Need input about allergies, asthma and Doodles

[Julie Mison]

We have had our sweet little Doodle for almost 6 weeks now. My daughters have some degree of allergies to dogs and my oldest daughter who will be 8 has had asthma that has been inactive for 3 years. We picked a F1B doodle due to this issue and spent a lot of time around different types of dogs that we were considering and at the breeders and she has done fine.

For the last 5 weeks...she has had no issues other than if he likes her A LOT on her face she gets a couple of scattered hives. This has ONLY happened like 3x in the past 6 weeks. Last week, my daughter came down with a very bad virus and ended up wheezing and having some breathing issues. She had to start breathing treatments and steriods to get better. This has been the first time in 3 years she has had to do this. She has been on preventative meds and we have significantly decreased those down to almost nothing over the last 6 months. Of note, everyone in our family has now been "victim" to this virus and I, myself, while not having any wheezing issues haven't felt so bad in years.

So, we go for a re-check to the Allergist tomorrow and I am SOOOO afraid he is going to say "get rid of the dog". I feel like many doctors automatically do this to be "Safe" and while my daughters health means everything to me....I feel like this would be a huge over reaction, right? Obviously we love our new doggie (and our daughter LOVES him more than anything...she was wished for a dog every birthday wish for years!) and would want to see if this is truly related or can be managed in other ways?

We really don't know if the two things are related...is it a coincidence that after 3 years she has wheezing....but she had been doing great with the dog for 5 weeks. Does anyone know if it is possible that being around him "weakened" her system...thus the wheezing or maybe she was just REALLY sick? I'm sure we really won't know for sure.

What I want to know...do any of you have experience with this type of thing? Do the dander shampoos work or drops in the food? What about allergy shots?

Just thought I'd see what you all think before I head to the doctor tomorrow!

Thanks in advance!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There is nothing you can put on or feed to the dog to make him more hypo-allergenic or less of an allergen to your daughter, if in fact she is allergic to him. Your daughter could take allergy shots, which would require that she first have a skin test done to determine exactly what she is allergic to, and that would also tell you definitely if she is allergic to your doodle. Allergy shots, or immunotherapy, have varying success rates depending on the degree of sensitivity and the number and types of allergens.
It is not possible that "being around him "weakened" her system"...allergies and the immune system don't work that way. If your daughter is allergic to your doodle, it is certain cells within her immune system reacting to the proteins in his saliva and dander and causing a histamine reaction that produces the allergy symptoms you are seeing. These proteins are breathed in, so even if she never touches the dog and he never licks her, the dander is breathed in through the air. It does not have to involve physical contact. The hives are a form of contact dermatitis, which is an indicator that your daughter does have a sensitivity to the proteins in your doodle's saliva. It usually takes some time for the system to begin reacting to an allergen, it is rare for a reaction to occur immediately, so that would explain the 5 week delay. Of course it is possible that she is ill with something unrelated, but you won't know that until she is tested.
F1B doodles, while usually a safer bet than F1s for allergy sufferers, can still cause allergic reactions. I hope your daughhter is better and you get good news from the allergist.

[Kim]

My Husbands allergies were fine until our F1B puppy was with us for about a month and then started having a really bad allergic reaction (bark like coughing that just would not go away). We did a lot of research on "hypoallergenic" breeds before we purchased the dog, and "sort of" knew that it may not work. We were however, prepared to do anything and everything possible to work around the issue, and make it work for us. He was diagnosed with Allergy induced Asthma and put on a daily inhaler. We pulled up our carpets (luckily there was already hardwood under them). His Asthma is now under control. We did try the hypoallergenic shampoo's, my Husband's shampoo's on the dog in the beginning... it doesn't work. I hope your daughter is feeling better!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Brushing the dog frequently, outdoors if possible, may also help a little. Unfotunately, many people who are allergic to dog dander have more severe reactions as the dog gets older, because their skin, like ours, gets drier as they age and throws off more dander.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Two of my three kids has exercised induced asthma. They both are allergic to cats but not dogs (luckily), and bunches of other stuff. Anyway, when they get sick, their asthma kicks up. The illness triggers the asthma. One of them also has problems when the weather changes, when there are lots of pollutants in the air (like a fire somewhere). That child was also on preventive things as a child which helped but periodically she needed her preventive meds changed or increased - the way we knew this is that she would have an asthma problem after being fine for a long while. Perhaps one of these things is what is happening. You are right about the doctors being autocratic with their advice.

[Debbie and Thomas]

I truly hope that your daughter feels better soon and that it was not your pup that caused the wheezing. If you all had the same virus and she has been fine around the dog up until that point- the virus could have triggered her asthma symptoms. I hope this all works out for you. I know that when my sister-in -law gets even a minor cold, her asthma symptoms are much worse. Sounds like you have a loving, fine little puppy! My son had asthmatic bronchitis for several years when he was young and my sister even nicknamed him "wheeze". He just grew out of it and has never had a problem since.

[Julie Mison]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I took my DD yesterday and the allergist did not "jump" to the dog being the issue. Thank goodness! We do need to increase her preventative meds since she had this episode but unless she starts having frequent issues....we are okay! He did seem to think allergy shots would be another consideration if need be.

Needless to say....we are THRILLED as we love our Chewie soooo much and so does she!

Thanks again!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Very glad to hear it! I hope the meds help your daughter!