Infants Wheeze Less In Homes With Multiple Dogs

Science Daily ^ | 12-4-2006

[RepoGirl]

I can sympathise. Our dog has specific feeding times, but we leave food out for the cats. My daughter will often turn up her nose at the meals I make for her -- but then I'll find her snacking on the Science Diet.

The worst was the "tea" she made in one of her little tea-set cups: cat food steeped in water. "It's coffee!" she explained.

Kids...

[gregwest]

I once joked that "gray" aliens are actually human time travelers who shriveled up into physical atrophy because humans devolved from playing video games, eating junk food, having sex using full-body condoms, and using antibacterial hand soap. They've come back from the future to tell us to get the kids to play outside, get dirty, and play football. Go ahead and play with the dog, it'll build up their resistance!

[festus]

Only if they are neutered.

( The dogs are neutered that is. Liberals well it goes without saying are neutered by definition. )

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

I wonder if they looked at a similar protective effect from cats? The last article I saw on something similar said the researchers had found a protective effect against asthma from both dogs and cats in the home before the kids reached age 1. On an anecdotal basis, I believe it .... The home I grew up in was pretty grubby (my mom had better things to do than clean :), and we had cats inside, but only one dog outside. As an adult, I am not allergic to cats, though I am to dogs, and I have never had asthma. My husband grew up in a spotless home with no pets, and both he and one sister have asthma and allergies to cats -- even though neither of their parents had allergies to anything.

Keep a happy, grubby home with lots of critters in it. Works for me!

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

It's had the opposite effect on me -- our house had lots of animals growing up - but I can't stand ANY animals (except the goldfish) in the house anymore. We have two outside dogs and a couple of barn cats. I know, I know, I sound like an old grump, but in some of my relatives the love of animals has gone to the extreme, and I don't want to end up covered in pet hair.

Gee, I sound awfully mean -- I'm really not - I will stop and feed animals that are hungry and people have dumped out -- I just don't bring them home anymore.

[RegulatorCountry]

And then you have the incredible rise in allergic reaction to airborne pollen, etcetera, that seems to track pretty well with the advent of widespread air conditioning in residential construction. Throw those windows open if the temps are comfortable, it's good for you, plus the crickets are natural white noise to help you sleep, lol.

[Sender]

If you also keep frogs in the bedroom, you'll naturally have a cricket habitat nearby, thereby providing yourself with natural cricket music throughout the winter.

Don't ask me how I know this.

[ellery]

No allergies here!

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

It's your choice whether to have pets in the house or not, obviously. But your post is unclear -- do you not have them in the house simply because they make a mess, or is it because you are allergic to them and/or have an asthmatic response to them?

[TigersEye]

A good plug of dog hair in the back of the throat will cut down on wheezing every time. ; )

Although there may be a little coughing now and then. hoc tuey

[republican4ever]

AAAWWWWW! What adorable two-legged and four-legged creatures!
They seem to get along beautifully!

[ellery]

:) They do! The boys are doing fairly well with the "gently, gently" training, and our rottie girl is in absolute heaven with these man-pups around (even when "gently, gently" breaks down a bit). If one of them cries, she bounds across the room and sniffs to make sure they're okay (and both she and my border mix have to give the boys a thorough once-over everytime we return home after going somewhere). They've been exposed to enough doggie saliva to keep a whole classroom from developing wheezes.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

But your post is unclear -- do you not have them in the house simply because they make a mess, or is it because you are allergic to them and/or have an asthmatic response to them?

I've had them in the house in the past -- but now, for various reasons unrelated to allergies or anything like that, having them in the house just grosses me out. I don't even like to go in someone's home who keeps animals inside. I know, I'm weird. I just don't like the thought of animal hair floating around inside, landing on the bed, landing in food, etc.

I'm not a neat freak, I'm not particularly organized or anything like that - it just doesn't seem very sanitary to me. I really do have a good reason for this ... ick factor, I guess you'd call it -- I have relatives who go to the other extreme, and I think that's what has done it to me. Birds or fish inside don't bother me, but cats/dogs inside ...