Upset and confused (animal allergies)

[Vishenka69]

Just came back from the allergist office with DD and she tested positive for animal allergy. Dr said that most likely her eczema wasn't caused by the cat but she's certainly not helping the situation. He also said that what we do regarding the cat is completely our decision and he can't recommend or not recommend getting rid of her (I assumed that's because for now eczema is somewhat under control and allergy isn't life threatening). He was so cautious about what he said that I'm very confused about the risk our cat poses for DD if any. DD doesn't have any respiratory issues and the two haven't had any direct contact and I don't anticipate any in the near future (the cat does her best to avoid all kids, DD included).

Unless there are serious health implications, getting rid of the cat is not an option and neither is making her an outdoor cat. She's been with us for almost 11 years and is part of the family. I'm definitely planning on vacuuming and swiftering more often and getting an air filter for DD's room.

Has anyone been through a similar experience? What are the chances of a false positive? I was so upset driving home (and now still) about causing our poor cat even more distress. Of course DH is on call (so he couldn't go to the apt and isn't home now).

[madeintaiwan]

I'm sorry. That stinks. My mom is allergic to cat saliva which is of course all over their bodies. She can't be around cats. It's almost immediate that she sneezes non stop and her eyes water and puff up. She used to have to get a shot in her arm weekly. I hope that this is something that will be easily manageable for you guys.

[spotty_dog]

Cassy, I think Allerpet is the brand name. I've also heard of people having amazing improvement in how reactive they find their pets, when they switch to higher-quality food.

[houseelf]

I am unable to intelligently address the likelihood of false positives, but I can tell you what an animal dander allergy looks like.

My oldest is allergic to most animal dander and I can give you the positive view or the negative view. The good news is that if you have to have an allergy, at least you can control being around animal dander. Compare this to his friend who has unspecified environmental allergies. I have seen him go into an asthma attack without rhyme or reason.

The bad news is that it is sort of sucky because on occasion he is THAT kid sitting on the side unable to engage in horseback riding or some sort of petting zoo exhibit. We tried surgical gloves for a farm field trip once and that helped a lot. The good news is that he finally is old enough to know that it makes him feel so crappy he isn't going to even go there. Also, you should know that different species create wildly different reactions. DS is able to spend the night at some houses with no more than mild sneezing. At one house with three cats, the parents wanted to call 911 because his breathing was so shallow. I am unable to predict what beast will light him up.

I obviously can't advise you about your cat, but I can tell you that my son's overall health was better when my parents' dog passed and he only lived with it for a few weeks a year when we returned home. He was less susceptible to the common cold because of his overly taxed immune system. He is more energetic when at their house. Removing the offending allergen truly improved his health immensely.

Keep your head up. It is a difficult situation.

[Sheherezade]

I'm allergic to our cats. It sucks. That said, I love them to tears and I wouldn't get rid of them. Being on steroid nasal sprays year round has helped enormously. I feel like crap if I forget to take it - or foolishly stop taking it under the perception that I am "all better". I developed the allergy 4 years ago and it has taken me this long to accept it and just medicate.

If you decide to keep both the cat and the kid ( ), I think the extra cleaning and air filter will help a lot. You can brush the cat religiously outside to remove all the flying fur. Separate them as much as possible and see what happens. That's what I'd do. I'd also look in to medication options with an allergist -- maybe a pediatric allergist. You get different answers about managing allergies from different docs. (FIL is an allergist and he was the one that finally set me on a course that works for me. Other docs had different ideas.) If your cat is 11, she's been with you very long....I can see that parting with her would be huge. If things don't work out, maybe you could find a friend that you visit to take her?

I'm so sorry for your news. That sucks.

[SuzySunshine]

I was allergic to cats as a kid but now I can visit my parents, who have two, without issue. I think its very reasonable of you to keep the cat as long as its not a life threatening allergy which it doesn't sound like it is. I agree that maybe you should get a 2nd opinion too, I wonder why the doc was so careful about what he said?? That seems odd.

[peggyfromwastate]

First, relax. Breathe. If the allergy issues become so severe, your allergist will tell you. They all caution against having animals, quite frankly. All the allergists I've been too recommend not having curtains, carpets, pets, etc., etc. That wouldn't stop me from getting a dog if I could find one that doesn't make me break out in hives all over...

I grew up with 2 cats, and it was my job to "catch them" and put them to bed every night. I was allergic to them then, and still am super-allergic to cats (I sneeze, watery eyes, classic symptoms), but it's not a huge deal. Your cat is part of your family, and I would just do what you can right now (air cleaners are great, changing the filter more often on your A/C/Heat). I think it will work out.

[Vishenka69]

Alison, thanks for the brand (Allerpet), I'll definitely give it a try.

For now DD is not showing any symptoms of being allergic and is generally a happy and healthy baby. I have no idea what it is that she's allergic to - hair/dandruff/etc. I was just told that she tested positive for cat allergy. We did go see a pediatric allergist and have a follow up with a pediatric derm in a few weeks. DH said he wants to see what the derm's take on today's results is. He also agreed that for now there are no compelling reasons to get rid of the cat.

DD has spent several days at my parents' place (multiple occasions) and there has been no changes in her condition or appearance or behavior. So I'm wondering as to how full blown her allergy really is. I'm going to take precautions just in case though.

Thanks for "listening" to my babble. I do feel better.

[poky]

My understanding is that wiping a cat down with a damp washcloth regularly (every few days/week? ) is really effective at reducing dander, too. Would be cheap and (probably) easy to try, at least. If she's not showing any symptoms, though, I'm not sure how you'll know what works.

I have a friend who is deathly allergic to cats, and when she visited me in Los Angeles, I had 2 in my small apartment. I used those allerpet wipes, and that combined with her meds kept her breathing normal, and her sniffling to a minimum. All that to say, the wipes are effective.

[Michele]

Re: Upset and confused (animal allergies)

I test positive for a cat allergy too but don't have symptoms. Russ is allergic to cats but only some cats. Some he's totally fine with. I'd do the basic precautions and then not worry unless she gets worse.


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[Vishenka69]

Thanks for calming me down a bit. So I guess there's also a good chance that she won't develop serious symptoms. That would be the best option. Although our cat has only another 4-5 years, I'd love to have more pets in the future, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

[DCJenn]

My SIL is seriously allergic (sneezing, itching, hives) and has to pre-medicate before going to my parents house. I have three cats but because I have the super heavy duty HVAC filtration system, she didn't have to medicate one time. I think you have a good game plan to deal with things at this point.

Jenn

[peggyfromwastate]

We have a middle-grade HVAC filtration system- just the electrostatic filter, no UV lights- but it's helped a ton with just general allergens, pollen, etc. What helped the most was taking out all carpets- some we replaced, but mostly we have pergo.