Toby

For Olivia's birthday this past September my husband and I got her a puppy. An American Eskimo, she named him Toby. Toby is all white with black points. He and Olivia quickly became best buddies. She can be a little rough with him sometimes and he gives it right back to her(in a lovable brother way). He is very protective and if anyone besides my husband or I pick her up he gets very upset and wants her down immediately. I'm not saying that having a rambunctious four year old and a playful puppy running around isn't stressful at times, but it truly is amazing to see how much they love each other.  About 3 weeks ago Olivia started getting hives on her skin. About three times a week they appear and sometimes Olivia cries because they itch so badly. A little benedryl and a nap and they go away leaving behind no indication they were ever there. I could not for the life of me find anything in common with the times that these would appear. A couple nights ago her hives got really bad, some of them were round and some were about an inch long! My poor baby looked so sad and pitiful so we went straight to the Doctors. After being asked a million different questions something dawned on me. Every time Olivia broke out she was playing with Toby! Oh no! Her pediatrician said it could be the dog and that allergies can develop very suddenly at times. He referred us to an allergy specialist and said if we find the culprit, eliminate it because she could have a worse reaction to where her throat could close up and she could stop breathing. Now obviously I would get rid of the dog if she was allergic to him because I would never put her life at risk, but every time I think about getting rid of Toby it breaks my heart. Olivia wouldn't understand at this age and would be devastated. We would be losing a part of our family and we aren't prepared for that. I get all teary-eyed when I think about it so we just have to stay positive until we get her tested. So tonight when I tuck Olivia and Toby into bed and read them a book, I will be praying that her allergy is to something small and easily removable and not our sweet Toby.