Question by Biscuits and Groovy: Do lifestyle pets actually work?
My mom, dad and I have slight allergies to cats (except my dad’s is pretty strong) but I love animals and find it quite hard to live with only fish (which I love but I’ve always wanted a dog or cat). I’ve done my research on them and know how to care for them. I’ve babysat my grandma’s cat for a month with no problems and would love to have a cat of my own. I found a website (http://www.allerca.com/index.html) that sells the worlds first truly hypoallergenic cat. They were specially bred not to have allergens in their saliva, skin or fur. They were bred from regular cats and seem to work fine. Their website says they have had no cases of someone being allergic to one of their animals. I’ve seen them featured in magazines with all good ratings. Does anyone have any experience with these pets and does anyone have any suggestions?
1. I actually did recently try to have a dog (she was 3/4 bichon frise and 1/4 poodle) and she was very allergic to her.

2. I am also not too wild about the wild cat but I want the smaller cat that came from a domestic shorthair with no wild parts. I like this and it is what I’m interested in getting.

Best answer:

Answer by Mrs. J loves her husband!
Interesting. My mother-in-law has two “hypoallergenic” dogs (bichon frisse), but I still sneeze and cough when I’m around them.

While a hypoallergenic cat sounds amazing (and probably wouldn’t shed), there are some “unknowns”. Any “new” breed of animal is just that– new. No one knows how long they’ll live or if there is some genetic disease they’re more prone to get. So it’s really a whole lot of money for some trial and error. And I personally find it inhumane that people have cross bred wild cats (I think they said they used tigers) with some funky hypoallergenic cat to create the world’s first hypoallergenic, wild cat. Any breed that is cross-bred with wild has a good chance of having a lot of the wild cat’s personality traits. They’re usually more aggressive, more vocal, harder to train, larger, they bite more, and they’re more stubborn. Many of them end up biting someone and being put to sleep at the pound. And how many of the kittens born during this “experiment” were put to sleep b/c they were deformed or something b/c they didn’t have the science perfected yet?

Case and point: I wouldn’t spend that much money for a cat in the first place, especially when it’s one that relatively little is known about.

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Question by Gizmo: Need Advice. Getting sick at work because of chemicals, can’t quit cuz I need an income! HELP…?
Ok, so I am a professional dog bather in a pet salon. I like my job, but am getting sick from the disinfectants used there. The other day I could barely breathe. My boss sprays blade disinfectant all over everything, not just blades (leashes, tables, brushes) We use lemonquat, which is a cleaner, and my skin has reactions to it. I am always in contact with it. The Material Safety Data Sheet says not to get it on your skin, but I always do, and it says its a servere health hazard. My eyes always hurt and itch, my skin hurts from the chemicals and shampoos used on the dogs. My throat closes up when the blade wash is sprayed. The lemonquat makes my throat burn and hurt. I had to drink frozen drinks the other night, only too soothe my throat. One day a girl in back was disinfecting hoses and a customer up front was coughing because the fumes were so bad! I can’t go to the doc because I don’t have insurance, and I can’t quit because I need to afford to live. Been looking for something else, but haven’t found anything yet. I don’t WANT to be jobless or not work, but I can’t handle this. My boss knows it bothers me but doesn’t try to spray less. It bothers another girl I work with. I am not complaining, I am just sensitive to this stuff and have had allergies and asthma in the past. I just don’t know what I can do legally. Is there anything? Anyone ever been in a similar situation? I need to leave this job, but I need an income!! I am concerned for my health. I don’t want to end up with a respiratory problem and be fucked for good!

Best answer:

Answer by PROUD HUSKY OWNER XDDD
try using a mask like the dentists use it should help or a gas mask if you wanna look really cool

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Question by sas1184: PPL that work w/ dogs…neglect?
I work in a grooming salon for someone else. We get this little poodle, he OBVIOUSLY has allergies so bad that he is balding, his skin and the inside of his ears are turning to what I call “elephant skin” some of it has turned black.Often it is hot,red,pussing and sometimes BLEEDING!!!!! The last 3x the dog was in he had a few fleas, this time he was completely INFESTED!! He had this skin problem B4 the fleas and of course this has made it worse. We all think he has a food allergy, the vet even told this family thats what it was& sold them a bag of food for $ 70 OF course the PPL think they are just trying to get them to buy the food. When they fed him the food he did start to look better, we all encouraged that it was working but they stopped the food and he got worse. We have all tried to talk to these PPl, It makes me ill to C him,what can I do? They just seem Like REALLY DITZY ppl that act like it is hopeless! UGGG!!! I have even 1/2 jokingly but serious said I would take him.
Yes that infuriates me, they dont need to spend $ 70 on food but if they would realize thats the problem they could just find something that works for him. Thats what I did.

Best answer:

Answer by silkbutterfly1973
Mabey they can’t afford the $ 70 dollars a bag this food costs i know i couldnt .. mabey you can find a reccomend a cheaper alternative or give them a discount..

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Question by REV TEXAS: Benadryl for dog allergies. Does it work and dosage?
I have a female Labrador that has seasonal allergies and during the spring scratches alot. She also loses hair on her back and behind the ears and skin looks irritated. We have treated her with a shot from the vet but it only works for a few weeks. So will 25mg of Benadryl help? Also and most importantly what kind of dosage of the 25mg should I use in a day for a 60-65lbs female lab.

Best answer:

Answer by Charlie Bucket
I would try half a tab and see if that works, if not a whole tab is probably OK, but there is also probably better info on the web.

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Question by Dear Prudence: Do bloodtests for allergies work in dogs?
My shih tzu is absolutely miserable. Everyone keeps telling me that “it must be allergies” because of the sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes. Will the pricey tests at the vet’s office be accurate?

I’m just not convinced that this is allergy. He has absolutely no skin itching, no hot spots, and no paw issues. He is extremely lethargic, has a runny nose, is extremely clingy to us, and can’t seem to get comfortable no matter what.

Best answer:

Answer by gonnella1205
Although shih tzus tend to have allergies this does not mean this is what it is. Your dog could have an upper respiratory infection. Your vet can help you determine if this is the case or not. If your dog is allergic you should try antihistimines first. The allergy testing is effective and is accurate but is usually used when allergies are severe and other management is not working. The vet will test for allergies and will have a serum made up especially for you dog that will be given by injection. The serum is also expensive usually running between &100-150. It varies how long it will last depending on how often your dog needs injections. Ultimately have your dog seen by the vet and he/she can help you determine the best course to go.

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