447LikesPersonally, I found the scratch test to be pretty painful. I take it we didn't all have the same experience.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Personally, I found the scratch test to be pretty painful. I take it we didn't all have the same experience.
Painful or not--and my tests were not--they need to be done. Without proper testing for allergies, there's no way to treat them properly, and it's extremely important to know what someone'a allergy triggers are. My primary triggers are late summer/early fall grasses, but as it turns out, I am also allergic to the penicillin family and sulfa sensitive. Even if the child is especially sensitive to pain, it's worth some pain to know that, because not knowing it could be extremely dangerous.
Also, if the child is allergic to dogs, she could very well be allergic to other things as well. If that's the case, when she's not around dogs, her respiratory system may be able to function better, but it's still not going to function the way it should. If she's not allergic to dogs, then she, and her pug-loving grandmother, have both been put through a lot for no reason, because she'll still be suffering in the interim. But again, even if the dog is a trigger, if she's had respiratory problems that have gotten worse, presumably not just when she's around the dog, then she's probably being affected by other things as well, and it's important to find out what those other things are. If not, she could end up enduring things considerably more stressful than a scratch test. Moreover, if she doesn't have significant allergies, then there's something else wrong and that needs to be addressed--but they won't know if that's the case unless she has the tests.
Just trying to eliminate what someone might be allergic to is guesswork at best and can be extremely time-consuming in terms of figuring out everything that might be an allergen for that person. The tests might take an afternoon, and the answers will be definite, not guesses. It's worth it to know what's wrong and be able to treat it appropriately.
Oh, I don't disagree as to the need for testing, but it is no picnic for everybody, and it can be unpleasant. I can't pretend that it is no big deal when I found it to be quite an ordeal...and I believe in being prepared for what may come. Kids need for you to be straight with them in talking about possibilities.
It wasn't painful for me, just itchy. My whole back felt like one big mosquito bite! It felt so good when the nurse cleaned it off and then rubbed my back with a towel.Originally Posted by prhoshay
I am talking about pain when the scratches were being made, of which there were a couple of hundred. The itch is a story, all in itself!
I know ya'll are going to think I am either crazy or making this up but I swear this is the truth...I am sitting here in my chair last week doing something on the computer when my cat Fuzz comes running through the kitchen hissing and going on like I have never seen her do before and I look up and there is this little thing of black fur that is streaking through my kitchen with its hair on ends and doing the sideways dance...now I don't have any fosters right now and all my 4 cats are fixed...so I scream at the kids to come here and I point to the little black kitten who is probably between 6 and 8 weeks and asked them where in the heck did that come from she is solid black with blue eyes ...my daughter used to have a cat that looked just like that and her name was Bubbles and so my daughter comes in here and the poor thing is very skittish and shaking from being scared so my daughter picked her up and she just started purring and my daughter said I name thee Bubbles...lol..but heres the thing my kids know they can bring home strays I have never had a problem with it but no one and I mean no one including everyone in my neighborhood knows where this little kitten comes from or the weirdest of all how it got into my house without no one noticing....so I thought ya'll would like the story of how we have gotten and welcomed cat number 5 into our home...lol...Welcome Bubbles to the family
We have a new kitten, too. Her name is Minerva (after Professor McGonigal in Harry Potter who can change into a cat). She was returned from a litter of kittens because the new owner discovered she was dangerously allergic. I had wanted to keep her because her markings are so unusual. I'll post her picture as my avatar.
I don't know if you saw the first picture - I changed it because someone wanted to see her face - the back of her head is all orange bleeding out to orange stripes. There are random orange stripes mixed in with the black, and her nose is orange which doesn't really show in this picture. Her belly is white with black spots and an occasional orange spot, and each foot is a different combination of orange, black, and white. And she purrs!!! I love a cat that purrs and they don't all do it.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote