Keep Your Pet

Allergies

Another reason people turn their pets into us is because someone in the family is allergic. Allergies to your pets can be controlled in some situations. You do want to be careful with asthmatic children though. You do not want to put your child's health at risk if allergies are severe.

For allergies that are less severe there are different things you might want to try before giving up your pet. Living comfortably with a pet despite allergies requires a good understanding of allergies and following a few rules. Contrary to popular belief, there are no "non-allergenic" breeds of dogs or cats; even hairless breeds may be highly allergenic. "Non-Allergenic" dogs are basically marketing ploys to get people to spend hundreds of dollars on a mutt. You only get 50% or less of the "low-allergenic" qualities when you breed a dog such as a lab or a cocker spaniel to a poodle.

Dogs with soft hair that grows constantly may be less irritating to people with allergies, but it could be due to the fact that these breeds of dogs are bathed and groomed more frequently. Keeping your dog clean and groomed can be very helpful for some who are battling allergies.

How do pets irritate an allergic human? There are glands in the pet's skin that secrete tiny allergy-triggering protiens that are called allergens. They linger in the animal's fur and float in the air. Allergens are present in the animal's saliva and urine. Allergen's can linger in the animals fur after they clean themselves. The reaction from one person to the next can be mild sniffling to life-threatening asthma. These symptoms can also be complicated by allergies to other irritants in the environment.

The Humane Society of the United States recommends the following steps to reduce allergic reactions:

Create an "allergy free" zone in the home—preferably the bedroom—and strictly prohibit the pet's access to it. Use a high-efficiency HEPA air cleaner (available at almost any home and garden store or discount department store) in the bedroom. Consider using impermeable covers for the mattress and pillows because allergen particles brought into the room on clothes and other objects can accumulate in them.

Use HEPA air cleaners throughout the rest of the home, and avoid dust-and-dander-catching furnishings such as cloth curtains and blinds and carpeted floors. Clean frequently and thoroughly to remove dust and dander, washing articles such as couch covers and pillows, curtains, and pet beds. Use a "microfilter" bag in the vacuum cleaner to effectively catch all the allergens.

Bathing your pet on a weekly basis can reduce the level of allergens on fur by as much as 84%. Although products are available that claim to reduce pet allergens when sprayed on the animal's fur, studies show they are less effective than a weekly bath. Even cats can become accustomed to being bathed; check with your veterinarian's staff or a good book on pet care for directions about how to do this properly, and use whatever shampoo your veterinarian recommends.

Don't be quick to blame the family pet for allergies. Ask your allergist to specifically test for allergies to pet dander, rather than making an assumption. And understand that allergies are cumulative. Many allergy sufferers are sensitive to more than one allergen. So if you're allergic to dust, insecticides, pollen, cigarette smoke, and cat dander, you'll need to reduce the overall allergen level in your environment by concentrating on all of the causes, not just the pet allergy. For example, you may need to step up measures to remove cat dander from your home and carefully avoid cigarette smoke during spring, when it is difficult to avoid exposure to pollen.

Immunotherapy (allergy shots) can improve symptoms but cannot eliminate them entirely. They work by gradually desensitizing a person's immune system to the pet allergens. Allergy-causing proteins are injected under the person's skin, triggering the body to produce antibodies (protective proteins) which block the pet allergen from causing a reaction. Patients are usually given one dose per week for a few weeks to months (depending on the severity of the allergy) and then can often manage with one injection per month.

Additional treatments for allergies to pets are symptomatic, including steroidal and antihistamine nose sprays and antihistamine pills. For asthma, there are multiple medications, sprays, and inhalers available. It is important to find an allergist who understands your commitment to living with your pet. A combination of approaches—medical control of symptoms, good housecleaning methods, and immunotherapy—is most likely to succeed in allowing an allergic person to live with pets.

To read the whole article visit the HSUS

There is also a special product you can use on your pets:

Please find it in your heart to do whatever is necessary to keep your pet for life as long as it does not put you or your families health at risk.

~ Danielle Breiholz - Board Secretary

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