Chlorine making Porky's allergies worse???

[doxielady5569128]

Okay...I know chlorine is bad for the skin (and causes other problems) so I got to thinking.  Maybe that's the main cause for Porky's skin allergies continually getting worse?   But can it affect his breathing too?   Our city keeps adding it to our water so everyone has dry skin and smells like walking swimming pools.      If this could be the cause for his awful awful allergies, what do I do to avoid it when he has to have weekly allergy baths and daily paw cleanings?   Okay lots of questions sorry, I'm just trying to see what all of you think. 

Porky has been back to the wheezing and sneezing all week and nothing I do is helping.  He keeps licking his paws raw, even with the bitter apple sprayed on them.  I know he can't stand the taste of the stuff since he makes an awful face everytime he licks.  Its just not enough to beat the itch I guess.  I can't have him on steroidal medications or other harmful medications the rest of his life so I'm trying to find and avoid as many causes as possible.   We know, grasses and weeds, chicken and dairy, but the rest is unknown.   We do round-the-clock benadryl (which I HATE!!!!) but I can't help worrying about the effects of that on his tiny liver! 

So... what do you think?? 

[peterparker]

Chlorine evaporates. Pour his bathwater in the morning, and let it sit until evening. Also give him bottled water to drink. That might help a bit.

[papbouv]

When first married we had rented a house then bought a house I cleaned out the rental house with bleach did not think about wearing gloves.I bleach burned my hands some to this day cannot be around bleach causes me breathing problems too. I use filtered water from the refrigerator some times when taking a shower or washing my hair you can smell the chlorine in the water so I just hurry up and get done as soon as possible.Porky may be allergic to chlorine a filter on your faucet might be a good investment you could bathe him in the sink since he is little & also give him filtered water to drink might be worth a try. As for wiping his feet you might try the unscented baby wipes with Aloe in them you can get them at a Dollar store cheap. My sister uses the baby wipes on her Boston terriers feet when he is licking them helped him but he does not have allergies as bad as Porky.How about baby socks on Porky's feet ?for when he is in the house maybe boots to go outside??? I sure wish you the best of luck poor Porky he just needs a big bubble to be in during the summer.Rays & Hugs to you both.

[Munchfam]

This is an interesting question, but in the online searches I've done since reading this post today there doesn't seem to be a definitive answer. I would think it's a good bet that the chlorine could could be creating additional problems for Porky because I've seen quite a bit about the fact that one of chlorine's main actions is against bacteria, which would include healthy bacteria. As you know from your courses, the chlorine can't tell the difference. Chlorine is also known to react badly with antibiotics. Is there a way to find out the percentage of chlorine in your city's potable water? It it's a fairly insignificant amount, it might be a case of inter-reaction with other products. I think Papbouv has the best idea of puttting a faucet filter on your faucet(s) and using the hypoallergenic baby wipes for Porky's feet. We have a filter on the kitchen faucet here in FL, where the water is some of the nastiest-tasting in the nation. (No offense intended to any other Floridians, but I find it impossible to drink the water right out of the faucet down here.) I'll look a little more to see if I can find any additional info on the canine chlorine allergy question. Give Porky extra hugs and snuggles from me!  :comfort: 

[doxielady5569128]

Since our kitchen sink is a divided sink, Porky is too long to fit in it.   I will check into seeing if I can find some kind of filter for the facet of the bathtub.   Or maybe a filtering showerhead.  We have a really good plumber friend that could probably order something like that in for us.   I'm sure what the percentage of the chlorine in the water is, but I do know that we are constantly battling dry skin and hair.   If you stand in the shower too long, your feet burn from the cholrine.  I know that can't be good for anyone. 

I'll pick up some of those wipes too.  Great ideas!!!!  Thanks sooo much!!!   For now, Porky is confined under house arrest except to run out for potty breaks.   

[Munchfam]

Oh wow, I think I would be concerned about that much chlorine for human or animal consumption, and not just drinking since it will get into your system through your skin's pores. It may not be too bad ordinarily for humans since chlorine evaporates and you don't stay out-of-the-shower-wet for very long, but since you have allergies yourself and are noticing the drying and burning sensation it sounds like it would be good all around if you can get a filter. I don't know much about plumbing, but I think there must be some type of filter that could be installed somehow at an incoming water point. I know there are those types of filters/conditioners that can be installed for a house because a friend who lives on the FL coast has that type of system, but it may not be something that the apartments would be willing to opt into. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask if there is no option inside your unit. As bad as our water is here, chlorine either is not a major part of the treatment or the odor is masked somehow. I can smell chlorine easily and probably faster than some because of hypersensitivities of allergies, but I just checked and I can't smell any amount of chlorine in the water right out of the unfiltered taps. Please keep us updated.

[papbouv]

Also have a divided  sink but live in a old house do have a new idea saw it on It's Me Or The Dog with Victoria Stillwell the dog trainer these women lived in a con-do ? they had 2-3 little dogs the women were all fighting about clean up after the dogs.The place was super nasty can't believe some people.Any way I'm sure it was expensive but may be cheaper ones around it was a Indoor potty for Dogs,have seen them in like New York High rises and such on TV. It is a box that you grow grass in the one Victoria showed on TV even had pop up sprinklers ? guess you could trim it if it got too tall ? My thought was if going outside makes Porky's allergies worse if he had a indoor potty he would not be going outside where the allergen are???Of course he could go out when the allergens went down??? Wondered if the indoor potty might help keep your vet cost down also less medications for Porky??? Hope the plumber can come up with filters for you guys and Porky. You should not have to have your feet burn just to take a shower that seems very wrong to me.Good Luck in your quests to help Porky Rays & Hugs hope he is feeling better soon.Papbouv

[Madderoos Mom]

Poor Porky.  Would it be possible just to buy a jug of distilled water at the store and bathe him in that (heat it of course so as not to catch a chill) and use it for drinking too?  Hugs and snuggles to our sweet boy.

[klsb]

It can TOTALLY cause breathing problems because it does it to my nephew. Will has terrible allergies to alot of things and they couldnt find out what one of the main triggers was. Untill my mom mentioned how often they were going to the pool. Sometimes the poor little guys throat would close right up.

[doxielady5569128]

Thanks again everyone!! 

It can TOTALLY cause breathing problems because it does it to my nephew. Will has terrible allergies to alot of things and they couldnt find out what one of the main triggers was. Untill my mom mentioned how often they were going to the pool. Sometimes the poor little guys throat would close right up.

I wondered because it seems like no matter how clean the house is, no matter how much we have Porky on his meds, he always gets the wheezing and sneezing.   We will definitely be looking into a filter of some kind for ALL of us.   Plus we are moving to a new town within the next couple of months, so we will escape the chlorination that way.  We are really wanting to move back to our hometown and both my hubby's job and mine are flexible so we should be able to.    :apls:  We're thinking end of July-mid August for our move.    :xfinger: 

Porky is doing better today, so I'm hoping he'll have a good day all day.   We've had tons of rain/flooding and tornadoes this year, so that may be a factor too with all the moldy particles in the air.       

[cheryl186]

Amorette, I am so glad to hear that Porky is feeling better today!!!  Poor little guy    We have a filter on our tap water from the kitchen sink and in our water from the refrigerator....wow....good luck on the move...crossing fingers and paws for you   :xfinger: :xfinger:

[papbouv]

In case you are interested they had one of the indoor potties for dog in this months Dog Fancy magazine was just $39.99 www.pottypatch.com  tells you all about them may put this in the General part of the forum for those who live where it is super cold in the winter.
Very glad Porky is feeling better all the Rays must have really helped more Rays & Hugs.