If you suffer from pet allergies, it doesn’t mean you have to give your pets away.
We will never get tired of saying that if you have allergies to furry pets you don’t have to put your companions up for adoption, and we are here to help you navigate pet allergies.
What’s a pet allergy
A pet allergy, like any other allergy, is an immune system response to a protein that your body has encountered, interpreted as foreign and overreacted to combat it.
In the case of pet allergies, the guilty protein can be found in the animal’s dander (the loose skin flakes that the animal sheds), saliva and/or urine. These proteins stick to bedding, clothing and upholstered surfaces.
How to recognize signs of a pet allergy
Typical symptoms can mimic the ones of hay fever, also known as rhinitis, sneezing, congestion, coughing and wheezing, eczema or rashes, runny nose, itchy, swollen eyes and throat, itching of the skin or hives. These symptoms may occur within minutes or build 8 to 12 hours after contact; this is when consulting an allergist is necessary. Before deciding to adopt a pet, spend time with someone else’s pet to determine if you’re allergic, even consider one without fur or feathers. If you already have an animal, try to place it with a caring family. PLEASE NOTE: if symptoms are severe and evolve in asthma attacks and hospitalization, stricter measures must be taken prioritizing the health of the patient.
How to get tested
Consult an allergist. Simple blood tests and/or skin prick tests can be run by your allergist to quickly identify the culprit and determine the best course of treatment. Before introducing a new furry animal visit an allergist/immunologist, the specialist expert in testing and diagnosing allergies and asthma. Remember there is no trial and error or suspecting; make sure that no allergies are detected.
What comes after you are diagnosed
The most effective and radical way to fight the symptoms is to remove the pet and avoid contact: keeping an animal outdoors is only a partial solution.
Follow the doctor’s prescriptions and instructions • When mild symptoms are present: anti-histamines and nasal sprays • the most effective treatment is immunotherapy or allergy shots that help the body desensitize over a period of time and have a better quality of life.
SOME TIPS ON HOW TO CONTROL THE ENVIRONMENT:
- Do not allow the animal in the bedroom or on upholstered furniture
- Add bleach when washing clothing or bedding
- Cover mattress and pillows with hypoallergenic cases
- Use HEPA room air cleaners and vacuum filter
- Limit carpeted surfaces, opt for hardwood and tiles
- Substitute upholstery furniture for leather
- Bathe animals regularly
FACTS:
- Did you know that animal dander is one of the most common allergens in the US? 62% of households have an indoor pet • animal allergens may be found in 90% of homes and public indoor areas
- The fur length of the pet doesn’t interfere with the allergic potential of the animal, however the longer the fur the more it can collect other airborne allergens
- At the beginning of the school year, as well as after the holidays, there’s a spike in asthma episodes, when children allergic to pets are reintroduced to the allergen that may not be present at home, but brought in by their schoolmates.
- There is no such thing as hypoallergenic furry pets because, contrary to popular belief, people are not allergic to animal’s hair.
