Tips and Tricks: Pet Dander

Let’s face it, we love our pets. They are like family. They sleep in our beds, hang out on the couch while watching tv, and even let the young kids play dentist in their mouth (yuck!). They are the perfect addition to any family. But then the tragedy comes. Your kid starts sneezing constantly or you are continually rubbing your dry eyes. Let the allergies begin. Most families consider getting rid of their furry friends, but we think they should stay. Why? Because there are ways to lessen the dander and help your family to not suffer.

Let’s start with the basic science behind the allergies before telling you how to fix them. The allergic symptoms that everyone gets are not from the animals fur. In fact it is from the proteins that are secreted in the saliva and oil glands that sheds the dead skin. This is dander and quite frankly it is gross.

Warning: These tips and tricks are not a magical cure. In fact, it could take up to 2 months before your symptoms start to disappear.

1. Washing and brushing your animals once a week will help reduce the pet dander. If you have a very fury animal, such as a Husky, you may want to brush them more than once a week. Hopefully you have someone in your home who doesn’t suffer and can do it for you. Just remember to do it outside if possible. You wouldn’t want to be the cause of more dander in your home.

2. For those in the home that suffer from allergies make sure the bedrooms are off limits. You don’t want to wake up at 2am rubbing your eyes and sneezing. But keep in mind that pet dander travels, especially on clothes. Keeping animals out of the bedroom will reduce allergies, but not cure them.

3. Allergens are never contained. They travel on clothes and through the heating and air conditioning system. Consider high efficiency air filters and change them every two to three months to help reduce the distribution of dander in your home. Also consider using a central air cleaner for at least 4 hours a day. The air cleaners can help to remove a large amount of pet allergens from the home.

4. We love to show our pets how much we truly love them, and they do as well. If it is a must to hug and kiss your pets, make sure to wash your hands right after. Your hands hold onto the dander and you do not want that to be near your face.

5. Get your carpets and upholstery cleaned. Your pets love to roll around on your carpets and sit on your upholstery with you. Just vacuuming them isn’t enough. Having a professional come out and clean will significantly reduce the dander more than vacuuming alone.

Animals are a big part of our daily lives and most people will do anything to keep them in the home. At Complete Care System we want to keep your family and small friends happy and healthy together.

www.completecaresystems.com

727.364.5158