Some Veterinarians Allergic to Pets Too

Dominic Dallago Animals Veterinary Hospital University of California Tanya Crawley

By Staff Reporter , Parent Herald Mar 16, 04:00 am

Though they are exposed to different kinds of animals daily, there are veterinarians who admitted that they develop allergies because of their pets. These animal doctors claim that they get sick while trying to save the lives of many animals.

The Frederick News Post said that Philadelphia-based vet Dominic Dallago is one of them. Dallago said he still chose the profession though he has suffered allergies from pets since he was a child.

"I usually sniffle, snort," the 37-year-old vet said. "Cats will do it to me. But animal allergies and asthma are the norm for me. And it's pretty common in the profession."

The animal doctor, who works at the World of Animals Veterinary Hospital, said he has dedicated his life to this kind of profession despite the health risks. "An allergist said I'd be in misery all my life as a vet. But it's ingrained in me to do this," he explained.

Citing a study of the University of California in Davis, The Frederick News Post said that 90 percent of veterinarians tested for allergies were diagnosed with at least one. They are also more prone to developing asthma than any other sector in the population.

On the other hand, veterinarian Tanya Crawley told Metro that she deals with allergies to cats, dogs and rabbits everyday. "It can be hard sometimes but as long as I'm careful and ensure I have good hand hygiene, then I get along fine," she explained.

"I am most allergic to rabbits, so if I feel like my airways are starting to close up I'll just step outside and take a few puffs on my inhaler," added the 38-year-old veterinarian. She even shared that her allergy to rabbits would sometimes require her to stop working for a day because of its severity.

However, she claimed that treating and working with animals has always been her passion. "It would probably be better for me to wear gloves and a mask when I'm treating an animal but I don't think it's fair on them - a mask can look quite scary and you can't examine them properly with gloves on," she added.