The Need-to-Know on Pet Allergies
Although the only current cure for pet allergies and asthma is avoidance, this advice is rarely followed. After all Kitty and Fido are “Family”. If the animals are sent packing, their allergens, or proteins, remain in the home for 3-4 months. If the pets stay and you leave, it takes about 10-14 days to feel better. But there are ways to help reduce the symptoms and effects of allergies and asthma.
Since cat allergens come from saliva and skin and dog allergens come from skin, basic upkeep–such as frequent bathing, hepa filters/vacuuming, and keeping the animals out of the bedroom–can often help ameliorate allergies and asthma by minimizing allergens in the home and air. But what are the treatment options?
A simple goal is to lead a normal life on safe medications. These include non-sedating antihistamines, and often, a topical steroid nasal spray. The steroid nasal sprays are safe (not absorbed significantly into the body) and FDA approved for use by children. There is also a prescription antihistamine nasal spray called Astelin available.
When an allergic non-animal owner visits a home with animals, pre-medication with a non-sedating antihistamine and Nasacrom nasal spray is recommended. Nasal/sinus irrigation with saline twice daily can also be beneficial.
Asthma treatment varies based on severity and is best guided by an allergist. Treatment includes both rescue and controller medications with regular monitoring by patient and physician. For those resistant to medical management, allergy shots are an option. In a severe cat or dog asthmatic patient removing the animal(s) from the home is still the best choice to reduce the risk of asthmatic death. (There are eleven asthma-related deaths per day in the United States.)
Future treatments will likely involve improved breeding of dogs and cats to reduce or eliminate the active allergen and further development of “biologicals”, such as Xolair, which is currently used in allergic asthma. It is an anti-IgE (the antibody responsible for allergies) injection. Other biologicals are under development to down regulate a variety of allergy mediators.
So, don’t suffer. Lead a normal life at home, work, and school. See an allergist to confirm an allergy by a proper history, examination and allergy testing. Then you can determine what is best for you or your child. It is not always the dog or cat. I love to say after allergy testing, “It’s not your pet, have all you want!”
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Giving up your Pet?
If you need to give up your pet, you are not alone. Thousands of people do so each year, which is why the shelter system is overwhelmed with so many homeless cats and dogs. PAWS Chicago strongly recommends that you begin making plans for your pet as soon as you know that you can no longer keep him or her.
Unfortunately, if you care about your pet’s life, there are no instant solutions. It is important to recognize that unless a shelter specifically calls itself “No Kill”, surrendering your pet may be a fatal decision for your cat or dog.
If you want to ensure that your pet does not become one of the thousands of dogs and cats that will be killed this year in Chicago, do your homework before surrendering your pet to a shelter.
No Kill Managed Admissions Programs
Managed admissions is when a shelter takes in only the number of pets they can care for, triaging to ensure the most needy pets are taken in first. No Kill shelters like PAWS Chicago will not kill dogs or cats in the program to make room for more. By managing admissions, PAWS Chicago is committed to finding a home for every single animal admitted.
PAWS Chicago prioritizes animals in desperate need. As a result, there can be a waiting list.
By planning ahead, you are part of the solution by giving your local No Kill shelter enough time to make room for your pet. And you can help even more by re-homing your pet yourself and keeping your pet from entering a shelter in the first place.
Traditional Open Admissions Shelters
All owned animals are accepted into the program, regardless of space or ability to care for the animals. As a result, animals are often killed to make room for more, although this fact may not be disclosed to the public. As a result, it is important to ask questions to determine if your pet will be saved.
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China Using Dog Trim on Clothing
Hard to believe, but you may be wearing dog.
A startling investigation by the Humane Society of the United States discovered dog fur is used by many top clothing designers, and they may not even know it. Half of fur garments entering the United States come from China, where abuse and disregard of companion pets is a regular occurrence. Large number of dogs, cats, and raccoon dogs, are killed for their fur, and these pets are sometimes skinned alive. Designers, retailers, and consumers currently can have no confidence in what type of fur they are getting when it originates in China.
Two congressmen are taking action against what they call deception in the fur trade, introducing the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007 (H.R. 891). This bill combats apparel companies that cover up the origin of certain furs, including cats and dogs, used in coats and clothing.
An existing exemption to current law says garments that are made with less than $150 of fur do not have to be labeled with the type of fur used. As a result, garments by merchandisers like Tommy Hillfiger, Michael Kors, Bogner and DKNY were found to be labeled as “faux” fur, “raccoon”, or “rabbit”…but they were really dog and raccoon dog.
Using dog and cat fur is illegal in the United States, so Representatives Jim Moran, D-VA, and Mike Ferguson, R-NJ, introduced legislation that requires labeling on all fur garments. The bill would also ban the sale and import of raccoon dog fur, a wild species of dog found in China. “The raccoon dog and domestic dogs are being killed in inhumane ways for the U.S. fur trade,” Moran said.
Contact your representatives in the federal government to let them know you support H.R. 891.
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