I’m dealing with the same thing right now. Other than what you have already learned yourself, here are a few more habits to take up….
* don’t let the dog sleep in your bedroom, and never in your bed. Keep the door closed and clean the room thoroughly.
* Animal allergens are sticky, so regularly remove the dog’s bed, pull up rugs, and scrub the walls, floors, and woodwork. Also avoid clutter in your home (pet allergens will stick!).
* Wear a mask when you vacuum. Use a "microfilter" bag in the vacuum cleaner to effectively catch all the allergens.
* avoid dust-and-dander-catching furnishings such as cloth curtains, blinds and carpeted floors.
* Cover your vents with cheesecloth, at least the ones in your bedroom.
* Keep your dog off furniture or cover it with fabric that you wash frequently in hot water.
* Forced-air heating & air conditioning can spread allergens, so add an air cleaner with a HEPA filter to central heating & air conditioning and run it at least 4 hours a day. An electrostatic filter will also remove airborne particles the size of animal allergens.
* Have a friend or groomer do the weekly bathing if it makes you wheezy or sneezy.
* Air the house (avoid doing this when the pollen count is high in your area)
* Some people are reporting a reduction in their dog allergy when using the Allerpet D for Dogs (see the site I listed below) solution
If your dog has dry skin, it can cause irritation & itchiness, which in turn causes the dog to scratch more, which releases more dander than usual. So, keeping your dog’s skin healthy helps allergies. If the dog has a condition causing dry skin, your vet can help you diagnose & treat the problem. Here are some tactics you can try on your own as well:
* Have a friend or groomer brush the dog regularly (outside) to release more oil into his coat.
* Add essential fatty acids to his diet.
* Go with high-quality, healthy dog food, not the cheap stuff.
* When bathing him/her, use a moisturizing dog shampoo, not human shampoo.
* Try sprays or wipes that reduce dander on your dog (many claim they don’t work but it’s worth a try, I say)
You are doing some great things. In addition, I would wash the dog once a month with PetPlus shampoo (instead of weekly which can be hard on the dog’s skin and fur) and just use the AllerPet D weekly. In addition, for any fiber surfaces that remain, I would treat monthly with a denaturing agent such as ADMS or ADS. The ionic breeze purifier isn’t going to help much and could make matters worse if you do have asthma. That is because those machines produce ozone which can irritate the respiratory system..so you might want to turn that off. Keep in mind that the Can D1 protein is found in the saliva and urine of the dog, so don’t let it lick you in the face. Also, if you rough-house with the dog you might want to change your clothes when you are finished. Rough play just dislodges the bits of Can D1 that adheres to the animal. I’ll give you links to some articles and a website that talks about living with cat allergies. I know you have a lab, but the Fel D1 protein and the Can D1 protein are extremely similar and can be denatured and treated in the same manner. Good Luck to ya
Comment by Queen of the Dust Mites — October 12, 2009 @ 8:04 am
I’m dealing with the same thing right now. Other than what you have already learned yourself, here are a few more habits to take up….
* don’t let the dog sleep in your bedroom, and never in your bed. Keep the door closed and clean the room thoroughly.
* Animal allergens are sticky, so regularly remove the dog’s bed, pull up rugs, and scrub the walls, floors, and woodwork. Also avoid clutter in your home (pet allergens will stick!).
* Wear a mask when you vacuum. Use a "microfilter" bag in the vacuum cleaner to effectively catch all the allergens.
* avoid dust-and-dander-catching furnishings such as cloth curtains, blinds and carpeted floors.
* Cover your vents with cheesecloth, at least the ones in your bedroom.
* Keep your dog off furniture or cover it with fabric that you wash frequently in hot water.
* Forced-air heating & air conditioning can spread allergens, so add an air cleaner with a HEPA filter to central heating & air conditioning and run it at least 4 hours a day. An electrostatic filter will also remove airborne particles the size of animal allergens.
* Have a friend or groomer do the weekly bathing if it makes you wheezy or sneezy.
* Air the house (avoid doing this when the pollen count is high in your area)
* Some people are reporting a reduction in their dog allergy when using the Allerpet D for Dogs (see the site I listed below) solution
If your dog has dry skin, it can cause irritation & itchiness, which in turn causes the dog to scratch more, which releases more dander than usual. So, keeping your dog’s skin healthy helps allergies. If the dog has a condition causing dry skin, your vet can help you diagnose & treat the problem. Here are some tactics you can try on your own as well:
* Have a friend or groomer brush the dog regularly (outside) to release more oil into his coat.
* Add essential fatty acids to his diet.
* Go with high-quality, healthy dog food, not the cheap stuff.
* When bathing him/her, use a moisturizing dog shampoo, not human shampoo.
* Try sprays or wipes that reduce dander on your dog (many claim they don’t work but it’s worth a try, I say)
ALL THE PRODUCTS YOU WILL EVER NEED FOR PET ALLERGIES ON THIS SITE –> http://sweet-lucys.com/boutique/allergyproducts.html
GOOD LUCK!
Comment by Superblime — October 12, 2009 @ 8:04 am
^^^^^ that person said it all really,
the only other thing that i would suggest would be to go to the doctor and ask for a higher dose of whatever medication you are taking at the moment.
answer mine?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Avxd9f7wVQ7UBLwhBkFP4hvsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090324070517AAM6DgR
Comment by Laura G — October 12, 2009 @ 8:04 am
You are doing some great things. In addition, I would wash the dog once a month with PetPlus shampoo (instead of weekly which can be hard on the dog’s skin and fur) and just use the AllerPet D weekly. In addition, for any fiber surfaces that remain, I would treat monthly with a denaturing agent such as ADMS or ADS. The ionic breeze purifier isn’t going to help much and could make matters worse if you do have asthma. That is because those machines produce ozone which can irritate the respiratory system..so you might want to turn that off. Keep in mind that the Can D1 protein is found in the saliva and urine of the dog, so don’t let it lick you in the face. Also, if you rough-house with the dog you might want to change your clothes when you are finished. Rough play just dislodges the bits of Can D1 that adheres to the animal. I’ll give you links to some articles and a website that talks about living with cat allergies. I know you have a lab, but the Fel D1 protein and the Can D1 protein are extremely similar and can be denatured and treated in the same manner. Good Luck to ya
Comment by Queen of the Dust Mites — October 12, 2009 @ 8:04 am