As the owner of your local Lansdale pet sitting company, you might be surprised to learn that I have dealt with severe pet allergies my entire life. Just touching the soft fur of a kitten will cause my eyes to redden, water, and eventually swell shut. Simply hugging my dog will break my arms out in red, itchy hives. As an avid pet lover, I have learned over the years how to treat and (nearly) overcome my allergies!
The thought of re-homing my pets based on my allergic reactions is preposterous… so I have spent the better part of my life treating my allergies. The companionship of animals is everything to me. A life without a pet is not one I would like to imagine. So if you’re pet allergies have been getting the best of you – try out some of these tips…
1. See an allergist! Getting a skin test done to see what your exact allergies are is the first step in treatment! The test isn’t painful, but is rather itchy! It can help you find out all kinds of allergens that you had no idea were bothering you.
2. Consider an antihistamine! Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec.. there are too many to name! Give each one a try (after consulting your doctor). I found that Claritin and Zyrtec did almost nothing for me, while Allegra helped my symptoms immensely. There are some that will make you drowsy and others that won’t.
3. Treat your pet! No I don’t mean medicate them, I mean help reduce their output of allergens. This could mean bathing your pet more frequently. It could mean brushing your furry friend more often. Using anti-allergen pet wipes might also help.
4. Consider allergy shots! If there is one step that helped my symptoms more than any other – this is it! After years of being on allergy shots, I can say that my symptoms are at about 10% of what they used to be. I can now happily hold my cats or pet my dog! The shots have never been painful for me. I now go only once a month for a shot which takes about 20 minutes. Not much of a time commitment for the relief they’ve brought me!
So just because you have developed an allergic reaction to your pets, do not despair! There are many simple and easy treatments out there that can greatly improve your symptoms!
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