So, I have been noticing that I sneeze A LOT when I am home. In fact, my nose and eyes seem like they are constantly irritated.. I have never been known to be allergic to dog or cat hair (I have owned both) but before the animals were always kept outside. My Dragon and our kitten Prince both stay indoors and I dust and vacuum regularly. In fact, yesterday I was off so I made it a cleaning day and I scrubbed the place down and dusted all the wood furniture very well. However, today I have sneezed a lot and feel like my eyes are very itchy. I work for an ophthalmologist clinic and usually this means allergies. The only thing I notice that is constantly around (on clothes and furniture) is Dragon's constantly shedding white fur. I try to brush him every other day to keep the hair down but if I'm wearing anything black it's plain to see how much he sheds. Has anyone ever had a problem like this? Is there something I can take other than benadryl that wont leave me feeling drugged ( I work full time) or should I build up a tolerance for it? Kind of at a loss here...

Sounds like allergy to me! I have bad allergies during high pollen seasons, so basically during the warmer months. Oddly enough, I never had a reaction since we adopted Ginger in 2010 and then Storm in 2011, until this past summer! I went to take an allergy test and found I am highly allergic to everything (which I already knew!). What's odd is that this was the first summer I broke out in hives. My eyes itch more due to the pollens.

My allergists gave me Fexofenedine 180 mg (Allegra - 1 in the morning) and Cetirizine 10 mg (Zyrtec - 1 at night). This helped tremendously! Once the hives went away, which took a few weeks, I took only the Cetirizine at night. And by the end of summer, I didn't need anything but by then, high pollen season was ending.

You can get both over the counter, and neither made me drowsy.

How do I get an allergy test done? Just my regular doctor?

Usually your doctor will refer you to an allergist. That's been my experience anyway.

I just picked an allergist in network and made an appointment.

Centirizine works for me too.

when I frst got my girl, for the first 30 days or so, I thought OMG Im allergic to her........ which I may have been, but it did go away thank god!!! I just did the benadryl, etc. thing to tolerate it - same thing still happens every spring with my horse, i need to get re accustomed to it I guess.......... best of luck!

Yep, sounds like an allergy. I agree with Claudia. Zyrtec or the generic version works wonders for me.

Plus with the drier air in the house during the heat season may have been the tipping point to set you off when you started dusting.

Thanks for all the input.. I will try Zyrtec and if that doesn't seem to help I might have to go see an allergist. This is getting a little ridiculous!

Most people are not allergic to huskies, with their double coat they tend to repell most things, when was the last time either pet had a bath and brushing? All the cleaning could have bugged you more, that happens to me.

jbealer wrote:

Most people are not allergic to huskies, with their double coat they tend to repell most things, when was the last time either pet had a bath and brushing? All the cleaning could have bugged you more, that happens to me.

Including myself, my allergies are not set off by my huskies. Huskies, and other northern breeds have a coating on their fur that repels dirt and water, so huskies typically do not carry the allergens that most dogs do. However, if your pups goes outside and rolls around in the grass or plays outside during high pollen season, you could try wiping your pup's coat with either a baby wipe, or doggy wipe, or spray with a waterless shampoo (Furminator makes a waterless shampoo) and wiping the coat down after being outside. This should reduce some of the allergens/pollens that may be on your pup's coat.

When I first got Saber, I was not allergic to dogs. A few years ago, after being constantly congested, I went and had an allergy test done. I found out I was allergic to dogs and some other things.

It is actually not the dog's fur that causes the allergy. It is either their dander (shedding of dead skin), saliva or urine you can be allergic to. Here are some articles if anyone's interested:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2111&aid=145

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/dog-allergies

I use allergy eye drops and take loratadine (doesn't make you drowsy) and it helps a lot. I can usually get away with just the eye drops in winter.

Yeah I work for an eye dr so pataday and zatador eye drops are in abundance. Took a Zyrtec this morning and used the pataday and have felt much better (although in not home right now dragon and prince get all over me in the morning so whether its fur or dander I'm sure it was on me) I will see how I do tonight and hopefully this helps. He does go outside to potty and will play around the yard and lake so I'm not sure if that's a factor. The cat does not go out but he does not shed as much as dragon. I brush him every other day sometimes every day to help the shedding. Who knows. Hopefully the allergy pills and drops help.

This is interesting! I am allergic to dust, pollen and animal dander. I've been waiting for a reaction to be allergic to Juneau but it looks like I won't get one lol.

My husband has an abundance of allergies and he takes Claritin. If he has a bad day then he takes Benadryl but that knocks him out so he hates to take that. My purse is loaded with Claritin pills not for me but for my hubby.

My dad has seasonal allergies and he uses Claritin-D.

I don't know why the other stuff like Zyrtec doesn't work so well for my family. My in-laws use Claritin as well.

Sounds like allergies. I've always been allergic to my dogs, I break out if I hug them a lot, I sneeze and blow my nose constantly. I also have plenty of other outdoor/indoor allergies (this is the worst time of year with the cold fronts bringing in junk from the north). Cats trigger asthma and can swell my eyes shut. I find it best to take zyrtec, claritin, or sudafed on most days. There are different levels of doses for each brand. I take the lower ones for daily use and the higher ones that you need to show your id for when they really get bad.

There are also shots you can take to try and built up your immunity.

Edit: showering at night and scrubbing all over with soap before bed will greatly increase your comfort and Netipots are a godsend for getting rid of congestion and staving off sinus infections.

I went to an allergist prior to adopting a dog and found out I'm allergic! He assured me that washing your dog every week for one month and then every month after that (he said removes 89% of allergens), removing all interior rugs, not having them sleep on the bed and washing my bedding in hot, hot water every week, now allowing them on the couch plus taking Claritin would allow me to live with a dog. I tested this out by volunteering for a rescue first and I was fine, so we adopted Chili. Claritin D makes a huge difference, I had to go with the 12 hr dose twice a day since it was more effective than the 24 hr one. I also take nasal drops he prescribed called Flonase - they make a huge difference too!

My allergist wrote this awesome book with helpful tips about managing your environment:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Allergy-Book-Actively/dp/1570719535

Also concur with Len and Havik that certain weather makes it worse and that showering at night makes a huge difference! Also - netipot! You can also use "Ocean", a spray available over the counter if you feel weird using the netipot.

Thanks guys. Since I've been using the Zyrtec I haven't noticed much sneezing or itchy eyes for the past two days. I've been holding off on a bath for dragon until today because its our rainy season it's and its been kind of rainy/muddy out and it finally dry out for a few days. I will bathe him (he won't be happy) and see how that helps.