# Allergic to new puppy?!



## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

Hello all! It's been a while since I was active on the forum. My first Hav, Lily, is doing great and we decided to add another pup to the family! We found the most adorable, mischievous, darling little pup and have been calling him Auggie. He's ten weeks and has been home with us for a week now. We are in love with him. 

I have allergies and immune issues but have never had a problem with our Hav or any others or even any of the other "hypoallergenic" breeds. The first day we had puppy home I noticed I had rashing on my arms and a couple hives where he had licked me. I emailed the breeder and asked if she had any other pup families who have had problems with this and she said she had issues with one of her girls but when she got older it was fine. 

We've been keeping him off the bed and furniture, I wash my hands every time I handle him, change clothes and shower frequently, have washed him, have HEPA vac and major air filtration in the home and it seems like it is still bad despite our efforts. I have itchy eyes and a face, neck and arm rash constantly even taking allergy meds. 

We'd really like to make this work as he is so wonderful. I am just totally perplexed why I would react to this dog. Seems so odd I would be allergic to one dog and not another of the same breed. Anyone have any experience with this or advice? ?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Some breeds MAY be better for you, but it comes down to the individual dog . Enjoy Life with Pets Even if You Have Pet Allergies and.............. http://www.aafa.org/page/pet-dog-cat-allergies.aspx


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## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

Thanks Dave, I have seen those resources. 
We are following the majority of those recommendations. It's pretty tough to make a havanese live mostly quarantined from its owner. I'm looking for folks who have had experience being initially allergic to a pet and if it got better/worse over time or those who have experienced or know someone who has experienced allergies from a havanese or other "hypoallergenic" breed. 

I was able to find a study done on cats that demonstrated male cats had more of the allergenic protein in dander than females and after neutering those numbers decreased significantly. Obviously the study was not done on dogs but it might be in line with the breeders experience of not having issues with one of her dogs as it aged.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

He is a beautiful puppy. I hope you can find a solution to your allergy issue so you don't have to give him up.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

What a handsome little boy! I hope you can find an answer quickly to this, before either of you get too attached and settled in more than has already happened. 

How very difficult!


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## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

I am a neophyte when it comes to pet allergies, but I had a thought you might consider. You've only had Auggie a week. He could have brought something from his old home in his fur, or saliva, such as other animals he was exposed to (a cat?) or some shampoo, a dog brush with cat or other dog dander, or something from the vet, or any place he may have visited before settling in with you. Were you given a toy or piece of clothing or bedding that was in his prior home? Puppies lick and try to eat anything that crosses their paths. Has he been outside since you got him? I would try and think of anything he could have come in contact with. Good luck. He is adorable.


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## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the kind replies! 
-We washed him last week with our current dog's hypoallergenic unscented shampoo in case that was the culprit. We will wash him again tonight and see! 
-He's been outside in the back and front yard (not anywhere other dogs except ours have been) and so has our other dog, but no issues with her. 
-only thing I can think right now is that I noticed his current food ingredients include aspergillus niger in it, a type of black mold. I am super allergic to mold so maybe this is contributing. I'm slowly switching him over to Taste of the Wild, which our other dog is on and doesn't seem to have any funghis that I react to. I might really be grasping at straws here but I'd really like to make it work. It does seem like his fur may be contributing as after I hold him that area gets itchy with a small rash and slight burning feeling.

He's honestly the best puppy! He's quiet through the night now in his ex-pen, is doing so well potty training and almost has "Sit" down pat! I am just over the moon with him which makes this really tough. 
Here's a pic of him on the back deck today, he moves so quickly it's hard to get a good snap! 








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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

That's a GREAT photo! Hoping you resolve the allergy issue.


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## LoriJack (Aug 21, 2017)

Oh my gosh, he is so cute. I certainly hope you find and eliminate the problem. 


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## Cmward (Jun 28, 2017)

He is adorable! I hope you are able to figure out the issue that is making your allergies flare.


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## Henry&Kate (Mar 29, 2017)

He is just lovely. I do hope you are able to resolve your allergy issues. Fingers crossed for you both!


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## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

I am extremely allergic to mold. I can't imagine mold being inserted purposefully into pet food. I read where it is used as a probiotic, but there are better ways to introduce probiotics than a known allergen. Hopefully this is your answer and you can keep that adorable puppy!


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## Halime (Sep 25, 2017)

Oh no! Im sad to hear but happy I'm not the only one! I cant seem to start my own thread yet(not sure why!) but we've had hali for a little over 3 weeks and my allergies have never been so bad! I kept thinking maybe its just the season but it started right when she came home! I brought her to the vet, she's had a few baths, I've tried homeopathic animal allergy drops + nothing seems to help. My vet says maybe some breeds just bring out allergies for me but i've never been allergic to a dog!


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Cute photo, Halime! 

I'm very sorry to hear you're reacting to your puppy. My DH is extremely allergic to dogs. It started when he got home from college and had an allergic reaction to his childhood dog, a toy poodle (which should have been hypoallergenic since she was a poodle . . .) He reacts to many of the so-called hypoallergenic dogs. He did not, however, react to the first Havanese dogs and puppies we met, and he doesn't react to Shama unless she licks him right after he shaves. How strange that you're reacting to a Havanese when you haven't reacted to so many other breeds of dogs!

Good luck resolving this mystery!


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## lookingforahavi (Mar 9, 2021)

Halime said:


> Oh no! Im sad to hear but happy I'm not the only one! I cant seem to start my own thread yet(not sure why!) but we've had hali for a little over 3 weeks and my allergies have never been so bad! I kept thinking maybe its just the season but it started right when she came home! I brought her to the vet, she's had a few baths, I've tried homeopathic animal allergy drops + nothing seems to help. My vet says maybe some breeds just bring out allergies for me but i've never been allergic to a dog!


i know this is WAY after the fact (almost 4 years later) but i want to know what happened? were you able to keep your havanese? we are getting our puppy in a few days and i'm worried. i tested positive for dog dander (level 2 allergy on a scale of 0-6, 6 being very severe) but always ok with my sister's maltipoo and cotonese. i'm even ok with my SIL's frenchie...i'm worried because it IS allergy season (pollen is high) and my allergies are already acting up before the dog has even come home. just wondering what happened in your situation?


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

I don’t recall hearing very many people having reactions to Havanese, even with severe allergies, but it really depends on the person, it does happen. Do you live close enough to the breeder in a region where you could visit the puppy? In the past someone mentioned that going to a breeder’s home gave a member clear answers about allergies before even handling a puppy, because walking into the home was completely different compared to visiting someone with another dog breed. I thought it was interesting since a breeder has so many more Havanese in their home than a typical dog owner!

We all have allergies in our family, and it was a huge part of choosing a Havanese. My daughter’s have been evolving over the past year or so to become the worst of all of us as she gets older. She has trouble with other dogs sometimes but a lot of it is management. If she’s outside and isn’t touching her face after she handles another dog, she’s fine. Her nose will run. Inside playing with a friend’s large breed puppy, or sitting on a sofa where the dog usually lays, it’s a lot worse. She’s careful, but she loves dogs too much to avoid them, so she’s come home with red eyes and a stuffy nose before when she was younger. She doesn’t have respiratory symptoms. She also takes year round allergy medication and Flonase, so that’s a factor. She really doesn’t react to Sundance. In the past I wondered if she did but it always becomes clear it’s something else. 

My allergies aren’t as bad, but they’re year round, and I take allergy medicine because a few years ago when my daughter had to start it seasonally I decided to try it for the first time. I realized it makes a huge difference for me, especially in tolerating contact lenses. All of the sudden I could keep them if for normal hours! If I skip it, I notice it bothers me when I groom Sundance. I’m not convinced it’s Sundance I’m allergic to. My face and nose itch when my allergies are worse and I think the hair from grooming just aggravates it.

I don’t have enough experience with other Havanese to offer more than my own family’s experience and it’s different for everyone anyway. DH and DS don’t have any symptoms from our Havanese. Havanese do produce dander, but it’s a such a small amount, it’s why they’re considered hypoallergenic. There seem to be people allergic to dander that don’t react to Havanese while others do. And some find their symptoms manageable while others with respiratory symptoms have to be more cautious. My impression is that a lot of people with severe allergies are already doing things at home to manage allergies, too. You can control where the puppy sleeps, how often he’s groomed, how often you vacuum, etc.

I also think, experienced breeders have people seeking out Havanese specifically for allergies all of the time. Talking to your breeder about it could be really helpful and give you a wide range of experiences specifically from families with your breeder’s puppies. There are no guarantees, but could be helpful in making preparations, assessing the risk, or just understanding your contract in case it doesn’t work out.


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