Wanting to become a vet but allergic to cats?

[missmt]

So, I want to go to veterinary school but I am allergic to cats. Does anyone know of other people who have gone to vet school and are allergic to cats or any veterinarians that have allergies? Did they have trouble or are they able to deal with it just fine?
I am planning on either starting on allergy shots or just taking allergy pills like I do now.

Thanks!

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[StartingoverVet]

I was worried about this as I have had trouble with cat allergies in the past. When I started volunteering/shadowing at a small animal vet I had to take allergy meds at first but I became desensitized over time. Apparently from talking to other people my story is not unique.


I would recommend the shots to start but hopefully you too will have a similar experience.

 

[purplesaurus]

I actually know of a lab animal veterinarian who was so allergic to rats and mice, we could not bring rat cages out into the hall without some sort of filter top on the cage. Evidently just walking through the hall where an unfiltered rat cage had been recently could make him very sick. I didn't know him very well, so I did not know what his daily animal contact situation was. I can't imagine he dealt with too many animals in person.

I would definitely recommend allergy shots. In my personal experience, I became allergic to rats, cats, and mice through repeated exposure, and it has gotten worse over time. My cat allergies are not so bad (in fact, I actually have two cats, and it's not too bad), but the rat/mouse allergies can be harsh at times.

I started shots a while ago, and I think they were helping some. Unfortunately, I quit them (due to a personal situation, not a medical problem) before the whole course was up. Finishing the shots (or perhaps starting them over) are likely in my future.

 

[NittanyKitty]

Yup, one of the veterinarians at my practice as well as the head technician are both very allergic to cats! I think they both take allergy medication daily to deal with their jobs and their pet cats (even sniffly noses can't dissuade pet owners). They are both excellent at their jobs and love their work - I think they've both been in the field for about 15 years now. Sometimes the cat-heavy days seem to get to them a bit, and we'll see them sneezing more, but nothing too serious seems to come of it.

 

[cowgirla]

I've become desensitized to cats over time. Bunnies on the other hand....

Anyway, I take allergy meds when it gets real bad, but we dont see bunnies very often at work

The shots didn't work for me. Got them for over a year with no difference whatsover, plus, by the end of that year, the shots themselves were making me sick. My whole arm would swell up and turn pretty colors, so I stopped going.

But it is definitely possible to go to vet school and be allergic. I know an equine vet who is deathly allergic to hay, and she manages it quite fine, as well as many SA vets allergic to cats/rabbits/fuzzballs

 

[GreennWhite]

I've become desensitized when I'm around them constantly. When I get back home from school I'm a little puffy and itchy eyed for a week or so, since my cats are kept in my bedroom while i'm gone.
It also helps me to wash my hands constantly and not touch my face.

 

[Lechatnoir]

The vet I have worked with has severe allergies to dogs and cats as well as severe asthma. She takes allergy meds (not sure which) and uses and inhaler. There's only been one time that I've seen her have any issues and it was because she hadn't picked up her new inhaler at the pharmacy yet. She also has several cats and dogs at home so it can be done.

 

[livvie]

Bunnies on the other hand....

You're allergic to rabbits? How sad 🙁 I've never heard of that... Are you allergic to Angora sweaters as well?


Also, re: the first post - I get allergy shots. They definitely help, but I wouldn't call them a cure all yet - I'm a year and a half into them and the full course is 5 years. Also, they're expensive if you don't have good insurance since you'll get weekly shots for two years and then biweekly after that. But I have a good friend who was deathly allergic to cats, got the shots for 5 years, and now has no problem with them at all.

 

[cowgirla]

You're allergic to rabbits? How sad 🙁 I've never heard of that... Are you allergic to Angora sweaters as well?

I dunno. I had a rabbit growing up, and was fine. But just the past couple years at work, we get bunnies in here or there, and if I have to hold them for more than about a minute, my eyes get all watery and itchy and runny, and I feel like my whole face swells up and I get wheezy. I like bunnies, so it's tough because all I want to do is hold them and cuddle them and tell them its okay.

I know my brother is allergic to bunnies, and always has been, hence, why I had to get rid of the one I had as a kid. Stupid little brother--I never wanted him anyway!

Re: the sweaters, I actually don't know. I don't really wear sweaters all that often, and when I do, they're usually the cheap fake kind 🙂 I'm more of a sweatshirt/hoodie kind of girl.

 

[BlacKAT33]

I became allergic to cats and dogs from working with them all the time. It just became worse as I got older and worked with them more. After getting a cat of my own my allergies were hell and even being on zyrtec every day didnt help. Finally, when my lip swelled up after cleaning the litter box I knew I had to get allergy shots. So now i get the shots once a week and i am still on zyrtec every day but it has helped a lot. I'm not going to let anything get in the way of me becoming a vet!! 😍 Hopefully, after a couple yrs of shots I can stop taking allergy medicine.
One con- I have definitely lost my sense of smell. probably from blowing my nose constantly. it really sucks. things dont taste as good, and at work i couldnt smell the chlorox bleach that someone had spilt in the hallway. sighhh but w/e, i cant live without my cat. and im hoping my sense of smell will come back after time lol

 

[Willowhand]

I'm allergic to cats and have asthma. It sometimes it used to be bad enough to make it difficult to breathe, but I love cats and I spent time with them (carefully) anyway. By starting out just interacting with them outdoors, then getting a cat of my own, I became less sensitive over time. I'm still allergic, but I usually only have trouble in houses with both cats and carpeting where fur and dander accumulate. In a clean setting like a clinic, the allergies aren't bad at all.

 

[Bearby]

One of the doctors I work with is allergic to dogs. She gets allergy shots to control it and I haven't noticed any problems. In fact, I didn't even know what the allergy shots were for until she mentioned it to a client one time. Definitely go see an allergist and talk to them about options, but I think if you use some kind of therapy there should be no reason why you can't be a vet who's allergic to kitties.

 

[laurauva2009]

I am allergic to both cats and dogs... as well as about everything else that grows outside. I had shots for a few years when I was younger, and I am not really convinced that they helped very much. I do take allergy medication, but mostly I just think with being around animals so much my body has gotten slightly used to it. I still sneeze ALOT at work though.

Certain dogs are much worse than others for me, and several breeds make me break out in hives from restraining them... bulldogs, boxers, sharpeis etc. But I just spray some gentacin spray on myself and keep going about my day and it goes away in about 20 minutes if you dont scratch at them.

I actually think I am not as allergic to cats as I am to dogs. I have a 8 month old siamese and I think his short hair limits my allergies to him. He does LOVE to be picked up and ride around on my shoulder though, and sometimes that will give me a hive or two on my neck.

Anyway, moral of the story, you should definitely not let your allergies stop you from being a veterinarian if it is something you really want to do!

 

[deleted266066]

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[gilch]

I thought I was allergic to dogs and cats until an allergy test said just dust and high sensitivity to oak pollen. I'm convinced that I am allergic to orchardgrass and alfalfa, but apparently they don't test for that. I still think I might have a minor dog/cat problem, but it's not bad enough to worry me. It could be I just need to clean 😀. I sometimes use a mask when I am handling hay, but more often than not, I just shower afterward. I also have cats that like to ride on my shoulder--we go for walks together. Mostly it's great, but one of them climbs me like a post or a tree when he is really excited to see me. That hurts!

 

[that redhead]

I know two cases of veterinarians with allergies.

The first was I believe allergic to rabbits. We didn't see many rabbits at that particular hospital and I believe he deferred any rabbit patients to one of the other doctors 🙂 Quite a few of the techs there were allergic to rabbits as well, so it was always me and one other tech who always had to handle the rabbits!

My boss now is campus veterinarian and he's developed allergies to rodents primary from not wearing a face mask when working with them. The proteins in their urine can be very strong and apparently cause allergies to develop in many people. It's so bad that he can hardly breathe around them. Fortunately, most of his work is administrative and my fellow techs and I handle treatments. In the rare case that he does have to work with a rodent, he always has his mask and full PPE. He always urges us to wear our face masks, even if the particular protocol doesn't call for it, and I have with him as an example!

Long story short, it is possible to still be a vet with an allergy. This might affect which field of vet med you enter, but with allergy shots/treatments, I'd think you could still even work with the species in question.

 

[missmt]

Wow, thanks everyone!
I wasn't planning on letting my allergies stop me from becoming a vet but I wasn't sure if there are vets who do have allergies. I never thought that there would be so many that have allergies! I'm glad to hear that it's not just me.

I will have to look into the shots, since I am at away from my normal allergy doctor I will have to check out what is around my school.

 

[missmt]

I also have cats that like to ride on my shoulder--we go for walks together. Mostly it's great, but one of them climbs me like a post or a tree when he is really excited to see me. That hurts!

Oh that's so funny, I've tried to get my cats to ride on my shoulder but they don't like it very much...

 

[missmt]

One con- I have definitely lost my sense of smell. probably from blowing my nose constantly. it really sucks. things dont taste as good, and at work i couldnt smell the chlorox bleach that someone had spilt in the hallway. sighhh but w/e, i cant live without my cat. and im hoping my sense of smell will come back after time lol

That is so weird, I have never heard anyone losing their sense of smell like that. I hope it does come back soon!!

 

[camcam]

I was tested about a year ago for allergies, and the doctor said I am allergic to cats, I told him I have 3 of them how could I be. then he suggested I might need to take allergy shots, I didn't think anything of it.

Over time I might get a mild itchy and dry mouth from being exposed to much cat fur, so I went pro-active and I vacum like crazy, groom my furbabies, and foster babies. sometimes they get a bath just to cut down on the dander. and I no longer take baths and I have over counter medication that works (claritain or areus) and a saline nasal rinse.

but it good to know being in the animal care profession is possible even with allergies.

* sorry for bumping up old post, but i didn't want to make a new thread for something that has already been covered.

 

[BlacKAT33]

wow i cant believe i posted in here a year ago! lol

camcam-glad u found something that worked!

i finally found something that is perfect: zyrtec with flonase nasal spray

i stopped taking the allergy shots after a year, it just wasnt working like i expected it to. i did see a positive change, but i was STILL taking zyrtec with the shots lol pointless

 

[168135]

I'm curious as to how bad your allergies are. Sounds like you aren't deathly allergic, so that's good 👍 I know someone who can't be in the same room as a cat or their windpipe will swell. Obviously they aren't a vet.

If it makes anyone feel a little better, I'm allergic to certain types of cat litter. I have a pretty bad reaction when I used to volunteer at the animal shelter. My entire face gets itchy (feels like a million hairs are tickling my face), my nose runs, my eyes get itchy, and I sneeze a lot. Allergy medications do nothing. It's pretty nasty when I'm handling feces and all I want to do is scratch my face off. It's reallly hard to resist that urge.

 

[camcam]

I'm curious as to how bad your allergies are. Sounds like you aren't deathly allergic, so that's good 👍 I know someone who can't be in the same room as a cat or their windpipe will swell. Obviously they aren't a vet.

If it makes anyone feel a little better, I'm allergic to certain types of cat litter. I have a pretty bad reaction when I used to volunteer at the animal shelter. My entire face gets itchy (feels like a million hairs are tickling my face), my nose runs, my eyes get itchy, and I sneeze a lot. Allergy medications do nothing. It's pretty nasty when I'm handling feces and all I want to do is scratch my face off. It's reallly hard to resist that urge.

I was thinking when I start applying to vet clinics to work as a animal care attendant I would wear a mask if I am asked to clean cages, I have that happen when I go to the humane society (toronto) I go in and I go to the cat floor and I come out ready to jump into a bucket of salt so i can scratch.

I have no idea how my allergies will be as I move forward in this career but I will see how it goes and keep track of how I need to handle it.

 

[New Foundland]

I worked in a rat lab and a lab tech who had been there for like 20 years at some point developed bad allergies to rats..

I'm curious as to whether it's more common to develop allergies to rats through exposure than it is to develop allergies to cats through exposure..

anyone know much about this?

 

[BlacKAT33]

I worked in a rat lab and a lab tech who had been there for like 20 years at some point developed bad allergies to rats..

I'm curious as to whether it's more common to develop allergies to rats through exposure than it is to develop allergies to cats through exposure..

anyone know much about this?

ive never heard of a study done on diff species and the exposure. But if you work with any species long enough you can develop allergies. I could see it happening faster with rats just because in a lab u work with many rats (10-50 or who knows, depends on the study) and most people don't work that close with cats in the same quantity. you're also exposed to their cages and all of their urine. When you work at a hospital or shelter there may be a big quantity of cats but you don't have all of their litter boxes piled together in the same room that you're running experiments in. So i think for these environmental reasons i could see a person developing allergies faster than cats.
But i have no clue about the difference between species and i dont know how anyone could even study that in a controlled experiment.

 

[Bigcatlover]

I know some people who have had pretty good luck with allergy shots....

I also know several people allergic to their own cats and they bathe and/or shave them regularly which helps a lot.

I'm sure it is something you can deal with 🙂

 

[ckd816]

I worked in a rat lab and a lab tech who had been there for like 20 years at some point developed bad allergies to rats..

I'm curious as to whether it's more common to develop allergies to rats through exposure than it is to develop allergies to cats through exposure..

anyone know much about this?

Interesting thought... I recently developed an allergy to rats. If I touch one my skin breaks out in itchy welts! I also can't breathe around them and I start having coughing fits. It's so weird though because my ex had 2 rats that I spent a decent amount of time with and I never had a problem then.

One of the vets I work for also developed a rat allergy over time. He used to have them as pets and now has the same symptoms as me. He has to gear up in a mask and gloves whenever we see them, which is nearly everyday because we're an exotics clinic.

I also might be allergic to rabbits and guinea pigs too... not sure if it's their fur or the timmy hay they eat that I'm actually allergic to. Pretty sure it's the hay. Oh well. I just live with a box of tissues at my side while I'm at work. I'm stubborn and I don't like taking meds unless I'm seriously ill. 🙄

 

[BlacKAT33]

Oh well. I just live with a box of tissues at my side while I'm at work. I'm stubborn and I don't like taking meds unless I'm seriously ill. 🙄

I am just like you, I hate taking meds unless I'm going to die. However, if you are still exposed to animals daily you may want to reconsider. After about 6 yrs of gaining allergies from pets (just bad runny nose, eyes itchy etc) it turned into something much worse (face swelling). It was pretty scary the first time it happened to me. My lip felt tingly but i thought nothing of it until i looked in the mirror and it was HUGE. Not sure how common this is for people who develop allergies but if you have a ton of exposure to animals i wouldnt be surprised if it happened eventually, especially if you have pets

 

[ckd816]

I am just like you, I hate taking meds unless I'm going to die. However, if you are still exposed to animals daily you may want to reconsider. After about 6 yrs of gaining allergies from pets (just bad runny nose, eyes itchy etc) it turned into something much worse (face swelling). It was pretty scary the first time it happened to me. My lip felt tingly but i thought nothing of it until i looked in the mirror and it was HUGE. Not sure how common this is for people who develop allergies but if you have a ton of exposure to animals i wouldnt be surprised if it happened eventually, especially if you have pets

I've had dogs and cats my whole life but it's been a few years since I've worked in small animal so I wonder if I would develop allergies to them too over time... What happened to you does sound scary. Maybe I will have to try your Zyrtec and Flonase combo!

 

[Ottergirl]

I'm allergic too, but I control it with meds. Try Advair if you have allergy-triggered asthma. That stuff changed my life, I swear.

 

[BlacKAT33]

I've had dogs and cats my whole life but it's been a few years since I've worked in small animal so I wonder if I would develop allergies to them too over time... What happened to you does sound scary. Maybe I will have to try your Zyrtec and Flonase combo!

yea this is a hard thing to deal with. On one hand i dont want what happend to me to happen to you. But on the other I dont want you trying something that may be too strong for you. I thinkt he zyrtec and flonase and the best for me because they are the strongest compared to others ive tried, even prescription. So just gauge it yourself and maybe try one that is less strong like clariten.

To put it in perspective, the times before i started meds, it was when i was finishing about a box of tissues a day. I just didn't notice. And my bf was complaining because id leave them around the house but i swear i threw them away, there was just SO many lol I had no idea until we realized i finished a whole thing of tissues from Costco that was supposed to last a year hahahha. If you're that bad then def do something because im sure it will get worse. Then once it reaches the peak its like BAM u have BIG ASS ANGELINA JOLIE LIPS hahahah i guess thats not so bad

edit: u know what, i realized my whole story is false. I was on zyrtec when i was in that state!! hahahah u kno its bad if u blow ur nose that much on meds. Flonase worked miracles with zyrtec tho

 

[camcam]

seems for me right now its working, I vaccum all the fabric areas, and hardwood (swiffer is useless ! the duster swiffer is useless)

I dust with babies wipe works great, then I have them on dust-free organic cat littre, I wear a mask when I clean it and I wash it once a month, change the littre daily.

foster cat got a bath last night ... OMG ! I feel normal again no dry mouth, and itchy skin.

nasal rinse, antihistamins works for now. but I am not sure how to handle a work place setitng yet I am thinking. I would probably bring a nasal rinse kit to work with me and a pack of allergy pills. and gloves for handling with animals if its really bad where I am in an attack stage but I have to keep working and a mask for cage cleaning.

I know when cats are scared at the vet they shedd like crazy so I have to be prepared for that

I did find online some remedies to help with cat allergies and if I keep working with animals and it too bad to handling with over the counter and natural methods I will see about getting shots.

the 3 days I was in allergy reacting state I almost gave up on the idea of becoming a vet. since I am still at the starting stages of the plan.