Pet ownership offers companionship, joy, and numerous health benefits.
However, for some, it also introduces an unwelcome guest: pet dander. This microscopic allergen can make life with pets a challenge, triggering sneezing fits, itchy eyes, and even asthma attacks.
In this article, we'll explain what pet dander is, where it comes from, and how you can manage its impact on your health without parting ways with your beloved animal companions.
What is Pet Dander
10% of Americans are allergic to the dander brought in by household pets. Dander can have unfortunate effects on a pet owner’s health, but there are a few ways you can minimize its impact.
Pet dander consists of tiny, even microscopic, flecks of skin shed by cats, dogs, rodents, birds, and other animals with fur or feathers.
These particles can linger in the air for a long time and easily stick to furniture, bedding, fabrics, and other household items. Because of their small size and jagged shape, they can be difficult to remove completely.
It's not just the skin flakes themselves that cause problems; proteins found in an animal's saliva, urine, and sweat glands can stick to the dander, exacerbating allergic reactions.
Pet Dander Sources
All animals with fur or feathers produce dander as their skin cells regenerate. The most common sources include:
- Cats and Dogs: The most prevalent sources, as they are the most popular pets.
- Rodents: Hamsters, guinea pigs, and mice can also produce significant amounts of dander.
- Birds: Feathers and droppings from pet birds can carry allergens similar to dander.
How Dander Spreads
Dander particles are incredibly lightweight and small, allowing them to remain suspended in the air for extended periods. They can easily attach to clothing, furniture, and other surfaces, making it possible for the allergens to spread to places where pets have never been. HVAC systems can also circulate dander throughout the home, exacerbating the issue.
Symptoms Associated with Pet Dander
Those with pet allergies are categorized as having either low or high sensitivity. For those with low sensitivity, symptoms may not appear until a few days after coming into contact with the allergen. High-sensitivity people, on the other hand, may feel the impact of dander within 15 minutes of contact.
Symptoms of allergies include swelling, itching of the membranes that line the eyes and nose, inflamed eyes, and respiratory problems. Once dander has entered the lungs, antibodies combine with the allergens, causing intense coughing or wheezing. Susceptible people may also experience rashes on the face, neck, and upper chest.
If you’re experiencing all these things at home, the worst symptom is being unable to feel comfortable in your living space.
How to Deal with Pet Dander
The first step for many who suffer from pet allergies is the removal of animals in the house. According to Live Science, different animals can affect people to varying degrees, with twice as many people suffering from allergies to cats rather than dogs.
But it can also be difficult to part ways with your furry, dandery friends. As long as you’re low-sensitivity, there are other methods you can use to limit the impact of pet dander in your day-to-day life:
- Pet-Free Zones: By keeping pets out, you can reduce the levels of dander in any room of the house. The bedroom might be an especially good place for a zone like this -- nobody wants to wake up with allergy symptoms.
- Frequent Pet Baths: If you do own a pet and you can’t bear to part ways, a weekly bath can reduce the amount of dander in their fur.
- Replacing Furnishings: Dander is attracted to fabric, so by replacing carpets with linoleum or cloth drapes with blinds, you can reduce the amount of allergens sticking to the furnishings.
- HEPA air filters: HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters reduce the amount of dander being circulated through the air and trap allergens at 99.97% efficiency down to 0.3 microns. There are also benefits of HEPA air purifiers for pets.
Of all these methods, air filters can be the most effective at stopping dander from spreading. By treating the air quality itself, you can greatly reduce dander levels at a consistent rate. Air filters are even more useful for those without pets, as they provide a quick and painless clean-up of the air in any given place.
What are Hypoallergenic Pets?
For those who suffer from pet allergies but still long for the companionship of an animal, hypoallergenic pets might seem like the perfect solution. But do they really live up to the hype?
The Myth of Hypoallergenic Pets
While certain breeds are marketed as hypoallergenic, it's important to understand that no pet is entirely allergen-free. Hypoallergenic pets are typically animals that shed less fur and dander than others.
Breeds like Poodles, Bichon Frises, and certain hairless cats fall into this category. However, they still produce the proteins found in dander, saliva, and urine that can trigger allergic reactions.
Avoid The Symptoms of Excessive Pet Dander
Rabbit Air purifiers are safe for pets and are an environmentally friendly way to eliminate allergens from the air. Pet owners in particular are in luck, as the Rabbit Air MinusA2 can be outfitted with a filter specially designed to trap pet allergens, called the Pet Allergy Customized filter.
And Rabbit Air offers excellent, 24-hour customer service and free shipping throughout most of the U.S., so take a look today and reduce the impact pet dander is having on your health.
