Hygiene issue with dog and baby

[fluffyslippersplease]

I'm expecting a baby in October. Dh had the dog before we met 5 years ago. I really am not a dog person which Dh knew. The dog is quite old and seems to have chronic problems with skin, ears and particularly his eyes. We had his eyes operated on but the problems persist. It's constantly shedding skin and hair everywhere and its eyes are always filled with gunge. You clean them and apply drops and ten minutes later they're green again. Two vets have just said keep cleaning and use the drops. I'm very concerned about the hygiene aspects of having this dog around the baby, even around me. I've already had four miscarriages. I have suggested to dh that the dog should remain in the conservatory and the garden rather than coming into the main house. Dh is totally against this because he likes to spend time with the dogs and the conservatory, although it has tv, sofa etc, isn't as comfortable as the rest of the house. He acts like I'm Cruella Deville in this and just accuses me of not liking the dog. I don't dislike the dog. I feel sorry for it but I really don't like touching and stroking it because of its problems especially having a baby. We also have a youngish dc he had from a previous relationship that strokes the dog a lot and I worry about it touching the dog and then touching the baby.

With the skin issues being ongoing you might ask them to take a swab of that too if your insurance can cover it.

@MarchSurprise dh feeds the dog Harrington's dry food I think usually but he also feeds it leftovers a lot. Sausage from breakfast and whatever meat is leftover from our evening meal.

@fluffyslippersplease you’re not stopping the dog accessing 2 rooms. They already only access a small portion of the home, you want to further quarantine an old dog, to one small area of your home.
Not okZ

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut that's good to know about coconut oil. I get that in a lot anyway

@fluffyslippersplease it sounds completely impersonal. Posters are not mind readers that you said it to avoid outing.

You said the dog already doesn’t go upstairs. So you are not ‘keeping it from accessing two rooms’. What you are proposing is locking the dog in one room alone , not letting it anywhere else in the house and leaving it there with no company except for when your DH goes into it.al and be honest - are you happy with your DH to spend his evenings with dog in conservatory while you and baby sit on your own in another room or will you expect him to be with you thus leaving dog on its own all the time?

@Boomclaps it's really not a small space. It's actually the size of our two downstairs living areas because it spans across them

@Runtowintowalk I thought it was quite common to not allow dogs into upstairs bedrooms. Dh was strict about that before we even met

Pfft. Not convinced about that tbh. Most people just use they or them so they don't sound like a sociopath

@fluffyslippersplease interestingly I used to feed my greyhound Harrington's and his skin was very dry and flaky. He's now on Essential foods and his skin has completely transformed.

I'd recommend looking on the allaboutdogfood website to see what foods would be better for the dog with skin sensitivities - there's a filter option for skin conditions. My mums dog has dodgy eyes, ears and skin and his was a wheat intolerance, so he's on a wheat free diet with no leftovers which has helped.

At this point anything is worth a try to help the dog be more comfortable. Good luck

@MilleniumHallsWalledGarden I'd rather sound like a sociopath than a snob

The dog could benefit your child’s immune system.

Research has shown that far from being “unhygenic” children raised around pets are healthier and get fewer immune related issues like excema and asthma.

People are obsessed with hygiene. As a baby keep the dog and child separated for safety, and normal hygiene practices like handwashing are sufficient.

It will be fine. There are very few diseases that are transmissable from animals to children anyway.

@MarchSurprise thank you for some actually helpful advice

Jesus Christ what is wrong with people on this thread. The op is not suggesting giving away this dog just limiting where the dog is in the house. For those of you who can't read the OP has had 4 miscarriages and is having her first baby and is understandably nervous. Some of these answers are disgusting. How can you have so much compassion and understanding for a dog but not for another human.
Op best wishes for you and the new baby. Please get some advice somewhere else. Also, I think your partner is a bit of a dick for not understanding why you are nervous given the circumstances.

YABU op, that poor dog being shoved out because of a new baby. The dry skin and eye gunk isn't a risk to your unborn baby, you re being completely unreasonable.

And who the hell thinks referring to a step child as he or she is outing??? Have you not been on Mumsnet before. I think you likly feel the same about the stepchild and you do about the dog.

@fluffyslippersplease yes it’s fine to not let them upstairs but now you are removing all access to the house bar one room. That’s cruel..

And you never answered my question - are you happy for your DH to spend his evenings with the dog in the conservatory while you and baby are in another room or do you expect him to be with you? If so you are essentially leaving the dog on its own in this one room with no company which is incredibly cruel.

@OliviaPopeRules thank you for being kind there

I have a dog and I’d be grossed out by this too. I can’t believe how idiotic some posters are ... well you shouldn’t have started a relationship with a dog lover ...you shouldn’t have gotten pregnant the first place ... that’s really stupid advice ffs, you make dogs fit into your life, not martyr yourself for them.

The dog’s needs do NOT go in front of you or the baby, it’s a dog, not a human. Yes, you need to ensure it’s cared for but it does not get to go all around the house spreading germs and grossness everywhere if it bothers you. Your DH is essentially saying the dog is more important than you by ignoring your concerns which are real and valid even if he doesn’t agree. He’s being a shitty partner by disregarding this and you e put up with it long enough.

Create a space for the dog outside the normal living areas as you have suggested.

If this bothers you as much as it sounds like (it would bother me too), your DH is disrespecting you and you may find over time things like this add up and negativity affect your relationship over time.

[quote fluffyslippersplease]@MarchSurprise thank you for some actually helpful advice [/quote]
Plenty of posters have suggested the vets and thinking about food. You are just ignoring the ones who are calling you unreasonable. Why bother posting if you think people who disagree with you are out for a "witch hunt"?

Swap out 'dog' for 'MIL', read it to yourself and see how you come across.

I’d be definitely trying A better food with less filler in it.
www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/dog-food-reviews/0019/harringtons-adult-complete

The op is not suggesting giving away this dog just limiting where the dog is in the house.

Maybe read the actual OP properly instead of rewriting it to suit what you want it to say? The OP is not limiting where the dog goes, she wants to keep it locked away in a room with zero access to the remainder of the house. That's an awful way to treat the dog. Also how do people not care about humans? The dog does not pose a health risk to humans.

@Runtowintowalk no it's not great but if it meant my baby was safer then I'd have to put up with it. I don't imagine me having much free time once baby arrives anyway.
People seem to be fixating on dogs general hygiene but I don't believe that it's normal to have green gunge. This is what I'm worried about. I don't know what is in that fluid. The poster who suggested paying for swabs had a good idea. If I knew what exactly it was I might feel better. I am also worried about the dog being in pain. Dh just seems to have taken it that not much can be done

You could have referred to your stepchild as they and not it. Jesus Christ.
The dog was there before you. Looks like you'll just have to suck it up.
Poor dog and poor step child having to put up with you.

I would deffo. see the vet and get some tests done, the gunky eyes is not normal in an old dog nor the shedding of skin. The diet may be an issue. The dog may have hay fever type issues. My old boy is 15 a bit stiff so he has arthritis pills, has an ear issue spaniel but we have something for that when the need arises. You will have to go with OH and be firm at vets.

’Swap out 'dog' for 'MIL', read it to yourself and see how you come across.’

I’d be recommending rehoming