How to Tell if Your Toddler Is Allergic to Cats
About 15 percent of the U.S. population reports an allergy to cats or dogs, with cats being particularly problematic for many, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Allergic reactions to pets can take up to two years to develop, says Dr. Karen Serrano of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. So parents often don't notice a pet allergy until the toddler years. If you own a cat and your toddler chronically struggles with a runny nose, cough, congestion and rashes, a cat allergy could be the cause.
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Instructions
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How to Tell if Your Toddler Is Allergic
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Recognize the symptoms of cat allergies. Usually these are itchy eyes, a runny nose, asthma-like breathing symptoms, a rash or red, itchy skin.
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Understand that toddlers with cat allergies might appear to have frequent colds. The main difference is that allergies last year-round, whereas colds are seasonal.
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Remove the pet from the home for an extended period of time. It can take up to six months after the trigger is removed for allergic symptoms to subside, acordng to Serrano.
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Clean the home, all bedding and all clothing thoroughly while the cat is not in the home. Dander, which is what causes the allergy, can remain in the environment long after the cat is removed, and it will continue causing the allergic reaction.
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Enlist the help of an allergist to professionally diagnose the allergy.
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Tips & Warnings
Because removing all of the dander from the home is almost impossible without professional cleaning services, taking your child to an allergist if you suspect a cat allergy is the only certain way to determine whether the cat caused your toddler's symptoms.
If your cat is the cause of your child's allergy symptoms and the symptoms are severe, keeping the cat and child separated will not be sufficient. The only way to completely eliminate the symptoms is to find a new home for the cat.
Toddlers with mild symptoms can live in the same home as the pet, with some precautions. BabyCenter.com recommends keeping the cat away from bedrooms and carpeted rooms of the house, using a high-efficiency media filter in the furnace, using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter, and washing the child's clothes and hands after interacting with the pet.
If you remove the cat from the home and do not notice improvement right away, do not assume that the diagnosis was wrong. The pet's dander, which causes the allergy, will be found in clothing, carpets, draperies and many other surfaces for months after the pet is no longer in the home. Over time, the allergy symptoms should lessen if the cat was the cause.
Avoid the temptation to self-diagnose your child's allergy. If you incorrectly assume that the cat is the cause of the symptoms, you could lose your family pet unnecessarily. Always check with a medical professional as you work toward diagnosing your child's problem.
