Unfortunately French bulldogs are non-hypoallergenic, this means they can aggravate allergy symptoms. If you suffer from allergic reactions from dander and dust but love French bulldogs and are looking to get one.
I would think very carefully before getting one and maybe even try to live or look after a friends beforehand, Frenchies can be expensive and you wouldn’t want to fall in love with one and have to let them go because of an allergy.
Could I Be Allergic To My French Bulldog
Studies show that there is a high percentage of people being allergic to their pets. This could possibly be because you may be asthmatic or have an over sensitive immune. In a lot of cases pet allergies will be mild and there are ways to prevent and make symptoms more liveable.
Keep reading for a few tips and help.
Why French Bulldogs Might Cause Allergies
You may have heard or researched about dogs and allergies and found out that some dog breeds are better for people with allergies than others. This is the case but it can vary from dog to dog in the same breed because all dogs are different.
It comes down to a few different aspects some people may be allergic to a dog’s dander shedding of their skin, dust caught in their fur which actually means you’re allergic and sensitive to dust, a dogs saliva in some cases people get a rash or there skin becomes sore from licking and dogs urine.
What most people think is that they are allergic to a dog’s fur and short hair is better than long hair, which may help if you only have a slight allergy but the main allergy symptoms are from a dog’s dander, flaking and shedding of the skin, some dogs do this more than others.
Why does a dog dander have such an effect on some people with allergies to it? Well, people with allergies have an over sensitive immune system while the dog dander is completely harmless.
A person with an overactive immune will act as if this dander is a harmful virus or bacteria. This will cause sneezing and watery eyes in an attempt to flush out the allergens.
Symptoms Allergic Reaction Signs
This all depends on the individual, some people may suffer more and have severe symptoms while some people may only have minor symptoms. People with severe symptoms might see reactions soon after contact.
While others with minor allergies will take longer.
So the symptoms you may develop could be
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Nasal congestion
- Coughing
- Weezing
- A skin rash
Dander
This material is shed from humans and animals that have fur, hair, or feathers. Dander is similar to dandruff but dandruff mainly comes from the scalp.
Flakes that shed off the body of an animal or human are called dander. This is all part of normal skin replacement.
Dander is microscopic and can travel in the air and in house dust. It is part of the main diet of a dust mite which also can be a problem if you suffer from asthma and other allergies.
Dander will travel with dust up the nose and into your lungs. This will then take effect and you may start to see some reactions if you are allergic.
Dander builds up in carpets, rugs, curtains, pillows, mattresses and most things fabric so even your clothes if not washed regularly. A house with hard floor and smooth surfaces will be best to control the levels of dander.
Another point to consider with dander will also be the age of your pet. The older your pet the more dander they will produce, it is something to keep in mind if your allergy gets worse and try to control more if this happens.
Controlling dander is best practice using a damp cloth for dusting and vacuum cleaners with a sealed body that prevent dander from rising and going into the air. This also stops the dust mites from flying about and being redistributed.
Ways To Help Ease Allergic Reaction With French Bulldogs
First off it’s good to start with a good understanding and I’m hoping after you’ve gone through this post it will help a great deal.
You can go to your doctor and get a skin prick test or an allergen-specific test, this option you may need to see a specialist. Testing can put your mind at rest and give you the benefit of some hard facts.
If you get your test results back and you know that you have an allergy to dogs the best thing to do is not to have one if I’m being honest but that might not be the case. You may already have a dog or you love dogs that much you can’t resist.
If you have a dog already and want to avoid the heartbreak of giving your furry companion up then there are a few certain measures to think about and put in place, you can take action around your home and consider taking some medication advised from your doctor.
If you don’t have a dog, have a serious thought before jumping into the hot seat as I said before try looking after a dog for a weekend from a friend or if you’re that desperate then try looking for a breed that is less likely to trigger symptoms.
Contact
The next step is to reduce contact and minimize exposure to allergens and this will reduce symptoms, so all soft materials you must keep in mind that the allergens dander and dust mites will all be on there, so reduce contact with your dog in all these areas.
So with the soft material environments you must train your dog to stay well clear, stop them jumping on the bed and couches and make them stick to their own personal bed.
Also keep your dog’s bed at a distance away from people who suffer, this will help and it’s not a bad idea to wash your dog’s bed, toys, pillows, and blankets to prevent dander build up.
Another step to consider in the worst-case scenario is that if the symptoms are that bad you may want to think about having a kennel outdoors and letting your dog have a bit more time outside, this may be hard as they’re very sociable animals but this can be done with routine.
It also might be an idea if there’s one family member who suffers the most to keep your dog outside when they are about or to split them up at certain times.
These are a bit more extreme but if you are struggling then these could really make the difference, if you do make contact hugging and petting your dog then consider washing your hands straight after contact, having a showing and washing the clothes you’re in to remove dander and any possible saliva.
If you are the allergic one in the household it’s not best that you groom your dogs even tho this would be great to get excess dander off, you should get someone who is not allergic and get them to groom outside this will be very beneficial to reduce dander debris in the house.
not only will your dog like it, it will be a good routine to get into.
Keep Dander Levels At Bay
To do this I would recommend dusting and vacuuming as much as possible and get a canine-friendly vacuum. There’s plenty on the market now that will be designed for dog hair and debris.
When vacuuming make sure to go over everything that is fabric material and that dander will land on.
A good lightweight handheld vacuum will be just the job for that. I would also get a family member who is not allergic to carry out all the dusting and vacuuming tasks at hand.
Also, dusting with a damp cloth is good. It will stop dander, dust and dust mites from flying about and landing in other places in your room or house.
If you have carpet then I would think about removing it and replacing it with a hard floor. Horizontal blinds collect dust and dander so they could be on the hit list and help you out.
Less Allergenic Breeds
No dog can be completely hypoallergenic but there are some breeds out there that will shed less and do not carry so much dander.
- Poodles – You will hear that poodles are completely hypoallergenic but that is not the case, they do come very close this is because unlike most dogs they have hair and not fur. Poodles hair is nonshedding which helps a lot if you have allergies.
- Yorkshire terriers – Yorkies are a low shedding breed and a great companion, with their fur it keeps growing so you may need to keep on top of that for your desirable length, I would say the shorter the better when thinking about allergies.
- Bichon Frise – are a popular french toy breed, they are said to have a nonshedding coat but do require a lot of grooming and cleaning as they are prone to knots and mats.
- Havanese- A personal favorite of mine we have a Havanese in the family and there great little dogs. Originating from Cuba they have a bichon type coat and hardly shed at all, However, their coat will collect dander more easily. This will mean you will need to groom more regularly to help your allergenic sufferers.
- Bedlington terrier -have wool-like hair and are very low shedding, you will need to keep on top of this tho as they are prone to matting so make sure to have a good grooming routine in place.
Conclusion
From my research there’s no such thing as a non-hypoallergenic dog as dander, dust, and dust mites will land anywhere, so even if you do have a low shedding dog you still could have contact with these materials that will affect your allergies.
If you do have an allergy to dogs and are thinking about getting a french bulldog then I would give it some serious thought. I would look at some low allergenic breeds.
That being said you could take some steps to help with symptoms and also understanding your allergies can be a great help.
