Allergies

[Pryor Creek Okie]

My seven year old son recently broke out in a terrible rash all over his body. My exwife took him to the doctor, and he was diagnosed as being allergic to dogs. Now she insists that he cannot be around dogs ever. Obviously, that poses a problem with me. It's also confusing to me because he's been around dogs his whole life, and he has never had any problems. That is him in my avatar when he was two years old. He wasn't allergic then. Just about two months ago, he was climbing into the dog box in the back of my truck and playing. He didn't break out from that. Now, all of a sudden, he's deathly allergic? I'm not a doctor, and I have no allergies of my own, so I'm not really sure how common this is. Has anyone else heard of someone becoming terribly allergic to something so suddenly?

[kninebirddog]

I wonder if the dog rolled in something your son is allergic to.

[solon]

I am not an allergist, but what you describe seems unlikely to be a sudden onset of a dog allergy after a life time of exposure. You didn't say what tests were run to substantiate a dog allergy. Skin tests are notoriously unreliable, unless a very strong positive. If it is not the dog that is the problem, then something else has happened. First off, was the rash urticaria? Did it itch? Did it respond to antihistamines? Did he have a fever? Were any areas of the body spared rash? So many questions.

One test is have him avoid the dog and all dog contaminated material until the rash clears. Then test with a re-exposure. If it causes the rash/reaction, then that would prove it is an allergy to dog antigens. With the re-exposure test, have medication available to control any reaction.

Good luck and I hope your son improves promptly.

Solon

[AzDoggin]

Bummer.

Solon gives you a good approach, I think. You might also consider cleaning all the areas where the dog lays in case it is something he rolled in. Give the dog a bath, too. Good luck!

[jlp8cornell]

I wonder too if it was something on your dog that your son is allergic too. I got poison ivy from Max 2 times this spring. Most people that are allergic to animal dander have always been. Hope it turns out OK. Jen

[DougB]

Allergies can develop over time. Exposure increases sensitivity, until a critical level is reached. Then the reactions start. Get a second opinion from an allergist. This could be a serious decision for you, and you want reliable info. Giving up children is hard to do (we have the grandkids this weekend), and giving up dogs or contact with dogs will change your life a bit. I have a brother in law who is so allergic to cats, that he can not enter our house and we have to wear freshly washed clothing when we see him.

[MikeB]

I would call and speak to his Dr. and ask some questions. Was the Dr. he saw your son's regular pediatrician that made the diagnosis? OR... was it an urgent care Dr. that doesn't know you son? Either way I would call and talk to the Dr.?

Does your exwife have any problems with your dogs to start with and may have given the Dr. some info that may not have been quite true. May have influenced the Dr's opinion of the allergy reaction that it was caused by the dog?

I have heard allergies running a 7 year cycle. Could be that at age 7 he is now allergic to the dog where he was not before. I hope not for your sake. It could also be a simple case of not touching the dog or washing his hands well before touching his face or eyes as not to spread any dander onto himself. Simple precautions like no hugging the dog where his face would come in contact with the dog and the dog not licking him may be all that is necessary to keep reactions at a minimum.

Just some ideas that come to mind.

[BigShooter]

Good posts so far.

An allergy is an immune system's abnormally strong response to a substance the majority of the population has no apparent reaction to.

Quality allergy testing is best performed by a trained allergy specialist.

Skin testing is a process by which a very small amount of the irritant is injected under the skin. The allergist observes the reaction and judges whether it is beyond a reaction he/she considers normal, based upon his/her training and experience. Body wide allergic reactions vary from mild to life threatening.

Blood testing can be performed on dogs to identify the dog's allergies based upon levels of reactant cells in the blood stream.

Another testing method is challenge testing. The subject is required to avoid a suspected irritant like a certain food (e.g. peanuts), a pet, etc. and then the subject is carefully re-exposed with appropriate equipment & drugs on hand in the event of a serious reaction.

Challenge testing is most often used with foods. Skin testing is most often used for pet dander, grasses, molds, trees, pollen, etc.

Without treatment, exposure over time can increase the individual's sensitivity. For example you can take amoxicillin or penicillin several times as a kid for strep throat & ear infections without a reaction & then suddenly later have an allergic reaction to the drug.

Allergy testing and control is probably as much an art as it is a science. Getting a second test result to verify the first may be considered.

When people are tested it is not uncommon to find they have more than one allergy. People with multiple allergies face a situation where their immune system may already be on a higher alert status than normal from another irritant so when they get exposed to additional irritants the immune system reacts stronger.

IMO it's important to have an allergist perform a thorough exam and analysis. A series of allergy shots may decrease an individual's response to allergies. The shots contain a small amount of the irritant(s). The theory is to get the body used to the irritant so it doesn't over react. Allergy shots are commonly more effective in younger people. Constant, thorough cleaning of homes and vehicles to remove all pet dander and hair is encouraged.

[Pryor Creek Okie]

I live several hundred miles from my son and I haven't been around him since this started. She took him to his regular doctor, but I'm not sure what tests were done. I'm not really doubting what she has told me. I'm just curious if anyone else has experienced this, and if so, how did you deal with it?

[BigShooter]

If your son is only allergic to your dog and that is the sole source of his rash then you would need to avoid any situation that exposes your son to the dog. To have your son visit you, you'd have to thoroughly clean the house from top to bottom to eliminate any dog dander from the furniture, carpet, floors, clothing, bedding, etc. The same thing with your vehicle. The dog would have to be kept outside after everything is cleaned. Your son should have no exposure to the animal. You should have benedryl on hand when your son visits.

I have a sister with pet allergies who has both a dog & cat in the house & takes over-the-counter medication to alleviate her less severe symptoms.

People with severe enough known allergies should carry an epi-pen for the administration of epinephrine in case of a severe allergic reaction. 911 should be called immediately upon onset of severe symptoms. Less severe symptoms are treated with benedryl.

I personally wouldn't accept that diagnosis from a non-allergist. Without adequate testing there are too many other possibilities.

Google up "allergies to dogs". There's way more info on the web (especially about cleaning & air filtration) than we have time to type up and add to this thread.