Help ?

I have a question and I'm not sure where to direct it . So here goes....

I'm an Asthmatic , well , it's not bad but still . My question is this : Does anyone out there have Asthma and still have long haired cats ? Seems to me that since I got Bentley I've been having to use my inhaler daily and I NEVER have had to do that. I just keep it around in case , and it usually will expire before I even use it .
I went to the Dr. today cause I have the Flu , but they seem to think that my asthma attack was due to Bentley....

Any comments ?

Thanks in advance ,

Rebecca P.

I'm not sure where to put it either, but I think Health and Nutrition would make as much sense as any, so I'll move it there. At least there more people will have a chance to look at it.

I can tell you my experience though. I also have mild asthma, and my Trent is a medium haired cat. He's not as long haired as a Persian like Bentley, but it's much longer than a typical short hair. Anyway, I don't have problems with him, and I'm pretty sure what's happened is that my body has grown an immunity to both of my cats over the time that I've had them. It's the same premise as allergy shots, if you are exposed to the allergen a lot you will eventually grow accustomed to it. You haven't had Bentley all that long, so your body is still reacting to him as a foreign allergen. Get some good allergy meds to help fend off the asthma attacks before they happen. Zyrtec is wonderful for pet and indoor allergies.

One other thing to consider: I haven't been watching the weather down in New Orleans, but has it been cooler and more humid lately? Cool air traps pollution closer to the ground, and I know when it's cold here I can feel it in my lungs even when I'm inside all day. Could be that the pollution in combination with Bentley could really be setting you off.

One more thing that I just remembered...it's not really his fur that you are reacting to, but the dander. Dander is formed by the saliva that cats use to bathe themselves with. Since long haired cats have to lick more to bathe themselves, there is more dander with long hairs than short hairs. Try giving Bentley a bath, if he's OK with that , and at least wipe him down with a damp cloth to get rid of some of the excess dander daily. They sell pet wipes that probably work better than just a damp cloth. I know people with severe allergies have said that they bathe their cats every two weeks to a month and once the cats get used to it they are OK with it.

I too have mild allergies to my cats which causes a bit of asthmatic symptoms. When I first got a couple of my cats it was pretty bad, I had to get an inhaler (which I hardly ever have to do). After about a week it went away. Same with my new kitten...When we first got ther I had some breathing problems that went away after a week or so. I have never been to the doctor about this problem since it always tends to go away after a week or so of being in the house with a new cat. Maybe yours will too???

Gigner

Thanks for responding ,

Yeah , I know about allergy meds . I usually rely on Benedryl . But with the Flu , it's not working . As far as Zyrtec , I don't know that I can have that cause I've mild HPB . So , I have to be careful there too , Ya know ? I took Bentley to the groomers and he had a bath on Monday , he was so innundated with dander and fleas it was disgusting . I do believe he came that way cause Roger got Tape worms and he's an inside cat . I know all about that being the prime allergen also .
I've had cats all my life and am allergic to them as well , mildly . No biggie , perhaps I need to be checked again . It's been about 11 years since my last allery tests .

As far as the weather down here , it's been crazy ! It's cool and damp and at night I have the gas heater on in my bedroom , but I open the window as well . I can't take it being too dry , ya know ?
It was in the 70's and now it's going into the 40's at night and it messes with everyone . And it's supposed to rain till Sunday which does not help things either . I suppose that my being 41 doesn't help either . And I smoke to boot . The Dr. tore me a new butt for that today . But , I've been smoking for 30 years . Hard to quit after all this time....

Thanks so much as usual , I can always rely on you and my freinds here...........MY 's !!!!!!!

Rebecca

Well my fiance hasn't ever had Asthma that I know of. But him and his brother and sister are all allergic to cats and ferrets and some dogs.
Kirt used to be really bad around Asim and Isha. Eye problems, nose problems and coughing problems. He's been with them on and off for about 3 years now and he has started to build up a tolerance to them.
He can actually kiss them on the noise now and not have an attack come on. Though he still can't bury his face in their fur like I can or kiss them anywhere else or it burns his lips. =O

As far as bently being long haired. There have been lots of studies done on which tend to be worse for allergy sufferer's, long hair or short hair. And all the ones I have read said that isn't really a factor. (Someone feel free to prove me wrong if you have more recent information.) It really comes down to how much dander they produce, and how much they shed. If they shed a lot, your more likely to have problems.

My fiance doesn't dare take allergie meds anymore cause he had a really bad experience with Allegra. So we have to keep the cats and the house supper clean (which is really one of the best things you can do for allergy sufferers.)

1.) Groom them every day so you get rid of as much stray fur as possible. Do this outside if possible.
2.) Vacum often.
3.) Venalate your house by opening windows when you can.
4.) Buy something like an air purifier (we have the Ionic Breeze)
5.) Keep floors swept.
6.) Bath cats as often as you can get away with, as long as they don't start to develope a skin condition.
7.) Use allergy whips on them. I've tried a few, but most recently I am using pet whips (which cleans and gets rid of dander) by Nature's Miracle.

Rebecca,
Do you think that a humidifier help? It will moisten the air and will make it easier for you to breath. As for the Zyrtec, you should be able to take it even though you have mild High Blood Pressure (I'm a Pharmacy Tech). You just have to be very careful with nasal decongestants (Sudafed). Zyrtec is pretty much the same thing as Benadryl, but it is much less drowsy. Do be careful about Zyrtec...there are two different kinds: One with a decongestant and one with out. Another option is Claritin. It recently was released as a prescription and is now over the counter. Claritin comes in different forms too: one with a decongestant and one with out.
Just thought I'd let you know about this and if you have any questions, just let me know and I'll help you the best I can.