If you’re allergic to your pet, your doctor may have recommended that you give away your furry or feathery friend. If your response was an emphatic “no way!” you’re not alone. Over 40% of people with animal allergies will not give up their pets, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Before you start looking for a more pet-friendly allergist, consider these tips for working with your doctor on a treatment plan that’s acceptable to both of you.

Be honest

Your doctor needs to know what you are and aren’t willing to do to treat the problem. If finding a new home for your pet isn’t an option, say so. Together, you can come up with alternate ways to control your symptoms, such as reducing your exposure to animal allergens like cat or dog dander (the flakes of dead skin produced by your pet).

After deciding to keep their pets, some pet owners are reluctant to tell their doctors if symptoms worsen. If you’ve been sneezing more than usual when playing with your pet, don’t hide it from your doctor. Allergy symptoms can change over time, no matter what your triggers are. Report any changes so your doctor can continue to treat you effectively. Your doctor may alter your medication or dosage, or recommend additional ways to avoid your triggers. Allergy shots (immunotherapy) may be helpful as well.

As always, make sure to give your doctor a complete and accurate medical history. The more information your doctor has, the more successful your treatment plan will be.

Be willing to compromise

If you have animal allergies, living with pets usually involves some major changes around the house. For instance, doctors recommend that you keep your pet out of the bedroom (where you spend most of your time indoors). But if you’ve been curling up in bed with your dog for years, it can be hard for both of you to break the habit.

Be willing to compromise. Perhaps you can keep the dog out of the bedroom, but allow it in certain other rooms of the house. That way, you’ll reduce your exposure to allergens during the important sleeping hours, but you can still enjoy some canine company at other times. You may have to spend more time housecleaning, too, so you can continue to live comfortably with your pet. Remember that your doctor has probably treated many other patients in situations similar to yours.

Even if you do everything you can to reduce your exposure to animal allergens, you will probably experience some allergy symptoms from time to time. But many people consider itchy eyes and a runny nose a small price to pay for a pet’s companionship.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 17th, 2007 at 5:53 am and is filed under Pets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.