dog allergy

[Shelbysdad]

Has anyone suddenly become allergic to a dog? I know weird right. Hunt has been here over a week, and has settled into the routine around here. He left early this morning with me and had hung out all morning with me around the shop. We came in the house for dinner (lunch for town people) and Terry (my wife) started having a good old allergy attack. I got blamed for getting into something that set her off. Being the wise man I am, I inhaled my food and headed for the shop. About twenty minutes later, the girls came into the shop with Hunt. "Mom said that whatever you got onto, Hunt did too." I thought OK, and got busy and scrubbed Hunt down from one end to the other. When I got done, I jumped in the shower myself, and started on my second set of clothes for the day. I sent Hunt to the house, and went on with my day. I came in this evening to Hunt being banished to the kid's living room. I've given him another bath with no remission in Terry's attacks. The other dogs have no effect on her, just Hunt. The only thing I can think of that is different is, Hunt has gotten half a can of Iams canned dogfood the last two mornings. Someone gave it to me on the road, and I wanted to use it up. He gets it as a reward for taking his eyedrops. Anyone have any experiences like this or ideas?

[Tx2]

Hi, SD! A *NOT* commonly known fact is that MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is quite helpful with environmental allergies, including those of the canine variety. MSM is basically sulfur. Some alternative healthcare practitioners believe environmental allergies to be caused by a sulfur deficiency.

I had a friend/client that I talked into taking MSM for her joints. Coincidentally, she was also allergic to dogs ... HIGHLY allergic! She couldn't even handle be in the same room as a dog. One day she gave me and my dog a ride to my car. She was totally shocked to realize that she had no reaction to my dog whatsoever ... no watering eyes, no sneezes, nothing.

MSM is cheap. It's good for joints, skin, hair, nails, liver detoxification, cellular detoxification. People who are allergic to sulfa drugs can take MSM. People who are allergic to MSG (like in Chinese restaurants) can take MSM.

See if your wife would be willing to do what I call "a one bottle experiment." Go out and buy NOW brand MSM (1,000 mg, aka 1 g) capsules ... cheap, cheap, maybe $17 for a bottle. On Day 1 take 2 grams in the morning, 2 grams in the evening. Day 2, take 3 grams in the morning, 3 grams in the evening. Day 3, take 4 grams in the morning, 4 grams in the evening. Day 4, take 5 grams in the morning, 5 grams in the evening. Take as much or as little as gives her relief. Take the evening dose with dinner. If she takes it before bed, it will keep her up all night.

If MSM is helpful in calming her allergies, it can be bought in bulk. I buy my MSM from http://www.msm-msm.com 5 pounds at a time!!! My dog Niki gets some every day, mixed into her yogurt. I am a strong advocate of PREVENTATIVE joint health, even in young dogs!!! I take 5 grams of MSM every morning upon rising to wake up my brain. MSM makes the membranes of the cells of the body more fluid, allowing blood sugar to get inside the cells more easily. That is why it has an energizing effect and should not be taken before bed. It's a wonderful type of energy, too, not at all like the jitters one gets drinking coffee.

MSM works quickly. If your wife took her first dose with dinner, she should see relief as fast as the next morning!

Read my post, too, on this thread about MSM, viewtopic.php?f=17&t=13812

Best of luck to you, your wife and Hunter! (grin)

[Wendy M]

I have always had allergies to dogs, which improved a lot as I grew older. However, I've found that I need to "acclimatize" to a new dog...and while I am not allergic to my own dogs, when I have added a new dog, it takes a while for me to somehow get my body used to the idea that this dog hair/dander is NOT some new and strange thing, but just different brand of dog hair! I discount any foster or transport dogs from this observation, as they often bring their own brand of "shelter funk" along with them. However, when I added Luke to my pack in 2005, and Shep in 2008 (he is VERY hairy!) it took about 6 to 8 weeks of adjustment to the new animal. Just took some Claritin (that's what works best for me) for a few weeks to tamp down the allergy symptoms, and waited for it to pass.

Allergies are like a glass full of water...you can fill it right up to the brim and be okay...but once that one little thing pushes it to overflowing -- you are in a full blown allergy attack. The best thing is to keep ahead of it, if you can, with whatever works for you. My seasonal allergies are to weeds, so usually the Fall is the worst time for me (pollen PLUS dogs!) however, with the drought, the weed pollen has just gone crazy around here and I had to go to my Doctor yesterday to get on some Flonase prescription nasal spray, as the pills just weren't cutting it. Checked the pollen levels on weather.com and saw that weed pollen in my area was VERY HIGH category. So, my theory is that is the trigger which has pushed my "glass" of allergies to overflowing.

Don't know if any of this rambling is helpful or not...just my observations!

-Wendy M.

[MollyATL]

I have no scientific basis for this, but the first question that popped into my mind was "have you fed him something different?" Allergies are saliva as well as dander based. Can't hurt to eliminate the Iams and see what happens. I hope your very forebearing wife is finding some relief.

[Shelbysdad]

Here's the update, neither Hunt or I have been thrown out of the house! I'm thinking it was the straw that broke the camel's back type deal. Terry had another allergy attack at work, no dogs or I around. We've had a couple showers, and some cooler temps, and every weed in the country has grown.I'm thinking Wendy was right, it was just finally TOO MUCH. I did take Hunt off the Iams dogfood just to be safe. Hunt seems to know to make himself scarce when Terry's around, but we've been twentyfour hours without another attack.