A life with a dog has always been important to Matilda Hübinette. Seven years ago, she became severely allergic to fur animals and then had to give up her dog. Today, Matilda is mother to the Rottweiler Stinsen. Showers and skin care have reduced her allergy symptoms - We shower him often and he really likes it. Maybe it's because we bribed him with meatballs at the beginning, she says.
Imagine having pets and one day feeling how the allergy takes over - now Matilda can finally have a dog again.
In an old station house outside Uppsala, right next to the railway, the Rottweiler Stinsen lives with his mother Matilda Hübinette. Stinsen is five months old and is a long-awaited family member. Matilda has had a close relationship with dogs all her life, but seven years ago she felt for the first time an allergy to her former pets. First against the cat and a number of months later also against the dog, which ended with her having to give them up.
- I got itching, a runny nose and a rash on direct contact. Then I tried to do everything I could to reduce my allergy symptoms. I changed my diet and excluded, among other things, gluten and E-substances, but still felt the allergy, says Matilda Hübinette.
Stinsen is playing in the yard.
Matilda longed to have a dog again and tried to find out as much as possible about allergies and what aids were available for fur allergy sufferers. She carefully followed the latest research from Karolinska Institutet and read about Medi-Tec's work in developing products for fur allergy sufferers. Matilda also made a long list of measures that could help her ingest as little allergen as possible. When she discovered Allergenius® Special Shampoo she first tried using it on her friend's dog and soon felt that it helped her symptoms.
- I waited for many years before I decided to get a dog again. I took the plunge when I saw that there was a special shampoo that made the dog less allergenic and that you could test the dog's allergen level. It felt important to find a solution that worked because I was determined not to have to give up my dog again, says Matilda Hübinette.
Matilda ordered allergen tests and sent these to a Rottweiler breeder. The litter of puppies was tested with brush and saliva samples and the test results showed that Stinsen's allergen levels were relatively low. When he came home to Knivsta shortly afterwards, Matilda had a clear plan how she would make the home as low-allergenic as possible. She wore gloves on her hands and taught him not to bite and lick his hands and feet. Stinsen was also trained early on to swim. Today he is washed every ten days with Allergenius® Dog Special Shampoo and receives treatment with Special balm between washes.
- We started showering Stinsen already in the first week and lured him with meatballs. Now he loves bathing and playing in the shower. When we are at other people's houses, he looks for the bathroom straight away, says Matilda Hübinette.
Stinsen is waiting to be showered.
Matilda has so far not taken any allergy medicine and can now finally have a dog, but admits that it has taken a lot of work to become symptom-free. Bathing requires its work, but regular washing with good products contributes to a strengthened skin barrier, which in turn reduces the amount of allergens.
- The skin and coat are so nice and my allergy has improved. Stinsen also likes showering a lot. The most important thing is that he feels well and has an active and normal life, she says.
At home, Matilda has an air purifier, cleans with a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter and washes all textiles often. Stinsen and Matilda are together all day and she makes sure that Stinsen is outside a lot to run away. In this way, the home becomes a quiet place to rest, which has positive effects on the allergy as the allergen does not spread indoors in the same way as when Stinsen is still. For Matilda, it is allergen tests, shampoo and conditioner together with a lot of knowledge about how allergens are spread that have made it possible for her to have Stinsen today.
- Sometimes I feel a bit stuffy in the morning, but it's really worth it to be able to have him. We are with each other all the time. Stinsen is incredibly anticipated and receives a lot of activation and attention. It is the research at Karolinska Institutet and Medi-Tec that has made this possible. I can finally have a dog and am very happy about it, says Matilda Hübinette.
Matilda together with Stinsen.
