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June 2011 Moms
If LO is allergic to your pets, what's your plan?
I see so many posts about allowing pets around the babies, but what if your baby is totally allergic to your pet(s). What's your plan?
My coworker had a dog and a cat, both of which they had to give away, because her son was so allergic to them that he spent time in the hospital.One of my other coworkers has 6 cats and her daughter is allergic to them. She still had the cats and her daughter keeps a runny nose, is always sneezing and miserable.
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Re: If LO is allergic to your pets, what's your plan?
DH and I truly hope that all goes smoothly with our 2 cats and 2 dogs and LO. I've read that if there is a slight allergy to the animals, the baby will build up his immune system to handle it (similar to my own allergy to cats). However, if there is a serious allergy to any of them that could harm the baby's health or hospitalize them; obviously we would have to relocate the animal(s) (probably to responsible family members). BUT we're hoping for the best in the mean time and hoping we won't have to do this.
ETA: added who our furbabies would go to.
I would probably do anything possible to try and avoid giving away my pets - filtration systems, daily pet baths, special shampoos.
My pets are also my babies.
And Then There Were Three...
Married: 08/14/10
Baby #1 Born: 06/18/11
June Moms Blog
It's funny you post this.. DH just mentioned this last night... I never even thought of it being a possibility! I would absolutely do everything I could to keep my babies! I could not imagine life without them and neither could DH.
Get rid of the baby...
Get rid of the baby...
If is't a mild allergy I would do everything possible to keep our cats. It sounds mean, but LO will have to learn to deal with it. My whole family has pets. So we could never go to their house? What if her best friend or future husband/in-laws had cats? My SIl is allergic to cats. When she comes over, I vacuum and sweep, and she takes allergy meds.
If it's a severe allergy, then I have to do what I have to do.
Well, we would do everything we could to keep our pets. If none of those things worked, then PIL would take the big dog and my sister would take the little dog.
What's yours?
BFP #1 - m/c on 12.22.09 @ 8w3d
BFP #2 - d&c on 07.22.10 @11w1d
BFP #3 - DS born on 06.22.11 @41w3d!
BFP #4 - Due 04.24.13
It really would depend on the severity of the allergy. If it is mild then we would do allergy shots. Just because we eliminate it in our house doesn't mean he wouldn't come accross it somewhere else. We live in the desert so allergens are abound here. DH has to take allegra and DD has to take benadryl every now and again. I do have a lot of air purification plants in the house and that has helped the home environment emensely.
If it is severe and shots don't work then we would have to get rid of the dogs. I would hate to do that but I know my BFF would take them.
Thankfully we did not have this problem with DS!
But if LO is allergic to our dog then I would not hesitate to find our pet a new home after assessing the degree of the allergy and such. I can boldly state that I will not medicate my child to make them OK around my pets. I love my dog dearly but I love my children more and refuse to give them unnecessary medication to accommodate a pet.
I love my dog so much. She is seriously the sweetest little thing in the world and one of the most well behaved and awesome dogs I have ever been around. She does not bark, she has never done anything bad ever in the 4 years we've had her. She is the perfect dog and I would cry my eyes out if she could no longer live with us. But I also know that she would do very well with another family and make them very happy.
Losing her would be a great great loss to our family but as a responsible parent I have to do what is best for my children and that sometimes includes things that are not the most pleasant for me.
That is just what I personally would do. I hope I am never put in that situation.
I understand where you are coming from, but I'm certain you wouldn't put your child's health at risk either. Loading your kid up with antihistamines and asthma medications (if that is the case) isn't always the answer. I grew up with animals and I am severely allergic. The doctors always advised that we get rid of our pets, which we never did. Now that I live in a house w/out pets my symptoms are SO MUCH BETTER. I have a much better quality of life.
Coming from someone that was medicated every.single.day of my life until I left home I can say you hit the nail on the head. Yes, shots can work very well, but I get them and it still hasn't solved my issues completely... and they hurt... and you have to go once a week, every week for over a year, then once every two weeks for a year, then once every month for a year or two and then you get a break. It's hard. I have to get three shots EACH time I go and my child will probably have the same issues I do. As much as I want a cat and would be willing to take something for *my* allergy, I couldn't do that to a kid...
Same here. If allergy shots do the trick then great. If there is a severe allergy, then we will likely give the cats to my dad.
I was thinking I would just toss the cats out in the garbage this week just in case.
No point in worrying about this now. If it happens, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I couldn't imagine having to give my dogs away. I actually don't think I could. I would hope that the Dr could recommend something or other.
This is why I'm thankful I have non-allergenic dogs that have hair and not fur.