Pet Tips

Do you get an itchy throat and watery eyes and sneeze like there’s no tomorrow when you’re around pets? Are you much less fun to be around and unable to operate heavy machinery when you pop Benadryl every four hours? Do I sound like a Claritin commercial? You’re in luck; you can minimize allergy symptoms without the drugs and their side effects. Many pet allergy sufferers can be around pets and need not resort to giving yourself a Benadryl cocktail to cope. You can control the itching, snuffling, and wheezing by following a few simple tips. First, let’s clear the air on allergy-free dogs and cats. No such thing — ask any doctor or scientist. They simply don’t exist. Some pets are less likely to cause allergic reactions than others (and dogs are less likely than cats, in general), but none — not even $500 non-shedding Labradoodles or our shelter’s $100 Poodle-somethings — can give all sneezers a guaranteed non-reaction. It’s because that which causes the symptoms is found not in the fur, but the dander and saliva. So, the first tip is this: "wet willies” are off limits, even if you know each other quite well! Avoid any tongue action altogether (I imagine not many people gave that advice today). If you are prone to allergic reactions from your pet, you should create a few "pet free” zones in your house. The bedroom should be one of them. Next, make sure your pet is groomed regularly; this can help reduce the dander. Lastly, if you’ve let your allergies keep you from the joys of sharing your life with a dog or cat but you’re now ready to follow these tips and join the 75 percent of households with at least one pet, we have about 300 waiting for good homes. And that’s nothing (or something!) to sneeze at.