How To Choose Pets For Eczema

Pets can be therapeutic when you have such a stress-triggered condition like eczema. But, unfortunately, some of our furry friends have dander and they can create such a strong allergic reaction that may set off our skin condition. When it comes to choosing a pet for eczema, here are some tips for choosing the best one for your skin lifestyle.

What breeds might be best?

If you're going to take a chance on a furry friend, try to get a hypoallergenic breed. When it comes to dogs, breeds like Scottish Terriers (amongst many terriers) and Labradoodles are recommended for people with dog allergies. And when it comes to cats, the Russian Blue and Bengal and Siberians are highly recommended for those with cat allergies. You could go hairless. There are such things as bald dogs (like the Chinese Crested Dog) and bald cats (like the Sphinx).

So you picked your pet, now what!?

• Lower the amount of dander that you are exposed to as much as possible, so getting a petting glove that helps to remove any shedding hair and loose dander can be nice, it also gives you a chance to pet and bond with your friend.
• Be vigilant about vacuuming and removing your pet’s fur which may contain be attached to dander or remnants of their saliva after they’ve cleaned themselves which is what you might really allergic to.
• Know that it is highly likely that you will need to take some sort of allergy medication just to keep your immune system from overworking and to regulate your potential allergic reactions.

Furless and featherless work too!

You can bypass the whole issue altogether and choose to have a pet that doesn't have any fur or feathers or anything else that is a known common allergen. Maybe you might find a connection and camaraderie with an animal of the reptilian or fish persuasion? Since they both have scales, in a way they already have natural solidarity with us eczema warriors. Plus, they often have beautiful patterns on the body which can be gorgeous to look at.

Friends with pets work too

Or, maybe you ought to avoid the issue of allergen exposure and retention in your own home and just enjoy the company of animals that are at your friends’ or relatives’ houses. In a way this kind of a combines the best of both worlds where you still get to play and enjoy the cuteness of pets without having to deal with feeding or cleaning up after them on a daily basis. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after touching them to prevent any dander from lingering.

There are also stories out there are people who eventually build up tolerance is to their pets after living with them with allergic reactions and all for at least 2-3 weeks. If you think you can handle this gamble, it might be worth experimenting with. But from personal experience after 3 days of living with a cat of my own, I developed a fever of 105 degrees and just didn't have it in me to take medication to live with him and have that be a part of my daily life. Hopefully one day I will be able to live with both cats and dogs, but for now, I'm pretty happy without having to worry about the extra responsibility. But, one day I will try again as I do love animals. Wishing you much luck in your pet searching journey!