When we learned that my son was allergic to animals—and everything else—six years ago, one of my first thoughts was, “Oh, no. I don’t want to get rid of our dog!” At the time, our dog Zar was only a year old and we were all very attached.
My son, too, was worried not only that we might have to lose the dog, but also that it would be his fault. I assured him that we would not have to give Zar away and that in any case, it wasn’t his fault. Fortunately, we had a great allergist who helped us lessen the allergic impact of keeping the dog.
The fist thing we did was to eliminate as many other allergens at home as possible. We covered his mattress and pillow with allergen-barrier protectors. We removed as many fabric items as possible from his room like all the stuffed animals and the curtains that we replaced them with vinyl blinds that can be washed.
Around the house, I use a vacuum with a hepa filter and clean often. We replace the filter on our furnace every three months and every three years we have our duct work professionally cleaned. Especially during allergy season, we run the fan for our furnace continually because it helps to filter out a lot of pollen from outside.
As for the dog, we keep him clean. He loves to run in the woods and weeds, and we can see the pollen on him so we literally hose him down before he comes in the house. Regular grooming, done outside, also helps to keep the dog clean. It also means that there is less dog hair and dander in the house.
Believe it or not, dogs and cats can also get dry skin, especially if you are washing them frequently. Check with your vet about a shampoo that can correct dryness that can add allergens to your home through excess flaking and scratching.
It is also important to keep pets out of the bedroom. After all, we spend more time in our bedrooms than any other room of our homes so we need to keep them especially clean.
Of course, it would be nearly impossible to tell your child not to pet or cuddle your cat or dog, so remind your child to wash their hands after spending time with Rover.
I know that there are many professionals who recommend getting rid of the dog or cat in favor of fish. Certainly, if the allergies are severe you may have no choice. But if you bring down the overall level of triggers in your home, you may still be able to have a loving pet as a member of your family.
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