pets

I was diagnosed with copd four or was it five years ago, then last year when I finally got to see a specialist I was told no it is brittle asthma. He can not figure out why I have it. He made me get rid of my guinnea pig and now says that I am allergic to my dog. I was sick for two years before we got the dog. As I am home all the time while my wife works and my kids are in school, the dog is my main companion, If he makes me get rid of him I might go nuts. Any thoughts?

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Hey i know just how you feel.

I have an extremely severe allergy to cats after having a blood test and my con made me get rid of mine. I had 2 - a ginger moggy who now lives with my mum and a siamese cat who i refuse to get rid of as im not allergic to her(SHHH dont tell my con as she thinks i got rid of both) but my allergy is so severe it could kill me im told!

Im not allowed to my mums house or anyone who has a cat now just incase. Getting rid of Onion was heartbreaking decision but i can miow at him from a distance!!

Dont quote me on this but i think you can get an allergy wipe from aet store that you just wipe over your pet and it coats their fur and removes the dust and saliva that causes allergy.

Hope this helps, but remember your health is more important than a pet - heartbreaking as that is but the truth none the less.

Keep well

Take Care

Kym

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I've had dogs all my life !!

And regardless of how many times I been told by previous consultants to get rid of the dogs I never did !!

But my consultant now doesn't go for getting rid of pets !!

The added stress is more likely to cause harm (unless you have a PROVEN severe reaction directly to the pet) than a reaction would !!

Last yr we lost our eldest dog due to cancer (6yrs old boxer) and the stress of that led to an admission for me !!

I have Brittle type 1 - steroid dependent - asthma !!

But my consultant has said that IF I react to the dog we have left then he would rather set-up desensitisation injections specifically (and expensively) made to combat our dog !!

He's a top allergy and asthma specialist and he won't push anyone UNLESS like I said earlier its a SEVERE reaction to get rid of pets !!

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I have always had cats and was convinced I could not be allergic to them, however my RASST test was off the scale. I agreed when I went the RBH I would do it their way for 6 months following what they said to the letter but if after that I was no better then I was going to go back to keeping cats. My darling Lyra died just after she was fostered out (liver virus brought on by stress) I can't say that life without the cats is any better I suspect it would not make a blind bit difference if they came back but I will play by the rules for now. I really miss them so much there is nothing better than moggy cuddled up beside you when you are feeling a bit blue. After 37 years of cats the house is very quiet at night now, no more mad moggies chasing around down stairs. Mind you did rival the mad cat woman from simpsons I had 7 at the time RBH said to get rid of them!

Bex

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I have been brought up with animals all , my life even before i had asthma.

In my life i have had, 2 cats, 4 dogs, 5 birds, 6 hamsters. Animals do not seem to affect my asthma.

I suppose i have been lucky.

love

Carole

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I've had pets most of my life (guinea pigs, dogs, gerbils and rabbits) and although I'm allergic to them I will not get rid of them.

Is it possible for you to get an air purifier with an ioniser? they are supposed to be quite good at removing pet dander from the air, I have one and for me it's helped.

I'm not sure if that's any help.

Becca xxx

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Hello Rusco,

These are my thoughts.

I would not be typing up these words if I hadn’t given up my pets.

I’ve always had severe atopic asthma starting from age two, which then became brittle type two, and most recently mild COPD. (I use the COPD diagnosis letter for darts practice if I am feeling bolshie or depressed or trying to improve extreme short sight! The letter is very ragged now!)

Over the years and with increasing maturity plus the help of various excellent or rubbish doctors I have gradually found out my worst allergens – lots of skin prick tests, other tests, and a one and only, almost disastrous, desensitisation set of injections re worst allergens to include cat dander.

However there is one small word - denial. I am very familiar with that word and behaviour in a variety of contexts, especially the one that most affected my health and ability to breathe. To cut a long story short - and I also remember posting a similar message on the old AUK forum -it was impossible for anyone – my DOH -darling other half dispassionate scientist husband,- plus caring docs to persuade me to give up my pets. After all I’d managed on pretty strong drugs to keep everything under control, including an active life plus work plus sporting running passion during many years of keeping cats.

So I eventually reached my nadir, denouement, whatever you want to call it. Resulting in a scenario that I don’t want to visit again until the end of my natural.

Giving up my cats has not meant the end of my breathing problems. But what has happened is that I no longer spend a lot of time in hospital. I’ve ticked off, and accepted, so to speak, a major trigger. And, in incremental terms, re any sort of chronic condition, that has got to be a plus.

My chest con also believes that the many years of keeping cats also contributed to my mild COPD, which is irreversible. I prefer – in my denial optimistic type of way not to believe that opinion.

What I do accept and try extremely hard to do now is to avoid all known triggers and/or allergens. Especially as my immune system seems to be very sensitive to ‘innocent’ substances. Even more now than when I was growing up with severe atopic asthma.

So I almost went ‘nuts’ about giving up my pets, and I still have major breathing problems. But I am still here, although not getting any younger!

Mia

xxx

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PETS

I am allergic to cats, been hospitalised before via cat related attacks and on life support.

You may love your pet, but if its life or death!!! I choose life

My twins are always on about a pet, but I cant take the risk even with a rabbit!!

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african land snails or stick insects haven't caused my lot any reactions. that's about it lol. did say they can have a cyber dog every time they want one