Question:
I have asthma and am extremely allergic to cats and dogs. I'm
considering allergy shots because just about everybody I know has a pet
- and I'd like one, too. Of course, everybody is different, but I was
looking for any success stories that you might be able to share, to help
me decide.
Answer:
I have weekly allergy shots - cat & dog allergen are in there along with
lots of pollens and other allergen extracts. I can now be in a house
where a cat lives (as long as I don't touch it) for a couple of hours
before my chest starts to tighten. This is an improvement over a full
attack after 10-15 minutes. I've spoken to a few allergy experts and here's what they've said...
First off, cat allergen is much worse and harder to control than dog.
Why? Talk to the proteins.
Second, it may be easier to own a dog and kep it outside year round...
keeping the allergen out of the home.
But, more to the point...
The allergists said that shots could help those with occassional
exposure to pets...i.e. going over to a friends house for the evening.
But, possibly, wouldn't work for those with continuous exposure...
living with a pet. In fact, some (my doctor) will not offer allergen
extract in an allergy shot if you choose to live with a pet you're
allergic to. Part of that has to do with the route of and controlled
exposure to the allergen.
Allergy shots for asthmatics is still a debatable issue.... especially
with animal dander. I never grew up with a pet so I never adopted that
"Fido's a part of the family" mentality (no offense). Now, as an adult,
I refuse to compramise my health due to an animal. Yes, there are
stories of those whose symptoms disappeared after a while...(what if
you're not the exception, but the rule?) and yes, there are those who
will claim bathing and special shampoos will help diminish dander in a
pet (no repuutable allergy study supports this and many people are
allergic to the protein found in the saliva... and pets grooms
themselves a lot, don't they)... anyways, if you're mild to severe
asthmatic, think about it.
Would you consider a really nice bird? "Extremely allergic" kind of
makes having a cat or a dog really hard. Your best bet is to talk to
your allergist. Actually there *is* a very reputable study that *proved* that cat's *quit
producing the allergen* when bathed at a minimum of once a month for eight
months and then at that same interval thereafter. It was done at Washington
University in St. Louis several years ago. The key to this is a complete bath
(which most cat owners can't do so take the cat to a vet or groomer for this)
and doing it consistently for eight months no more than four weeks apart. I've done this with my cats for years and I no longer react to them. It can
be a tad expensive depending upon where you live. In a rural area I could
bathe both cats for $18.00 USD at the vet's. In the city it's $35.00 *per
cat* or $70.00 USD per month which I think is excessive. I've personally quit
bathing the cats and I react little to them these days (I did react at first
though). But this is after 8 years of living with them and they were bathed
monthly for the first 7 of those years.
They have worked for me, and we've had two large dogs and two cats at the
same time. About 5 years ago, I couldn't stay in the same room with them
during the winter when the windows and doors were closed. I told my allergist about the situation and he added the appropriate
vaccines to the others I need for dust, mold, pollens, etc. Now I can
roughhouse with the dogs without any problems.
It will take some time to get results; probably several years. But it's
worth it if you like cats and/or dogs.
If you live anywhere near the Philadelphia area and don't have an
allergist, e-mail me and I'll give you info on mine. I've had a number of
them over the years and he's the best by far.
I've been taking dog and cat allergy shots, along with grass and pollen
shots for 15 years. Works for me in terms of allergies, but does not help
asthma which is triggered by viruses and cold temperature.
Regarding your question on dog or cat allergy shots, I just wanted to share
some related and other information after introducing myself. Was gonna just
email this to you directly, but maybe others are asking the same questions,
so am sending this to the group list as well. This seems to work OK for me.
I've had asthma since birth and got the battery of tests for reactions to
everything that exists, including food alergies, before I got to my teen
years. I've been very alergic to all furry and feathered animals, plus
almost everything in the plant world, dust mould and the rest of the whole
nine yards. Exercise, swimming, building up the strength of the lungs and
losing weight helped a lot. Most of the food alergies are outgrown. I take
Hismanal once in a while only if needed, Proventil or Ventolen Inhaler I
carry with me, since Phoenix is more like a dust bowl now-a-days. Vanceril
occasionally. The 5 other assorted Rx asthma pills I used to take
regularly, have been put away 2 years ago. I only saved what's left of my
last Tedral SA Rx for extreme emergencies. I haven't had allergy shots in
years.
I have developed a tollerance for cats by having one I rescued and adopted
inside my office for 5 years. I used to wash him down with a wash cloth
almost every day to cut down onmy alergic reactions. I wash my hands every
time I touch him. Over a period of time my runny eyes, sneezing and
wheezing lessened. Eventually reaching for my Proventil Inhaler became less
frequent. We also acquired a kitten at home and as he grew I followed the
same proceedures. Same tollerance developed at home. Up until about a year
ago, if I touched my eye without washing my hand, my eye would redden and
blow up like a baloon. Over the last year I find that they could sit in my
lap, I could play with them, brush them and only have to reach for my
inhaler once in a while. Oddly enough, I still get a severe alergic
reaction and asthmatic attack when I visit someone else's home who has an
animal there, even if it's not present.
Basically, It seems that every day exposure to the same animal can have a
diminishing alergic reaction over a period of time. Therefore it is
possible to have a pet animal after all. Like getting a series of allergy
shots relating to the subject, but more natural and without the shot, or
the costs. Remember, allergy shots are supposed to cause a reaction, with
each shot thereafter causing less of a reaction, until the alergic
reactions taper off. Then you're supposed to be able to tollerate the
actual subjuct you were alergic to.
I also found some of the asthma pills to be adictive. That is they seem to
wear off sooner than expected over a period of time, so you reach for more
sooner, therefore prescriptions for have to be filled more often at the
additional out of pocket costs. That's why I stopped taking the prescribed
pills The withdrawel symptoms are a story in itself, but I managed to live
thru them.
This may not be a direct answer to your question, but willing to share some
info based on my experience that might help.
