Dog allergies and distilled water
juneroses Z9a Cntrl Fl
11 years ago
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schoolhouse_gw
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Distilled water
Comments (17)Hi, I used to be a BIG Aquarium hobbist for both salt water and fresh water so, I understand the concern over water quality, and researched the water quality problem extensively. And I found that what I learned also pertained to my plant hobby as well. First, distilled water is basically useless as far as water goes for plant or fish use. And the Distilled water process can make the water very acidic also. Second, There are many ways to deal with dissloved minerals in your water. like rain water, just plain bottled drinking water, or mixtures of tap with bottled water, or rain water. Most water filters only use carbon as a filter medium, which will only absorb chlorine. Unless your water is very, very hard it will probably be ok by it's self, or if mixed with other types of rain or bottled drinking water to dilute the mineral content in your water.. Never use water that has been softened by a unit that uses salt as a mineral binder. But,, what you really do need to worry about is your tap water's additives to keep it drinkable. ie, Chloine, Chloramine, Flouride,etc Some Saltwater Aquarium Shops will sell reverse osmosis water for about 50 cents to a dollar a gallon. (Bring your own containers) In which all the additives, and dissolved hard minerals have been removed by passing through a membrane. (Not for Human consumption though) Your local Aquarium store will also carry products designed to remove these additives instantly (ie, Chloine, Chloramine, Flouride,etc) in your water so your water is safe to use in your fish aquariums, therefore I've also found it safe for plants also. Made by SeaChem manfg. (NOT for Human comsumption though!) Yes, Chlorine will dissipate if left exposed to open air, but, Chloramine does not. Nor does Florine. Another good idea if you do have a lot of minerals in your water is to fill a five gallon bucket with Hot water, Some of the heaviest minerals/soilds will sink to the bottom of a container if left to sit a few days undisturbed, then carefully Dip the top 3rd of the water from the bucket. This will help lower the mineral content further before mixing it with other types of water also....See Moreallergies/asthma/coughing attack.....
Comments (23)We must have been posting at the same time...... Sable - he does wheeze during his coughing attack. Luckily my FIL is a doc & he has come by daily to check his lungs. That is great about your son taking care of his own meds.....shoot, I'm just trying to get this boy to remember to brush his teeth daily when he wakes up!! Golddust - he has a major sinus infection now. They did a CT scan & showed the cavities or rather not showing the maxillary cavity b/c it is so congested. Segbrown - I am glad Flonase is working for you. My DH uses that also. We are using inhalers that have the fine powder that comes out - he was having a difficult time knowing when to inhale & push the inhaler. I find myself wanting to twist & cock the inhaler for him but he has to be able to do it himself & he does. Total fluke about getting tested for allergies.....I had an appointment b/c of a rash on my arm. Asthma doc & FIL worked together many years ago so FIL tells me to take my DS with me to my appointment just to make sure he was not missing anything. So, I call to ask if I can bring my son & Dr. says yes. Well, after they did that testing on his back - my rash was never mentioned!! I am so grateful that we took him and had him tested b/c this explains so much. I am totally rambling but I really appreciate the support. Smiles:)...See MoreGreat article for those with allergies!
Comments (5)usually I'm in no rush to pull things out of my washer, and I run it again without soap. I might take a few things out to air dry them first. I might put something more in, to wash with the articles being re-washed. I have also improved my habits in terms of washing all bedding frequently. Pillows and Sheets more often than bedspreads and everything. I might run the washer again also (a third time). I'm busy doing other things and I don't want it to sit too long. It doesn't matter to me whether I use hot water or not. I don't worry about "killing" all dust mites in a specific sheet or pillow, because I know that dust mites reproduce fast, spread fast, and return immediately. No point trying to overkill. I used to have allergies. Indoor and outdoor. Now, I have the ability to smell things acutely. Very acutely. I'm like a dog now, except that I can also say what it is that I smell. I'm very good at helping people diagnose their building's problems. I can smell stuff coming from behind the walls. These are changes that took me about 20 years to figure out, to lessen my allergies gradually. About 25 years ago I asked an ORL and an allergy doctor if people had been known to "get rid of" allergies, or if it only went the other direction. When I saw they didn't have answers prepared for this kind of question, I started to look into it myself. Dust mites are not the problem; they are a signal to you that your habits are not good enough. Your washing habits are the big one to look at. I have wall to wall carpet in half my condo. Some of my furniture is upholstered. When I go to anyone's place, I can "tell" which of their upholstered furniture is used more than another, just by observation (dust mite odor and other observation). I can tell whether they vacuum the carpet a lot or a little. I can tell a lot. About ten years ago, when I lined up at a bank branch with a huge open area lobby and forced air, I mentioned to the teller that the previous customer must have been a smoker since I could detect a smell, she asked me to repeat that and explain what I meant, and then finally told me that it was the one before the previous customer who had smelt of old tobacco smoke. HTH...See Moredog allergies
Comments (17)Atopica is VERY expensive and has side effects such as vomiting and diarrhea. I have two friends with dogs on it. One discontinued it very quickly because of the side effects, the other's dog is still on it and doing fairly well. It would be the very last resort IMO. My Doberman also has atopic allergies. He was on several cycles of Temaril-P this summer and I'm trying to avoid steroids in the future. It is difficult to tell if food allergies are also involved because if you do a food trial and the dog still itches, you can't tell if it's from the food or the environmental things the dog is allergic to (which in the south can be present most of the year). My dog is raw fed and I do not feed grains. I have spent thousands at the dermatologist and the dog has been on allergy shots for over a year. This summer was very bad so I don't think the shots are working. I've looked for other solutions and many of the things my regular vet suggested have helped. I've had some success with antihistamines. Zyrtec works for my dog and I only give it when he's very itchy (about once a week right now). You can try different antihistamines to determine if one will work for your dog. Do some research on this first to determine which are safe for dogs. I am also giving him Quercetin with Bromelain. This is a flavenoid that is an antioxidant and an H1 blocker. It helps some. I've also tried to deal with environmental exposure. I have removed the carpet from half of the house and am in the process of getting rid of the rest of it. I am replacing upholstered furniture with leather as my finances permit. I use mite-proof covers on the pillows, mattress, and box spring. I run dehumidifiers to keep the house at 40% humidity. I also wash the dog's bedding at least once a week with Borax and Tide Free. And I use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. These things all help with the dust mite allergies. For the pollen allergies, I rinse the dog off with water after his walks. Once he's dry I wipe down his coat with Thayer's Witch Hazel with Aloe. This is soothing and helps keep him clean. Then I brush him and spray him with Neem spray (5 days a week) or BioGroom Mink Oil (twice a week). I shampoo him every week or two with Duoxo Calm. I've tried the hexadine and Eqyss shampoos, but they dry his skin out and he seems more itchy. Allergies are horrible to deal with. Good luck to you and I hope this is helpful info....See MoreBeatrice Maude
4 years agoPatty Luking
2 years agoPatty Luking
2 years agoBeatrice Maude
2 years ago
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