Q. How to find whether my post nasal drip is due to dog allergy?
Hello doctor,
In March, we got a Sheepadoodle puppy. I have never been allergic to dogs. However, is it possible that this mixed breed, 70 percent standard Poodle and 30 percent Sheepdog is causing my problems? The Sheepdog is not a hypoallergenic dog and I am thinking that her dander may be the culprit. I have rhinitis/post nasal drip that is causing awful throat clearing. I am taking corticosteroid sprays,saline rinse, and Rhinocort. My blood test showed little to no allergy to dogs. How do we test this? I know my bloodwork shows little to no dog allergies. However, is the Sheepdog part of this? Can we test her dander/saliva with a scratch test? If I am allergic to her, what can we do? I would hate to give her away, however, I cannot handle this terrible PND and constantly taking these drugs. Is there a scratch test we can do specifically for her? Take the dander/saliva from her?
Currently, we dropped her off at my in-laws today. I am going camping for four days. If I clear up and bring her back on Friday and my symptoms ignite, then, it probably is her. Please suggest.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
Better than a blood immunocap test is the skin prick test. The skin prick test is the gold standard for allergy diagnosis. It is possible that you are allergic to animal dander but that is not picked up by the bloodwork. Before doing the skin prick test you must stop the antiallergics for a week. Meanwhile, you see how your symptoms are during the period when the dog is with your in-laws. Subsequently when the dog is with you, if you redevelop symptoms, then we can be sure like you said, that you are indeed allergic to her.
Meanwhile, have you ruled out other possible causes of the allergy? Do you suffer from any medical conditions like diabetes or hypertension?
Thank you doctor,
I do not suffer from diabetes or hypertension. This is the first time I have ever had this. Also, would dog or cat allergies start rather quickly? This started nearly two months after getting her. Also, could I get swollen nasal membranes with post nasal drip going down the back of the throat?
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
It is true that you get allergies soon. But usually, an allergy develops after a period of sensitization. First, your body has to get sensitized to the allergen, say the animal dander. Thereafter when exposed to the allergen again, the body produces an excess of secretions and inflammation. It is therefore possible that you start showing the symptoms after a couple of months since you start getting exposed to the allergen. Swollen nasal membranes and recurrent postnasal drip are definitely due to allergies unless you find some other cause. Have you had any endoscopy or CT (computerized tomography) scan of the nasal cavities done for this purpose? Has the local ENT ruled out other cases before concluding this as an allergy? Are you better off with the steroid sprays and Rhinocort and Azelastin when the dog is around?
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