Allergy question.

[imperfectlyblue]

Hello...

We are super excited because we are getting a yorkie in the next month or two. We've been visiting her and preparing our house, etc. In fact, we are getting our little Peanut from the user "dakotama95."

My husband is allergic to almost every animal, but when we babysat a yorkie a few months back he didn't have any asthma or allergy reactions... and we thought that it was a great sign and that he may not be allergic....

So, when Peanut was born, we jumped on the opportunity to have our very own yorkie.

Our only worry is that he may be allergic somehow and that would be terrible once we become attached, etc. The other thing we were wondering about is whether the yorkie's coat makes a difference on the allergic reaction or lack of... for example, does it matter if it is a silver yorkie or if her coat remains black?

Just looking for any input... we've been visiting with her every week or so, and the only reaction he has had is when she licked his face, his eyes got a little bit itchy.

We remain hopeful!

[marcerella02]

when it comes to dog allergies they are usually caused by an undercoat... which sheds... yorkies have no undercoat and thus don't shed. should be ok

[MyFairLacy]

It will most likely also help if you bathe your yorkie regularly (at least once a week) to keep it dander-free and to not have allergens like grass, dust, pollen etc. build up in the hair

[imperfectlyblue]

thanks for the advice!

[yorkiegirl83]

It all depends on if his allergies are to dog dander, dog saliva, or dog fur.

Yorkies have hair and are lower shedders than other breeds due to this fact, so most of the time they are good for allergy sufferers.

However, if your H is allergic to dander or saliva -- all dogs have this, so he may have some allergies.

The allergies are greatly reduced due to the size of a yorkie compared to other breeds.

I have severe allergies and asthma and while I take medication to have my 4 furkids, I still have symptoms sometimes so here's my best advice --

If your H will take allergy medication he will most likely be ok IMO. That should help if his only symptoms are itchy eyes, sneezing, ect.

Buy a HEPA air filter.

Keep the puppy out of the bedroom you sleep in at all times.

Eliminate curtains/carpet if possible.

Groom weekly/bathe weekly and use allerpet solution to cut down on dander.

HTH!

[ItsyBitsy]

I have serious pet allergies but it can be controlled.
I had cats growing up, but when the last one died when I was in my 20s, I didn't have another cat for 10 years. During the time that I was cat-less, I developed allergies towards cats.

I love cats and when I moved out on my own, decided to rescue a kitten from the Humane Society. Well, the first few weeks were fine, then my thrid week with the kitten, my allergies started getting bad. I don't think pets are disposable and I knew when I got the kitten that unless my allergies are life threatening, I will not give her up. I started taking allergy pills everyday, got a hepa air filter in every room, wiped her down with Allerpet every other day. I also have asthma, so with the kitten, I had to start using my preventative inhaler everyday.

After about 4 months with the kitten, my allergies got better and I have stopped taking allergy pills. I also got a second kitty 6 months after getting the first kitten because I thought she needed a friend. The second kitty is a Devon Rex and she barely sheds.

With my dog allergies, it's another story. My parents have two dogs, a coon hound and a cocker spaniel. Living with my parents, I was fine with the dogs. But since I moved out, everytime I go back to visit them, my allergies act up. My cat allergies are the itchy eyes and sneezing kind. My dog allergies were way worse. The dog allergies aggravate my asthma and I wheeze when around them. Now when I visit my parents, I avoid the dogs

With Bitsy, I am totally fine with her. She doesn't aggravate my asthma OR my other allergies. I do bathe her every 7 to 10 days and feed her high quality food.

I know a few people who have pet allergies that got use to their own pet and don't have reactions to them but are allergic to other people's pets.

I think you and your husband should try to hang out at the breeders house for a few hours to see what his allergies are like. Sometimes the reaction doesn't get bad until a few hours has elapsed.

Also, you should discuss your options and what level you're willing to put up with if your husband DOES become more allergic. It's really sad to see an animal rehomed when they've bonded with a family.

Good luck!

[imperfectlyblue]

thanks again for the good advice.

my husband and i have visited the breeder, and visited with Peanut a few times. his reactions have mostly been just itchy eyes. at her house, it is difficult because she has a husky and has a couple cats that kind of hang around outside. so, it has been hard to pinpoint the exact cause of any reactions he may have when we are over there.

it seems like her saliva does affect him, because when she has licked his face, it seems to cause his eyes to itch. he takes a daily loratadine allergy pill which may help...

we did babysit a yorkie for 5 days, and she even slept with us in our bed, and he had nearly no reaction to her besides itchy skin if/when she scratched him.

we're really hopeful, but i just wanted some outside input. we do have a plan for if it becomes a problem. i have talked to the breeder about it briefly and she did say that Peanut would "have a home" if things don't work out. that was a huge concern of ours too... but we never know unless we try, and the yorkie breed is JUST so adorable and irresistable!