasional shampooing, the couch eventually built up so much dander that I got rid of it. If only I could rip out all of the carpets. I never had allergies as a child, and have lived with animals continuously, but when they hit, they hit with a vengeance.
All the dusting has motivated me to declutter in a big way. :) Better air conditioner filters helped too. And the furminator, and weekly pet baths. And lots of medications. I claim my new decorating is "modern" but really I'm just increasing my vacuuming/dusting speed. The cats are giving the next plan of clipping the cats a big thumbs down (clipping the dogs helped) plus the cats' allergens are in their saliva. The drops read like they might be an alternative, and more effective.
Compcat August 22nd, 2008 03:25:00 PM
I grabbed that reference and back tracked a few others. They use a once a day oral dose, and have an interesting study design (really small study size). Let me know if you'd like a copy. The author reports the reference for acepromazine as "In accordance with the recommendations of a survey
of three local veterinarians".
Compcat August 22nd, 2008 04:10:00 PM
As your regular readers know, I have a houseful of pets and I'm allergic to most of them in some way.
Shakespeare my chinchilla eats Timothy hay and Timothy hay based pellets.. I'm not allergic to Shakespeare, but I am allergic to hay. I'm also allergic to my cats and the feathers that keep my birds warm and the pine shavings I use to line one of my tortoise's cage with.
I tried the allergy shot thing only to find that I'm allergic to the shots. After the 8th time of being sent to the emergency room, I decided the shots were not worth risking my life as the last time I went, the local EMT's had to come and pick me up off of the livingroom floor. It was nice of them to remind me that I was "a fine shade of gray with 30% oxygen levels."
My son is also allergic to cat hair, bird feathers, doggie dander, hay, pine shavings, ect. Both of us take medication and we both survive just fine. The dogs and cats are bathed often and everybody else is kept as clean as possible. We don't have wall to wall carpeting and keeping the house clean in general seems to help a great deal.
What really made a difference with our allergies was getting rid of all the chemical based cleaners in the house. Those were more toxic in terms of allergies than the pets are. It seems like the people that are animal lovers are the ones that are most prone to being allergic to them, but we keep them anyway. I have been telling my allergist to stick his advice of living in a bubble up his butt for the past 5 years and continue to do so. As my pets die off of old age, I'm no longer replacing them, but I'll be damned if I'm going to give them just because they make me sneeze. When the dreaded day comes that I no longer have pets, I'll still have a small lawn, birch trees and all the other things I'm allergic to, so I guess my allergist will just have to deal with it....
Stacy August 23rd, 2008 12:51:00 PM
How very intereting about the ace.. thanks for sharing!
I too suffer from allergies. Started when I went away to resident girl scout camp, continued for three years. As I got older, I only suffered in fall and at the end of winter, begining of spring - before all the pollen comes out. I talked to my DR (at that time) about it, and his first reaction before doing any testing heck before even asking me serious questions, was for me to get rid of my cats.
My reply was my cats live with me year round, and I sufferefrom allergies for only two seasons of the year, when you can explain that I MIGHT consider it.. he was dumb struck. I don't think he ever had anyone question him before.
All too often drs make pronouncements that it is allergies to a pet with out actually looking into it. It is disgusting. And people who don't know better listen to the "voice of reason and experience" and toss their pets at the pound, figuring just because they are *so special* they'll get adopted right away. Those other pets sitting at the pound aren't even considered.
and don't get me started about pregnant women being told to get rid of their cats..
I know that allergies are a valid reason to rehome a pet - however if and only if the owners do everything imaginable to midigate the allergins. Adopting a pet is a commitment for the life of the pet, not until it is no longer convenient. Too many people do not take this commitment seriously, and thus you have many people in rescue rolling their eyes and doing mental voodoo at anyone who surrenders a pet for "allergies".
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qixinyan May 22nd, 2009 10:52:34 PM
Thanks for the information
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