Emphysema

Hi, Anon.

Thank you for reaching out to EmpowHER.

The main objective when a person has a breathing disorder is to keep the air as clean as possible, which helps keeps inflammation in the lungs to a minimum. Many things can contribute to breathing difficulties for people suffering from such things as asthma, emphysema or severe allergies. Smoke, dust mites, pollen, cold dry air, pollution, and mold can all affect lung function. Sadly, pet dander is on that list too. Which is why your doctor is recommending finding a new home for your dog.

This is a very difficult decision to have to make. Some people (depending on the stage or severity of their condition) will opt to keep their beloved pets, keeping them well groomed and vacuuming daily to help reduce dander. While others may have no choice but to give them up. I'm a huge animal lover, so I know how you must feel. Pets bring so much joy to our lives and studies have shown that having pets around increases the quality of our lives and reduce stress.

I'm sure whatever you decide will be the right thing for you and your situation.

I wish you all the best,

Helena