I’ve had my dog for 2.5 years now. This might seem like a silly question to most, but I’m kind of oblivious to some things that are obvious to most people (e.g. having allergies, knowing when I’m hungry, when I should go to the doctor, etc.) so I would appreciate helpful responses.

Signs

  • If my dog gets on my bed, I sleep poorly until I change the sheets.
  • If I sleep with my dog in my room, I wake up tired and like I had trouble breathing all night. It’s like if my airway was smaller/tighter. I’ve already been assessed for sleep apnea and they said I’m okay.
  • Even without my dog in the room or on the sheets, when I sleep at home, I wake up pretty tired and it takes me a while to get going in the morning. This doesn’t happen when I sleep elsewhere like at hotels.
  • If I clean up my house really well and change the air filter, it seems like I have more energy for a few days.
  • If I take a cetrizine (Zertec) or loratadine (Claratin), I feel a little better in the morning, but it’s not like if I slept elsewhere. I don’t feel fine, just a little less bad.
  • Basically, I’m always tired when I sleep at home.
  • If I pet a dog and touch my eyes immediately after, my eyes get itchy until I wash them out. This will happen with their saliva as well.
  • If I run my forearm across a dog’s back from tail to head and the dog has thick fur, I will get hives from the fur slightly poking my soft skin.
  • If they lick my skin and I don’t rinse it off, I may get hives too.

Contra

  • I’m mostly fine throughout the day with regards to what I assume are allergies. My nose is fine, and I rarely sneeze. It’s only related to sleep.
  • My nose doesn’t get stuffy like I see in other people.

Writing this out, it seems like it’s highly probable. If so, what options do I have?

  • Could it be something else causing the sleep issues at home?
  • Is this a reason to see a doctor?
  • Are there meds that work better than Zertec & Claritin and wont make me feel funky like with Benadryl?
  • Do I need to accept that I can’t have a dog?
  • Maybe I can make my dog an outside dog? But that seems terrible for a dog that’s been inside their whole life and follows me everywhere I go in the house (she’s a Rottie). I don’t want to sleep poorly and be at 60% for another 10 years.

This is a lot 😬

Edit: Alright, I’ve got an appt with the doc in 2 weeks. Thanks for the help, everyone!

  • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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    12 days ago

    I would absolutely advise talking to a doctor about this. That very much sounds like an allergy, and although there are many meds that may help, none of us online can safely advise them for you, you really do need a prescriber with access to your medical records/bloodwork for that.

    As far as first steps go, regularly taking OTC allergy meds and developing a daily cleaning schedule + filters for the bedroom + keeping your dog off the bed at the very least, and ideally out of the bedroom entirely, will help. Also frequently bathing your dog can help keep the dander down.