As some of you know, I have 5 yr old DS with multiple food allergies, asthma and eczema and 11 yr old DD with eczema and recently diagnosed with coeliac disease but no asthma or allergies - or so I thought! Over the past couple of years, DD has developed hayfever and also started to get itchy eyes and runny nose around cats and sometimes dogs. Last year we went to a friend's house where they'd just got a new kitten. DD didn't touch the cat but after being in the house for an hour or so she became quite unwell and very wheezy. She's never been wheezy before in her life so I was quite shocked. Gave her DS's antihistamine and inhaler then took her home and the symptoms eventually calmed down. Not happened again since until this weekend she went on adventure weekend with school which included horse riding (which she has done once before). She said her eyes and nose started itching and running as soon as she got near the horse then after approx. 10mins riding she became wheezy and had to stop. She went back to her room, took antihistamines and waited for symptoms to subside.
So, if I didn't have DS and therefore didn't really know about the possibility of anaphylactic reactions to animals, I probably wouldn't be that worried but given that I know from this forum that some of your DC have life threatening allergies to animals I'm now quite concerned. Should I take her for allergy testing or am I being paranoid just because I've got one anaphylactic child already? I don't want the medical professionals thinking I'm obsessed with allergies but I equally don't want DD's next close encounter with an animal to be her last iyswim. Any advice much appreciated, particularly from babybarrister if you're reading this!