Hi all, I'm a 73-year-old man living in Arizona and I have had CLL for 10 years and still w/w. I have always had pet dogs. In the last 6 months, somehow I've developed a dog allergy. I've always had dogs and it would be horrible to have to give them up. I'd be curious to hear if other people have had this issue and if they've done anything to resolve the issue and a satisfactory manner. I currently have a 7 lb maltipoo and even this hypoallergenic small dog triggers my allergy.
Sudden allergy to dogs: Hi all, I'm a 73-year... - CLL Support
Sudden allergy to dogs
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SunnyDan
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I also have had CLL. I have 2 Maltipo and I live in Houston and was dignoised in 2011 and had no problem with my dogs. Before them I had Maltese not a problem. I pray this will pass for you because we need our dogs and they need us.
Unfortunately, after living with my maltipoo for two months now, I'm still choking on my allergy to dogs. I agree that dogs are great for love & companionship. I lost my wife of 33 years about a year ago. She had a golden Retriever that I fell in love with. We owned golden's for all the years we were married. Last year was extremely tough. First our 10 y.o. golden died and a month later my wife passed away. My allergy just started about 8 months ago
I was hoping for some for doggie companionship as I age. Hope I can find a solution or I'm going to feel pretty lonely.
I live with both a dog and a cat and have no issues with them, but just last week I drank an IPA beer and broke out in full body hives. That's never happened before. I'm hoping it's an issue specific to either IPAs or the the specific brand.....cause I'd hate to lose my one vice, but I am suspicious it may be the SLL acting up.
Bigfoot
My allergies have changed, I am more sensitive to dust & pollen now. The dogs can carry dust & pollen. I brush mine (Bichon, so same family) with a human mixed bristle brush.
The nylon & boar bristle mix pull dirt, pollen, dust, bits of leaves, etc. from their coats. They love it; the nylon against their skin apparently feels like a fingernail scratching. I do a wrist flick, a quick stroke, not a long one like I would use on my own hair. Sometimes I wipe their feet, face & coat area with a damp cloth in between monthly baths.
Perhaps keeping your dogs cleaner will help. Arizona is very dusty & dry. If you are around the pine trees, remember, this year seems to have been a bumper crop for pollen. I remember my car being yellowish from it, when I lived in Flagstaff.
Hi Sofia: That looks like some good advice I will try doing those things.
It's so weird that I lived a lifetime without allergies and it just popped up 2 months after my wife died. I already got the mixed Bristle brush and I'll try wiping her down more often.
I agree allergies suddenly changing is tough, I wonder to what extent the extra stress of losing your wife & other dog in a short time played in to this. Hopefully it will calm down in the near future. Meanwhile, what allergy med or meds do you take? I find I need a daily AM cetirizine (Zyrtec) and a bedtime diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to calm things a bit. As well as, room air cleaners plus gradually changing to surfaces that don't easily collect dirt & dust. I also change out of "outdoor clothes" at the door in to "indoor clothes". For shirts, I wear a light bottom layer underneath & put on a top layer when going outside so I am just switching bottoms/shoes when coming in. On top of wearing a hat to keep dust & pollen out of my hair. This really helps keep the allergens down & I am "less reactive" than previously.
If you can, consider seeing an allergist. Find out if it actually is *the dog* and not pollen, etc. coming off from the dog. There are desensitization protocols for allergies to many things. If my current regimen didn't tamp my allergies down enough to where I could keep my dog (I am allergic to most dogs & all cats), I would have considered the desensitization shots.
Thank you for the great suggestions. I take Zyrtec twice a day as well as using a steroid nasal spray. I've also tried xyzal I have three air hepa Air filters running through my home. I took her to the vet and the vet said dog seems fine but gave me a medication to help control her scratching. My pup is scratching less now, but the damage has been done. The house is filled with dander and I can hardly breathe in my living room or kitchen. I've kept the dog out of the bedrooms.
You've raised several great points.
An excellent point that you raised was about my stress over losing my wife and previous dog. This has been a bad year. I've been in an auto accident and a car bicycle accident when I was the rider on the bike. I'm having a much harder time getting around due to a broken ankle and a few other injuries that I've sustained. It feels like everyday is filled with tasks to complete and very little time to just relax.
Maybe consider getting someone in for a deep clean? Air cleaners aren't going to pick up dog hair/skin cells lying all over the house. Be kind to yourself with the mobility problems, if you can. It sounds to me like you are currently in a super high stress situation and might have trouble healing without some help. Are you on Nextdoor or local Facebook group? Do you belong to a church or other organization that you can ask around for temporary help in the house? I'm seeing a number of folk looking to make extra $$ before Christmas; my summer yard person texted me asking if there was something he could do to get extra Christmas cash. Getting your place thoroughly dusted/wiped/vacuumed of the dog residue may be all you need to stop the cycle. We got my FIL a Roomba to help keep the floors clean, maybe see if this is something you can do,
If finances make this difficult, you may qualify for help through your county or another agency. I've gone through periods where I have literally been overwhelmed with trying to feed & clothe myself & my dog and have hired someone locally. College students home for winter break, etc. if you know someone who has a teen looking to pick up a few bucks several times a year.
This happened to a friend and she started taking Antihistamine tablets and was able then to live with her dogs ok. I personally would not give up my dog lol
Hi, I don't want to give up my dog, however it's starting to be very difficult to live with her. I've tried all sorts of allergy medications and nothing seems to help very much. My dog is only 5 lb so it's amazing that is having such a dramatic effect on me.
What breed? Allergy from a dog comes from the Dander that it sheds, from the skin into the fur etc., so a daily brushing may help, but wear a mask when you do it. There may be pet products you could bathe her in that would help her skin. I have a Chihuahua with Alopecia and when she was much younger would coat her is Virgin Coconut oil, put a little tee on her and leave for an hour then bathe, this soothed her skin, removing all excess and so on. Just ideas really as hate to think of the poor little thing having to be rehomed.
I have tried using coconut oil on her but I never put a t-shirt over the coating. Something to try next time.
The tee shirt keeps the skin warm and helps absorption of the oil, Virgin Coconut Oil is the one to use, its a solid but when a little is put in the palm of your hand turns into a liquid, PLUS it also helps prevent the dog from rubbing it off on your soft furnishings lol
Are you taking anything or in treatment for allergies? I'm allergic to dogs & cats, & have a cat. I took nasal spray Nasonex which got me off the pills - Claritin, etc. I take AstePro at night. Also saline spray at ant time.
Hi. Thanks for the reply.
I have been taking Zyrtec, Flonase, lubricated eye drops, as well as nightly sinus cleaning with Neti Pot. I've also given her a bath every week. I originally had a golden retriever when the allergy first started. I re-homed her with a neighbor so that I can still see my Golden.
After the golden was gone for a month or so, the allergy symptoms stopped.
I recently got a Maltipoo pup and I didn't notice any allergy symptoms. However after the dog was on my lap for 30 minutes, I could feel the allergy symptoms coming back again.
Last year both my wife of 33 years and my faithful Golden died within a month of each other. After that tragedy, I just wanted a dog to keep me company.
When I looked up dog allergies later in life the article said it could happen, especially if you're Immunocompromised. . Since I have CLL, I figured that would include me.
.My Symptoms include burning eyes and a strong smell /taste like skunk. I have no runny nose or sneezing
I really hope for you that you find a solution / treatment. I think new allergies might be a CLL thing - a few years into W&W I developed a mild allergy to dairy - your story makes me very grateful it wasn't to cats. Best wishes to you and to your dog.
I agree. When I looked up "allergy to dogs in seniors" the web said that it's certainly possible, especially when you're immune-comprised.
the dogs often Carry allergy’s from the yard… pollen, etc.. and they are like little allergy filled carpets. See if this may be the case and start studying the trees in the yard it may be getting contaminated from… Hope that helps.
Thank you JM. I took her to the vet and they said she seemed perfectly healthy. They gave me some medication and suggested 2 baths a week for a month.
The scratching has been redused significantly, but it's too late. My house is filled with dander and I can hardly breathe in the living areas.
I developed an allergy to my mixed breed terrier while I was in the AVO trial. My allergy caused asthma, post nasal drip and itchy eyes.
I reduced my allergic react by about 85% by doing these things: My husband bathes and brushes our dog once a week, and I thoroughly vacuum my home with a Miele that removes the finest particles. I don’t let the dog sleep in my bed or lick me.
I just started Ivig for a host of reasons, that may help too. I hope you can solve the puzzle well enough to continue to enjoy dogs.
I think you're right. When I checked on the topic of getting older and developing allergies, the result was that you can get allergies later in life, especially if you're immunocompromised.
Thanks for the posting. Thanks for the suggestions. That sure sounds like a lot of work for one tiny dog !!The only symptoms I get are a bad smell in my nose, burning eyes and tingling hands if I pet her or pick her up. My allergy must be bad because my maltipoo only weighs 5 lbs.
I've been on W&W for 10 years without any treatment.
Sad to say but my allergy got the better of me and I had to give away my last dog. I really miss that dog. I'm so lonely without her. In researching CLL and sinus problems, apparently there are great many clrs that develop a rash, sinus problems or hives. I have all of that now and I'm not really sure how to get rid of it. I'm still allergic to something in the house even without the dog, but I'm not sure of what it is. I've looked for mold and have found none. I notice that now whenever I use products like bleach or vinegar or other cleaning agents, they smell so much more powerful now. I have already had allergy testing which showed that I was not allergic to any of the items on the prick test including dogs and cats. I wanted to see an allergist and he just told me to double up on my Flonase spray and take an antihistamine and rinse my sinuses at night. All of those things help a little bit, but it looks like my rash is still spreading and it really makes for a miserable day. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks for all your responses, I felt very supported- Dan
Dan, I'm sorry to read you felt you had to take the difficult decision to give away your dog. That must have been hard and especially so as you are still experiencing allergy symptoms.
I see you've not heard from anyone in response to your call for suggestions from people who may have been in a similar situation. It might make no difference but, perhaps if you lock your post, you may get some additional replies.
healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...
In the meantime, I hope you can get your spreading rash reviewed by a doctor.
CLLerinOz
Thank you for your kind response. Yes, I'm very unhappy about having to give up my little doggy. I didn't fully appreciate just how much companionship that little dog was to me. Especially since I'm still having allergy issues. I did look up this allergy condition under cll postings and I see quite a few people have the same problem.
People with CLL may also experience skin conditions and other hypersensitivity reactions.
From Google search:
Adult-onset allergies can appear suddenly due to changes in your environment, immune system shifts, or exposure to new allergens. Even if you've been exposed to something for years without problems, your body can develop sensitivity at any time.Apr 15, 2021
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