Monday, May 13, 2013

Seasonal Allergies and Giveaway


Hey, Buddy here with a PSA and a giveaway.  Don't let the post title fool you.  I'm not giving away seasonal allergies. But one lucky reader will win something invaluable for this time of year when we furries are shedding heavily and cats are prone to hurling furballs more than usual- a FURminator.


You might remember this photo of me protesting Jan making me wear a lampshade / bullhorn on my head.  
Or this more recent one.

Yes, I suffer from allergies and when they flare, I am prone to licking and chewing myself raw.  Jan swears I am allergic to myself but how could anyone be allergic to this handsome .... well, I am handsome when I'm not dressed like a party pooper.  More likely, I'm allergic to Jan

Seriously, this has been a bad year for humans and pets with allergies and we've been asked to help raise awareness of seasonal allergies in pets, so I was elected spokesdog because I know firsthand how an allergic reaction can affect the skin of a cat or dog (allergic dermatitis).  We furries can be allergic to just about anything: pollen, dust mites, fleas, household chemicals, mold, animal or human dander, tobacco smoke ....    Jam was quite surprised to find cotton and wool fabrics on the list.  She was aware of wool but  ... cotton?  She hopes I'm not allergic to it.  (Not as much as I do since Jan likes cotton!)  Check out the interesting facts on the pet allergy infograph.

Is your pet scratching, licking, chewing on his paws more than you consider normal, perhaps he has red skin, recurrent skin infections, or is losing hair, and you suspect he has an allergy?  Cat and dog symptoms vary.  You can take this simple vet-created 1 minute quiz at itchfreepet.com (one quiz for cats and one for dogs) to determine whether your pet might be at risk for atopical dermatitis and needs to visit the vet for testing.

The rules for our FURminator giveaway are simple.  To enter, just leave a comment stating you'd like to enter and whether or not your pet has seasonal allergies.

We know that some of you have a pet that has been diagnosed with and is being treated for allergies. And just as many of you, Jan prefers to avoid steroids and drugs for all of us as much as  possible. So feel free to include in your comment what works for your pet.

You can enter this giveaway till midnight EDT Friday. We will use random.com to choose a winner and post the name on Monday, May 20.  We're sorry, but the giveaway is limited to residents of the US and Canada. 

We are not being paid for this post but Novartis' Atopica has provided the quiz and is sponsoring the FURminator giveaway for the primary reason to raise awareness of the issue that pets can have allergies just like people, and many owners don't know the signs. 

26 comments:

  1. Mommy said she would love a furminator! Wait, isn't it something for ME? I am starting to like getting brushed, so I AM THE ONE WHO WOULD LOVE A FURMINATOR!
    And I do sneeze at the loose hair around here and the loose fur. But then, so does Mom.
    QUINN

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  2. We aren't entering because we already have two Furminators, but we all think these are the greatest things since bacon.

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  3. OMC, our human's allergies (and she's allergic to cat dander or saliva or whatever it is) are driving her crazy. She'll comb and brush us and then can barely breathe. LOL. And since we both love to be brushed and since we don't have a furminator and we ARE in Canada, we'd like to enter the draw! :-)

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  4. Gracie has seasonal allergies which usually causes her asthma to flare up. We must pass on the give-away too, we have three furminators!

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  5. I pink I has allergies too. Don't know what to.

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  6. Touch wood, Charlie and Gumtree are ok - but I've suffered from hayfever for a while now!! Boooo to allergies - they're awful to have! Big hugs to you sweet Buddy!! Take care
    x

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  7. We would love to be in ther giveaway! The quiz says we have a 20% chance of having allergies...

    Licks,
    Ruthie

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  8. We feel really bad for those with allergies. We feel very fortunate that we don't have them. We also do have a furminator and they are great things and we hope that someone who hasn't gotten one will win!

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  9. The cone of silence and Maxwell Smart.

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  10. We don't have allergies... Knock on Squirrels...
    BUTT we know that Furmanators are FABULOUS for this time if year when we are TRYING to shed our winter furs!!

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  11. A furminator! Oh gosh, my assistant has always wanted one of those!

    Your pal, Pip

    P.S.: Her allergies are insane at this time of year.

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  12. My Lily can not live with out Atopica!,,,
    Benny & Lily

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  13. We don't think we have allergies, but Mom Paula's are kicking in major right now.

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  14. Our Mommy said she would be more than happy to donate her allergies....

    Happy Tuesday, furriends! XOXO

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  15. We would love to enter your contest! Riley doesn't really show any symptoms of allergies, but they told us years ago that Chloe was allergic to grass...a dog allergic to grass? How do you keep a dog away from grass?! I (Elyse, the human) have had allergies since I was a little kid--grass, trees, pollen, etc. Ugh.

    Elyse and Riley

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  16. We are not entering because we are in the UK and we have a furminator already which we both hate hehe.

    Buddy, thank you for highlighting cat and dog allergies, we hope you aren't allergic to Jan!

    Gerry & Mungo

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  17. buddy...we bet therez a LOT oh peepulz...N pupz N kittehz two, who wood love ta give way ther sea sonnull allergeez...wunder wear they could take em...


    any mew...best fishes ta everee one !!

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  18. I wont enter, cos I in the UK, but I is allergic to wheat. It makes my tummy poorly in big amounts and in little amounts it makes my ears and mouth all scabby and my paws itchy.

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  19. Only the humans here have allergies. This is a good informative post. We hope all the cats and dogs who have allergies get better very soon. Hugs and nose kisses

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  20. Wes needs a furminator here! Me does not has Allergies, neither does Kozmo or the Hairy Slobbery sister Cinnamon, but Mommy, Daddy and the hairy slobbery sister Bob has some mild allergies!
    Kisses
    Nellie

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  21. We want to enter to win a FURminator! :) We don't have allergies, but mom sure does! Mom is allergic to us, grass, certain kinds of trees, and some kind of weed. We think mom could reduce how much our dander bothers her if hers had a FURminator to brush us with :)

    Purrs,
    Carmine, Milita, and Jewel

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  22. We're fortunate that Moosey does not have allergies. And none of our other cats did, either.

    That Furminator is great. We already have one, so you don't have to include us in the drawing. :)

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  23. We are pretty lucky here about not having allergies or annything that causes a lot of licking.

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  24. We have fleas here at casa de gatos - Bella is terrified of the smell of the flea medicine that you put on the back of their necks and I keep forgetting to put it on George & Gracie - my bad -I had a flea on my hand this a.m. at work!!! Ick.

    We'd love a furminator - please enter us in your contest. XOX T.

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  25. Hey Buddy!
    Wow, I'm really excited to enter your giveaway! Mom already has one of these and I love it...maybe if she has two, she can use them both at once. That would feel heavenly! BOL
    Grr and Woof,
    Sarge, COP

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  26. Oh yes, Finn sure does! Great giveaway idea!

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