Dog or Cat adopt or buy? How about dog, cat and pollen allergy tesr mandate?

[Anonymous]

Having many friends with allergies, aome allergic to cats or dogs I know their suffering and feel for them,
I also observed the struggles of wanting a cat or dog and not being able to because a family member could not tolerate the allergens.

What is interesting, is the fact that few of the people realized that it was not allergy to dog or cat per se but to the pollen they collectef outside on the walks or backyard time that stayed on the fur and irritated the person indoors;

Curiouslu enough many people wait for pet adiption till spring or do it furing winter when there is no pollen yet,, then when the pet meets spring IT hits the fan.

It is truly possible that many of those people only then discover they are allergic to dog or cat.. but also the amount of pollen that accumulates in the fur can be what is causing their actual reaction.

Of couree there is a ton of people allergic to dog or cat dender per se but what if others just confuse it with pollen allergy?

I know people who claimed they are allergic to cats but never had a problem near my entirely indoor cat. Yet turned that the other cats they interaxted with that were problematic were all cats with free access to indoord.



Mu point being, maybe some people who have dog or cat reaction, would be just fine with compleetly indoor cat or dog?

Maybe people with pollen allergy should test themselves for pet allergy PRIOR to adopting so they would know if they can adopt?
Or.. people with pollen allergy should consider that the outdoor access pet WILL bring and store gigantic amount of pollen for a long streaches of time.

This could possibly help to a degree prevent some of those pet abandments.. rehomongs..

Perhaps everyone trying to adopt a pet from any place should be required all family members pollen and pet allergy tests?

So many unnecessary pets sugger from people giving them up because of allergy issues.
NONE of this has to be happenning!

Just wondering..

[Anonymous]

I have pet allergies, so do many of my pet owning friends. Totally manageable with Zyrtec/Claritin/Flonase etc. and keeping up on the housekeeping. Those accommodations are well worth the mental and physical health benefits of having a pet in my life. I have seasonal allergies anyway so I’d have to take meds and vacuum frequently anyway - I like open windows and fresh air.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have pet allergies, so do many of my pet owning friends. Totally manageable with Zyrtec/Claritin/Flonase etc. and keeping up on the housekeeping. Those accommodations are well worth the mental and physical health benefits of having a pet in my life. I have seasonal allergies anyway so I’d have to take meds and vacuum frequently anyway - I like open windows and fresh air.

Extreme pet allergies are exceedingly rare.

[Anonymous]

I have heard that many people allergic to pets are actually allergic to saliva and that if you avoid that, you can avoid the allergen. +a zillion on the keeping up with vacuuming and dusting reducing allergy symptoms. I also got a few HEPA air filters and they have dramatically improved the allergy situation.

[Anonymous]

This seems like an unlikely problem. When you're allergic to pollen, as I am, it's pretty obvious long before you have a pet.

[Anonymous]

As a person with allergies, it's pretty obvious whether you have an allergy to pollen, an allergy to animals, or both.

I watched my dh break out in hives all over any exposed body surface while trying to help a friend move a couch from their apartment with two cats. It was in the summer and not pollen allergies.

It's also pretty easy to be allergy tested these days and find out for sure.

[Anonymous]

Testing negative for dog or cat allergies also does not mean you won't have symptoms and/or test positive for dog or cat allergies after the animal moves in. Most people know this, but it is worth keeping in mind.

Allergy tests are not a guarantee. They are a snapshot in time.

[Anonymous]

1. Skin tests for allergies are very accurate. You can develop a new allergy at any time in your life, so would need to check again if there are new symptoms.

2. Allergies to cat Feld1 protein is very common, more so than allergies to proteins from dogs, rabbits or any other domestic animal.

3. Allergies to pollen are also very frequent. You can be allergic to animals AND pollen, or just one or the other.

4. Allergies can be complex. Ex: You can be habituated to your cat for years, then not have a cat for a period of time, then after adopting a new one, develop allergies for that cat. Possible the second cat produces more Feld1, or your body has un-learned its tolerance to cats.

5. People who are allergic to an animal should really NOT keep that animal in the house. Long-term exposure to an allergen, even with medication, creates irreversible inflammation and tissue damage and increases your risk for respiratory and immune complications as you age.

[Anonymous]

You may have one of those rare cats that are low-Feld1, OP.

[Anonymous]

Dogs don’t want to be “ indoor dogs” OP. It’s not fair to get a dog and keep it indoors it’s whole life because you might have allergies to it. This is what is wrong with humans right here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
1. Skin tests for allergies are very accurate. You can develop a new allergy at any time in your life, so would need to check again if there are new symptoms.

2. Allergies to cat Feld1 protein is very common, more so than allergies to proteins from dogs, rabbits or any other domestic animal.

3. Allergies to pollen are also very frequent. You can be allergic to animals AND pollen, or just one or the other.

4. Allergies can be complex. Ex: You can be habituated to your cat for years, then not have a cat for a period of time, then after adopting a new one, develop allergies for that cat. Possible the second cat produces more Feld1, or your body has un-learned its tolerance to cats.

5. People who are allergic to an animal should really NOT keep that animal in the house. Long-term exposure to an allergen, even with medication, creates irreversible inflammation and tissue damage and increases your risk for respiratory and immune complications as you age.

Why do you say this, when research shows 50-60% of skin prick tests give false positives?

I'll grant you that the number of false negatives is low, but I don't see how you justify calling them "very accurate" without qualification that half or more of the positives are probably wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
1. Skin tests for allergies are very accurate. You can develop a new allergy at any time in your life, so would need to check again if there are new symptoms.

2. Allergies to cat Feld1 protein is very common, more so than allergies to proteins from dogs, rabbits or any other domestic animal.

3. Allergies to pollen are also very frequent. You can be allergic to animals AND pollen, or just one or the other.

4. Allergies can be complex. Ex: You can be habituated to your cat for years, then not have a cat for a period of time, then after adopting a new one, develop allergies for that cat. Possible the second cat produces more Feld1, or your body has un-learned its tolerance to cats.

5. People who are allergic to an animal should really NOT keep that animal in the house. Long-term exposure to an allergen, even with medication, creates irreversible inflammation and tissue damage and increases your risk for respiratory and immune complications as you age.

Why do you say this, when research shows 50-60% of skin prick tests give false positives?

I'll grant you that the number of false negatives is low, but I don't see how you justify calling them "very accurate" without qualification that half or more of the positives are probably wrong.

That number is for food allergies. For environmental allergies, accuracy is in the range of 70-100% depending on the allergen. Also, skin pricks are much more accurate than the immunoglobulin measurements in blood work, so it's the best test we have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
1. Skin tests for allergies are very accurate. You can develop a new allergy at any time in your life, so would need to check again if there are new symptoms.

2. Allergies to cat Feld1 protein is very common, more so than allergies to proteins from dogs, rabbits or any other domestic animal.

3. Allergies to pollen are also very frequent. You can be allergic to animals AND pollen, or just one or the other.

4. Allergies can be complex. Ex: You can be habituated to your cat for years, then not have a cat for a period of time, then after adopting a new one, develop allergies for that cat. Possible the second cat produces more Feld1, or your body has un-learned its tolerance to cats.

5. People who are allergic to an animal should really NOT keep that animal in the house. Long-term exposure to an allergen, even with medication, creates irreversible inflammation and tissue damage and increases your risk for respiratory and immune complications as you age.

Why do you say this, when research shows 50-60% of skin prick tests give false positives?

I'll grant you that the number of false negatives is low, but I don't see how you justify calling them "very accurate" without qualification that half or more of the positives are probably wrong.

That has not been my experience. There are negative and positive controls, and depending on the size of those bumps, a good allergist can correctly assess which allergens you are really having trouble with. By measuring the diameter of the bumps, it is also possible to evaluate how strong a reaction you're having.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
1. Skin tests for allergies are very accurate. You can develop a new allergy at any time in your life, so would need to check again if there are new symptoms.

2. Allergies to cat Feld1 protein is very common, more so than allergies to proteins from dogs, rabbits or any other domestic animal.

3. Allergies to pollen are also very frequent. You can be allergic to animals AND pollen, or just one or the other.

4. Allergies can be complex. Ex: You can be habituated to your cat for years, then not have a cat for a period of time, then after adopting a new one, develop allergies for that cat. Possible the second cat produces more Feld1, or your body has un-learned its tolerance to cats.

5. People who are allergic to an animal should really NOT keep that animal in the house. Long-term exposure to an allergen, even with medication, creates irreversible inflammation and tissue damage and increases your risk for respiratory and immune complications as you age.

Why do you say this, when research shows 50-60% of skin prick tests give false positives?

I'll grant you that the number of false negatives is low, but I don't see how you justify calling them "very accurate" without qualification that half or more of the positives are probably wrong.

That has not been my experience. There are negative and positive controls, and depending on the size of those bumps, a good allergist can correctly assess which allergens you are really having trouble with. By measuring the diameter of the bumps, it is also possible to evaluate how strong a reaction you're having.

I'm not sure if you are aware of the research on how accurate those measurements are with regards to sensitivity and specificity. Are you, or if not, would you like references?

[Anonymous]

Sure, post them here.