Best Way to Avoid Domestic Pet Allergy in the Home

Domestic pets are an extremely common cause of allergies within the home. The worst offenders are cats and dogs, and contact with these animals can result in asthma, rhinitis, or conjunctivitis. Allergic reactions are also associated with birds, mice, rats, guinea-pigs, rabbits, and hamsters. Allergy problems with outdoor animals, such as geese, ducks, chickens, and horses, are also common.

The allergens themselves are found in the animal’s skin flakes (dander), as well as in their hair saliva, and urine, and they quickly become distributed throughout any home where pets live. Due to their sticky nature, these allergens can be transported on people’s clothing, therefore ending up in rooms, or even other buildings, where animals have been excluded. This can be a real problem for allergy sufferers when they are visited by their pet-owning friends.

Dog allergy

Allergy to domestic dogs is less common than allergy to cats. The source of the allergen is the same, however – dander saliva, and urine -and studies have shown that dog allergen is present in more than half households sampled.

Since saliva is one of the most important sources of allergen, a dog’s lick may set off a severe response. Some people report the onset of symptoms only after contact with specific breeds. There is no good evidence that different breeds have different allergens – but it could be that individual dogs vary in the amount of allergen that they generate.

How to avoid pet allergies in the home

• Ideally, you should remove all pets from the home.
• Keep pets outdoors if possible and, if not, keep them in well-ventilated parts of the house with hard flooring, such as in the kitchen.
• Do not allow pets in bedrooms or in the main living rooms.
• Wash cats and dogs frequently (at least once a week) to remove allergens from their fur or hair.

• Vacuum floors, bedding, and soft furnishing regularly with a high­ efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and use double-thickness vacuum cleaner bags to prevent the allergen leaking.
• Install HEPA air filters in bedrooms and living rooms.
• Remove carpeting and install linoleum/vinyl/wood flooring instead.
• Clean upholstered chairs and couches or sofas weekly, or replace them with leather- or vinyl-covered furniture.