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anyone who has dog allergy got a labrador or newfoundland?

9 replies

hercules · 15/02/2006 22:41

Yes, it's me for my 50th pet thread!

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PennyLess · 15/02/2006 22:42

Labradoodles are what you need - you get the personality of a lab but a non-shedding coat (a la poodle) for the allergy bit.

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Joannie2 · 16/02/2006 17:46

I am very allegic to labs. With Labradoodles (and all other cross breeds) it is pot luck what genes the pups will inherit, you could end up with a dog that moults/sheds bucketfuls like a lab but is high maintainance like a poodle.

Do you know what it is you are actually allergic to - is it the hair/fur, the dander or the saliva. Most people are actually allergic to the dander, not the hair. All dogs have dander to some extent, so it may be the case that you will be allergic to all dogs, just some to a lesser degree. Remember that even with non-shedding breeds, like many of the terriers and other wire-haired breeds, if you do not maintain a suitable grooming practice eg, handstripping, the dog will often lose it's "non-allergy causing" qualities. Have you looked into they breeds listed below, These dogs are supposedly non-shedding, but they will produce dander:

BEDLINGTON TERRIER
POODLE
FOX TERRIER (WIRE)
YORKSHIRE TERRIER
PORTUGUESE WATER DOG
BICHON FRISE
MALTESE
AFGHAN HOUND
KERRY BLUE TERRIER
TIBETAN TERRIER

Good Luck

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hercules · 16/02/2006 17:51

I went to see some Great Danes today. I was molested by 6 x 5month old ones and in the car developed an itchy rash on my neck and chin. I think this may be where i might have been licked. I had no other symptoms eg nose,eyes etc and once I'd washed and changed it went.

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Joannie2 · 16/02/2006 17:57

Hercules, remember that no matter what breed you decide on make sure that you buy from a reputable breeder that does all the recommended health screening for that breed, ie hip-scoring, eye testing, DNA testing, heart testing. A once over by a vet is not good enough, ask to see certificates of the tests carried out. Also make sure you see the pups with their mum (dad does not need to be there, actually sometimes if the breeder owns both mum and dad it indictates that the breeder used the closest stud instead of the best ).

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hercules · 16/02/2006 17:59

thanks

if you have s few minutes have a read of my other recent pet threads. I'd appreciate any further thoughts.

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Joannie2 · 16/02/2006 18:01

Sounds like you have an allegy to the saliva (like me). The problem with that is that a dog licks it's fur, you stroke the dog, and the saliva transfers to your skin . I have an Irish Terrier and carry baby wipes with me everywhere so that after I stroke her I instantly wipe my hands. It is difficult to begin with, particularly because it means no puppy kisses, but eventually it just becomes routine.

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hercules · 16/02/2006 18:03

the strange this is is that as a child we always had dogs and I never had a problem.

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hercules · 16/02/2006 18:03

It's good to see there are ways to deal with it.

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Joannie2 · 16/02/2006 18:15

Yes there are often ways of dealing with it . I own a breed that requires handstripping. Handstripping is when you manually shed the dog, pulling out it's hair with your finger and thumb. Handstripping, reduces the amount of loose hair and dander in the coat, and lessens the amount of stray hair around the house. Basically I decide when Olive sheds her coat so that I can prepare the house and myself to deal with the hair that will be stripped out. A couple of hours before I begin a handstripping session I take an antihistamine, then before I start stripping I cover the carpet with a sheet to catch the hairs that come out. Most wire-haired breeds only need to be handstripped every 3 to 4 months to stop them from random sheddding and keep the dander at bay. My nose and eyes tell me when Olive is overdue a stripping

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