# This is going to sound crazy, but..



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Can you be allergic to just ONE dog?
I've looked on google, and all I've found is that certain individuals have more dander, but that's not my problem.
Whenever Mocha the dobie licks me I get really itchy. This has never happened with any other dog saliva before (trust me, we have a boxer!). 
My parents thought I was making this up, but I also get hives from her.
The other day during a training session, which involves lot's of hand licking, I got a ton of hives and I proved my parents wrong. The hives aren't red, they are just skin coloured and small, in large bunches, and they go away after a few minutes, the itching lasts a lot longer.
Is it even possible that I'm only allergic to Mocha? O___O

btw, she is doing good, still having some problems but we are getting a trainer to come help me. ^-^ She is the weirdest dog in the world though, I swear. She runs laps around the house when she sees me coming home everyday, it's the most insane reaction from a dog I've ever seen! I can't talk to her for a few minutes after I get home or she does that excitement peeing thing, so I just ignore her until she calms down.

also note- this allergy is in no way making me want to get rid of her, I can totally live with it, I just need to train her not to lick me so much :lol:


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

Ahhh, allergies, a subject near and reviled by my heart!

My instant reaction upon reading this was "yes" and a quick Google search seems to confirm my suspicion.

I believe what happens is that we don't inherit an allergy to a particular substance, but rather we inherit the propensity to have allergies and our environment dictates what allergies we may develop.

Since different animal breeds will excrete different levels, and I would suspect even different types, of allergens then you may very well be allergic to a Doberman and not a Boxer.

Just my completely non-scientific opinions based on years of study.

ETA: The danger is that with constant exposure your allergic reaction will get worse with time. Please be aware of any tightening of your throat or chest and seek medical attention immediately. You may want to consult an allergist to discuss your options.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Oh man.. That's scary to know. If anything worsens I'll be sure to visit the doctor!
Thanks for clearing that up, I hope it doesn't get any worse!
Would just avoiding her touching me too much help slow it down?


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

It's hard to say, but I would think no. This is because the dander is going to be in the air you're constantly breathing so just keeping her from licking you is mostly going to cut down on the the hives but the allergy is still there.

Strangely for someone who wasn't raised in an inner city or doesn't work in a scientific environment, I'm allergic to rats. I've had two pet rats in my lifetime (one at a time) and both lived shortened lives due to cancer so in total I had them for maybe two years? Yet I developed an allergy in that time and can never again comfortably live with pet rats.

That your allergy has developed so strongly and quickly isn't really a good thing and it could possibly get worse. 

I would really advise you to seek medical help now and maybe they can run tests to determine exactly what you're allergic to and give you some options such as meds or "allergy shots" which are designed to desensitize you.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

Just to add to the great info you already got. I agree, You can be allergic to one dogs saliva and not another, dander on one dog and not another. You can be allergic to a single human too (I'm allergic to the stupid ones). Also you can have no allergy to something and develop one over time. It's strange those allergies 

*I'm an allergy sufferer since about 5, so 20 years of sneezing*


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Oh dear... 
Well I don't want my parents thinking I'm overreacting (don't even ask, they're crazy).
I'll make an appointment to get my new acne prescription and then bring up the allergy with the doctor on the side...
Thanks guys... I hope this doesn't get too bad, don't wanna lose my puppy ;-;


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

Yeah, it's a risk that the allergies will get worse, just be cautious and aware of the potential for them to get worse.

I've suffered with stuffy heads, runny eyes, and hives for 30+ years and can tell you that some days are better than others, but I've learned how to navigate life so the misery is minimized.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Hopefully it'll all be okay and at the least I could get some medication to help out. 
Can't imagine losing my baby to this..


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## Hanky (Feb 1, 2012)

I wonder if it could be from the dogs food or something she ate thats leaving residues on her tongue then transfering to you by licking? Maybe it has nothing to do with her? Just hopefull thinking maybe.
Glad to hear shes coming along though, I folled your other post about training her.


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

Don't think about that possibility, because it's not likely to happen but if you must, then look at it this way...

Whenever I have fear of the future, I try to imagine the very, very worse that can happen, then think about what I would do if that bad thing were to happen. 99.99% of the time I find I've worried for nothing, but by facing that fear it made me calmer.

There are LOTS of options available before you would ever have to consider loosing your baby. I'm not trying to scare you, just be conscience of the possibility that things could get worse and your health is important and symptoms should not be ignored.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

That wouldn't make sense either.. they're both being fed the same food and we've had her for like 3 months now I think. 

I will try to get to the doctor next week.. It's about time I start acne meds again.. x_x


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

Hanky said:


> I wonder if it could be from the dogs food or something she ate thats leaving residues on her tongue then transfering to you by licking? Maybe it has nothing to do with her? Just hopefull thinking maybe.
> Glad to hear shes coming along though, I folled your other post about training her.


This is a possibility and something to be explored. I somewhat discount it because there is another dog in the house and it is rare for animals to be fed different foods or to use different flea meds or other items on them, but please rule these things out too.


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## Hanky (Feb 1, 2012)

Darn,, thought I was on to something there.lol thrown off by a second dog.

correct me if I'm wrong but this is a new problem for you right? you've had her a while and all of a sudden your developing this allergy?
Try to think if anything has changed at all with her. I only bring this up because all of a sudden in the last 2 weeks one of our three cats has had 2 seizures, our vet has us monitoring everything to see if hes exposed to anything different, either indoors or out.
Which makes me think to if you have any other allergies maybe some how the dog is getting into something the other one is not, maybe shes eating grasses or weeds? Just shooting at the stars here I'll shut up now and follow along haha. just hope it all works out its obvious you and her are in love and hate to see you's seperated.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Nope. She doesn't get into anything that I wouldn't get into, I garden the backyard like crazy  
I don't think I noticed it at first, just ignored it.. maybe after a month I realized she made me itchy.. and maybe two weeks ago I got hives for the first time. The one time I was training her and she kept licking the top of my hand it got really bad, that was a few days ago... o-o


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## Bethydan (Mar 22, 2012)

Hmmm... I've had a similar incident. My parents' Boston Terrier bit me and I developed a reaction to the saliva on the surrounding skin. But it was something in her saliva, not the saliva itself. Cause she's licked me before without issue. So my thought was that maybe your dog ingests, licks, or chews on something that irritates you. But it could just be a goofy-dog-spit allergy like the others suggest. I wouldn't hesitate to bring it up at your appointment, though. The doctor can tell if it's a concern and what you should do. Just try not to let her lick you. (The dog, not the doctor.)


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

I'm wondering if you have any other allergies? Or does anyone in your family have allergies.

I know for me that my allergic reactions get worse in the Spring and Fall because I'm also allergic to various types of pollen. This means that my total histamine level goes up so something that might not bother me much (dust mites) is worse because the total allergy load is raised. I hope that makes sense.

I don't know your age, and I'm not asking, but some allergies that manifest in childhood, say before 20 or so, can sometimes resolve themselves. Usually allergies that start after 20 yrs old do not go away.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Well, if she was eating something, she'd have to be eating it constantly because I get itchy from touching her daily.
I'm the only person in my family with any allergy, seriously. I'm allergic to penicillin, it gives me hives, I've had the allergy since I was a baby. I'm 17 now, so still under 20.. 
Hopefully the doctor shall have an idea as to what it could be. Which he should.. cause he's a doctor.


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## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

Well, Docs are usually smart and can know more about a particular medical situation than you, but please never believe that they know more about YOU or YOUR situation.

We're all individuals and we all react differently in a given situation. You are the person most interested in your health and well being. Never let any mere doctor tell you, or worse make you *feel* any different. Do your research and go into any appointment prepared to ask questions.


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## Hanky (Feb 1, 2012)

Might not be a bad idea either to bring it up to your vet, just incase its something with the dog, or he might deal more with saliva allergies than your doctor


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

Sparkyjoe, Very true, you can request an allergy test from your doctor to see what it is. It's probably his saliva. I am allergic to everything it seems.... basically.... air lol. I have indoor/outdoor allergys along with allergys to Sun laundry soap products and some cleaning chemicals. I also get headaches when I am around cats. I think that may be subconscious though since I can't stand them. If you don't like needles don't do the allergy test. You will probably be fine after you get a medicine though. If you want to try something over the counter I recomend chlortabs or claritan. It's better to talk to your doc first though. Always better.


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