Allergy to dog and/or dog saliva

[human bean]

I've been tossing up if I should post this in the pet section or here.....

DD is 9 months old, and it seems whenever our dog licks her, she breaks out in huge red welts, is very uncomfortable, and we need to bath her immediately to calm down the inflammation. Within an hour of the bath it will be gone and she's fine again, just a wet washer doesn't help at all. Think the cetaphil must neutralise it?

Now don't get me wrong, we don't let our dog just lick her whenever it wants to, but the odd licks do get through, and her reactions are getting worse and worse. I'm at the point where unless I can sit right there between them (which I can't always do), I have to keep the dog outside. I'm teaching the dog not to lick but she is such a friendly dog that she'll just try to give her a big lick as she walks past DD, or even through the screen door.

I have also noticed that if the dog is inside, DD rubs her nose alot, and even sneezes a bit more. Has anyone else encountered this either themselves or with their LO? Is it something she's likely to grow out of? The dog's diet hasn't changed at all, and DD has no know allergies and has tried pretty much everything.

I'm going to mention it to our GP on our next visit, just curious if anyone else has come across this?

[CeCe]

In my experience with my DH and his allergy to dogs amongst other things, it's not something you grow out of. He was always a 'sick' child with lots of colds, runny noses etc. It wasn't until we got a dog that he started getting reactions again and investigated to find out he was allergic to dogs, cats, horses and dust mite. This explained his childhood illness to him as there were always cats inside, the odd dog outside etc.

He went to a specialist for treatment with the dust mite allergy but the specialisst advice regarding the dogs was it couldn't be treated and suggested we get rid of the dogs. There are times when DH only has to walk into a house with a cat and he'll get tight in the chest, a dog just has to brush his arm or leg and he'll come up in what looks like lots of mozzie bites.

This isn't the news you probably wanted to hear but it's our experience. It would be nice to think someone has a more positive one for you.

[Amy_jellybean]

Hi there,

I have the same thing DH and I have a dog but as soon as I have patted the dog, been licked by the dog or the dog has rubbed up against my legs I need to go and have a shower Its something I have had since I was little and have never gotten out of, unfortunatley the only way I can avoid it is to limit my contact with our pooch

[human bean]

Thanks for the replies, I will admit it's not really what I want to hear, but I have to face it front on. I've been skirting round it for awhile in hopes it might stop happening, but it's actually getting worse. DH and I were talking last night and a big worry for us is if the dog happens to lick her hand and she puts it in her mouth, what could happen (she's a big thumb sucker). She adores our mutt too!

For now I will keep them seperated unless I am right there, and will talk to my GP about how best to manage it and see how we go. Rehoming our girl would be the very last option, and one that would break my heart, but she also deserves more than just to be left outside for the majority of the time, or kept seperate from her 'pack'.

[Amy_jellybean]

Oh you poor thing!

Maybe speak to the doctor about a mild case of antihistamine for her???

[human bean]

That's what I was thinking, thanks Amy. And here I was thinking how lucky we've been she doesn't have any 'allergies'. Would much rather cut out egg or nuts then time with the wonder mutt