# asthma, kids and Goldens - any advice-



## Goldbeau (Mar 29, 2008)

I am really upset.  My seven year old son was diagnosed with asthma today. If that wasn't bad enough, I am really worried it may be pet allergy related. I may be getting ahead of myself here, but I have to face the possibility. We will have him tested soon to see if he is allergic to Beau. No one else in my family has asthma. Of course I would have to do what was best for my child. Has anyone else had this issue?


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm so sorry. That is such a hearbreaking thought. Vaccum a lot, get an air filter machine. Don't let the dog in your son's room, and he should keep his face away from him, wash his hands after petting. Maybe those measures will help. 

I really hope it's not related to your puppy!


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

Carpet is a big factor. We have laminate and while it's annoying that everything has to be swept up, it's also better than having a carpet absorb it (a friend of mine wants to get a shag because the crumbs and hair will 'vanish':yuck. Give me my floors and a mop anyday, I'd rather sweep and mop more often!

Milk is another factor. My nephews and neice on my side all have lung and ear infection problems. And all of them are on cow's milk. My son is on soymilk and has had one ear infection but it wasn't bad enough to need medication. Little to no colds either for him.

For your dog, you can try bathing him more often to wash the dander off and down the drain. I think there are hypoallergenic shampoos but I'm sure any good shampoo would do the same thing.

Good luck! I'd hate to have to place the kids due to allergies (the dogs were here first after all  - just kidding).

Lana


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## bwoz (Jul 12, 2007)

Sorry you're having to go thru this. Hopefully it's not Beau, but keep us posted.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Could also be the environmental dusts and plant/grass/tree pollens that are carried around in the coat of a pet....the dog just happen to be really effective transport devices that kids cant resist touching, kissing and cuddling....


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## GRZ (Dec 4, 2008)

I have discovered that Golden Retrievers are very low dander producing dogs. They are tauted as "hypoallergenic."

My daughter was diagnosed with asthma at age 11. I always thought it was some sort of allergy but we never could pin-point anything. She's an adult and married now, a triathlete for 10 years and has been asthma free for a long time. I guess she outgrew it.

You will need to rule out a dog allergy but there are so many other things to be allergic to. Good luck, I feel your pain!


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## Bob-N-Tash (Feb 24, 2008)

It can be managed, but it is really tough. Your son's bedroom must be off limits to the dog. But kids tend to play on the floor... so keeping the dog hair cleaned up will have to be a high priority.... wood, tile, hard floors are easier to maintain. 

Expecting your son to refrain from cuddling with the dog or wrestling with him... that's a tall order. As a child I can't tell you how many times my mother would look at me... my nose would be running, my eyes bloodshot teary and swollen, and I was probably wheezing... and mom would ask if I had been playing with either the puppies or the bunnies or the kittens (not ours.. but those that belonged to neighbors, friends, or extended family.) I would out and out lie to my mother, denying that I had touched the animal and then possibly touched my itching nose. But how could I resist... I was a little girl and the fuzzy creatures were so cute and cuddly. 

If it turns out that your son is allergic a lot of people will suggest shots/pills/meds. Yeah, that's possible. With asthma, the longer you can stay healthy the stronger your resistance will be when you find yourself exposed to some irritant. Well for things that I couldn't avoid...pollen, dust, grass .. there were shots... my arms were punctured weekly for almost 12 years. The doctor also prescribed pills/meds and inhalers, but one side effect of those was that I usually felt 'buzzed' like I was on a caffine jag. I'm sure that allergy therapy has improved some since my childhood... but what worked the best was avoiding foods and substances that irritated my asthma. Now, in my late 50's we have two goldens.. some basic rules still apply... the dogs are rarely in my bedroom... maybe 1-2 times a year. NEVER in my bed. Frequent vacuuming is necessary to keep the dog hair under control in the rest of the house. Changing the filters in a/c and heating units frequently... this all helps. 

Oh, and here's a clue... don't vacuum just before you expect your son to be back in the house... it gets all the dander airborne and makes it worse then not vacuuming.


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## Goldbeau (Mar 29, 2008)

Thank you all so much for your advice and good wishes. So many good ideas that I had not thought of. I REALLY appreciate it. My sons and daughter love Beau so much I would do what ever I can to make it work.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

I have asthma and am allergic to cats and dogs. I have meds and a nebulizer that helps.
My daughter also had asthma but outgrew it. There are millions of things that cause allergies and asthma besides dogs and there are many ways to deal with it if she is allergic to dogs.


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

The most important thing is to vacuum right after your son leaves the house so that there is plenty of time for the dander and dust to settle before he comes back home. And make sure your vacuum does not have a bag.


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## I<3Sophie (Jan 3, 2009)

I have Asthma I've had it since I was six and I have allergies as well. I am now 24 years old and I just use Claratin & my inhalers. I agree with the vacum idea and just keep and eye on your son. I would be totally fine one day and all of a sudden one day I would flare up, red eyes, the whole sha-bang! Humidifiers are a good idea as well. Don't let the dog in the area where the child sleeps. Good Luck =D


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

My son has asthma..we got our first golden and we just gave him (my son) an antihistamine and he was fine..he would have some attacks and then we used his nebulizer. We had Sandy for 12...almost 13 years. He was also allergic to milk and milk products..so we limited those. He was 3 when he was diagnosed and he is 23 now..good luck to you and your son. Like you we were willing to do almost anything to keep Sandy. It worked out for us..we were able to keep her and I hope it works out the same for you!


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## AmbersDad (Dec 25, 2007)

One thing that can contribute to childhood allergies and asthma is stress/anxiety so finding anything else that may be stressing your son(School, peer bullies,home problems?) and help eliminate them may also reduce the severity of the problems he's going through. This is of course in addition to the other enviromental condtions being addressed as well. I wish you all the best for your son and certainly hope it doesn't affect things with your pup.


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## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

AmbersDad said:


> One thing that can contribute to childhood allergies and asthma is stress/anxiety so finding anything else that may be stressing your son(School, peer bullies,home problems?) and help eliminate them may also reduce the severity of the problems he's going through. This is of course in addition to the other enviromental condtions being addressed as well. I wish you all the best for your son and certainly hope it doesn't affect things with your pup.


Interesting that you should say that, as I was wondering the same thing. DS was diagnosed with mild asthma a year ago.. we always thought it was allergies and he would develop a cough that would take forever to go away and nothing would help it- (we treated it as post nasal drip cough)

Of the two times we can remember a bad cough was one, after a soccer tournament, but two on our first real vacation in 6 years. After he was diagnosed, I always thought it was an "episode" from the excitement/stress as it came on so suddenly right at the start of our trip- but his docs don't agree with it. I had him allergy tested before we got Sienna and he came up clean. We do try to limit Sienna's access to his room. You can bet I was freaked when he was diagnosed.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

My son has asthma, which he was diagnosed with before we got Cody when my son was in kindergarten. Here's how we handled it: Cody was not allowed upstairs in our house, where all bedrooms are. He was also not permitted in living room or dining room, as I had friends who were highly allergic to dogs and wanted a hair/dander free zone for them. When Baird (son) played with Cody, he washed his hands and face immediately afterward and used his inhaler. I vacuumed daily while Baird was at school. He's also fatally allergic to peanuts, so honestly, that was much more of a concern than a reaction to the dog, which we could control fairly easily if/when it occurred. Make whatever accomodations you can to keep the dog, as there is nothing sweeter than children with their pups. Same son got married this summer, and he and his bride got a golden puppy immediately. He reacts to him periodically, but he knows what to do and does it. Good luck!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Finn's Fan makes a good point...unless you are talking life threatening asthmatic reaction to the dog (a different situation entirely)...learning how to cope with symptoms (hand washing, meds etc...) and knowing how much exposure his body can and cant take, will allow him to be around dogs (his own dogs and other friends that have dogs) without fear....knowledge is power....


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## Goldbeau (Mar 29, 2008)

Several of the points made here are very interesting to me! First of all my son is definitely on the anxious side and never thought of that possible connection. Sienna's Mom - We have had the exact same experience with our son - a cough that seems to take forever to go away and we always blamed it on post nasal drip.

Beau never rarely goes upstairs and never in my son's room. Its so good to hear many of you have been able to have a Golden even with a child with Asthma. I think we will be able to manage his asthma and have Beau. We go back to the Dr. Wednesday.


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## Popebendgoldens (May 16, 2008)

I remember reading somewhere that having pets around when your child was born leads to fewer - no allergies. 

I agree with the poster about carpet. I have no carpeting in my home. I have throw rugs but no wall to wall carpeting in the house. It is much easier to sweep and mop than to clean carpeting. The last house I lived in was a rental and had indoor/outdoor carpeting in every room (including the kitchen and bathroom). Unfortunately the carpet was glued to the sub floor so removing it was NOT an option. I also had a many as 13 cats and cat pee and carpeting don't mix at all. I am down to 9 cats but I made sure this home was cat friendly. The rugs I have are machine washable and it makes for a much cleaner home.

I have read that keeping pets out of a child's room is helpful in controlling allergies/asthma. 

Pat


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