Allergy to Dogs
I break out
in hives and rashes when I pet our dog. I never had this problem before.
What causes this?
It sounds as though you are allergic, or hypersensitive to your dog. Allergies to animals are common, for immune systems are very sensitive to foreign animal proteins. Different breeds of dogs have different proteins, so you may only be allergic to the particular breed of dog you have now, or you can be sensitive to all dogs. Your human doctor can help you identify exactly what you are allergic to, and help you with desensitization or antiallergy therapy. Many people try the over the counter anti-allergy medications, such as Benedryl, to great success. Since most allergens from a dog are from the flakes of skin and hair, frequently bathing your dog may help decrease your reactions.
Allergies develop after repeated exposer to a specific allergen, and may take years to manifest itself. I commonly hear of people having cats or dogs for many years, only to develop allergies later in life.
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