Puppy allergic reaction?

[newyear2024]

So we had our lovely Shih Tzu dog for 14 amazing years, our kids grew up with her and she was my first baby. We sadly lost her in 2021 and she passed away at home.

We have just got a new puppy, another Shih tzu. Got him 3 days ago, 29th December and we all love him...but..my youngest son (age 9) has been sneezing constantly, think 10 times in a row at a time, eyes are itchy and his face is out in a red rash. As if he has hay-fever. He never ever reacted to our old dog and doesn't react to my mums bichon frise (although he doesn't see her that often, once every few weeks)

We've been getting him to constantly wash his hands and I've been cleaning all surfaces etc constantly but his rash is quite angry and the sneezing is constant. We have no family history of allergies at all and he doesn't react to our cat.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Will it likely get worse or improve over time? I'm really really hoping we don't have to rehome as we waited 2 years to make the decision and the kids have all been so excited to have a dog in our lives again.

Just to add the rash isn't itchy or bothering him, it looks similar to a child's teething rash, but the itchy eyes are annoying him. But he is well otherwise, just like he has a congested cold or hay-fever.

It might improved over a few weeks. I was mildly allergic to our cats when we first got them and it went away after a while and, weirdly, other peoples dogs can make me a bit itchy but my own dog never has.

Oh what a shame! Have you given the pup a bath in case it's something he's carrying on his coat from his old home that your son is reacting to? And do yours son's symptoms reduce with an antihistamine?

Has the puppy had a bath since you brought him home?

Thanks for the replies everyone, we did give him a bath last night, which he didn't enjoy 🤣 but don't think it made any change. DS was still sneezing at bed time and itchy his eyes.

I'm still clinging on to the hope it's something else causing it. We changed washing powder before Christmas so I've washed everything in fairy non bio yesterday and I'm hoping today will see a change, he is still asleep now.

I am so shocked as our old shih tzu was very much cuddled/carried and played with by my son and I know they are on the lower end of allergy causing dogs.

We all love our new pup already but I wouldn't be able to let this continue as it looks really irritating for DS. Christmas is a funny time of new perfumes/lotions etc so I'm hoping it's something my teenage daughter has sprayed, or the washing powder. But he's never reacted to anything before so I'm sadly suspecting it's our pup 😔

My allergies to animals got worse not better.

Under those circumstances I wouldn’t assume it was the dog tbh. As you’ve acknowledged Christmas brings all kinds of new stuff, food etc, could be anything. I’d give antihistamines and see what happens over the next week or so.

I'm reading mixed things on mumsnet, some people become immune to their pets and some get much worse, which is obviously frightening.

I've changed the washing powder to fairy mon bio and will spend my day washing everything. I've told daughter not to spray anything outside her room. I've just checked him and his rash has calmed down alot so when he gets up and plays with the dog ill know for sure I think. He absolutely loves the dog and we've all waited so long for him so I'm crossing everything its not him

Allergies are so strange aren't they! He has never reacted to a dog or our cat before so it's all new to me. We are very much a dog family and no one in mine or my OHs family have any allergies or asthma etc so this has really surprised me. There is some eczema in the family but DS doesn't have that either

I haven't given him an antihistamine yet but will get some today if it starts again, I've never bought an antihistamine before would I just go to boots? I didn't even realise he would need one as I've never dealt with an allergy before, we still hadn't worked out it was the dog/an allergy until yesterday as I just assumed he was getting a heavy cold 🫤

Kept DS away from the puppy for a few hours today and symptoms have stopped, devastated.