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Living With Pet Allergies

Do your homework so you can co-exist in comfort

By Tracy Balazy

Contrary to popular belief, hair isn’t responsible for the allergic reactions that send many pet owners into fits of coughing and sneezing. Instead it’s the proteins secreted by sweat glands and shed as dander that are the culprit in animal allergies. Hair is merely the vehicle that spreads the allergen, says Jane Elizabeth Krasnick, M.D., of Warren Allergy and Asthma Care.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 15% to 20% of the population is allergic to animals, and there is no species or breed to which humans are immune from developing allergies.

Antihistamines, nasal sprays, inhalers and eye drops are options for the allergic pet owner, says Krasnick. Because of allergy shots’ possible side effects and questionable effectiveness, she hesitates to administer inoculations to patients who are allergic only to animals.

“[It’s as if] you want to keep a cut and want to keep putting salt on it, and you want me to put a bandage on it,” she says.

Krasnick makes exceptions for patients for whom contact with animals is integral, such as animal rescue workers, veterinarians and people who rely on service animals.

Parents trying to pinpoint the source when their children test positive in skin tests for multiple allergies also face a dilemma.

“The only way to know is to remove the animals and really clean the house,” Krasnick says, noting that allergy-causing proteins decay in about 90 days in a home environment.

Cleaning house

Housekeeping is in order when allergies to pets manifest themselves. Limit carpeting, draperies and upholstery in the home, dust frequently with a damp cloth, and vacuum the sofa’s creases and surfaces under furniture, says Krasnick. She recommends you use replaceable filters in air exchange registers and get your heating and cooling system’s ductwork cleaned.

According to Consumers Union, a whole-house air filter installed on the furnace is an effective choice in homes with forced-air heating and cooling. Krasnick also recommends keeping pets out of your bedroom.

“If you have one kid who’s real allergic, when the other kid comes home [after contact with animals], he will contaminate the house.” – Jane Elizabeth Krasnick, M.D.

You should wash your hands after contact with pets, but remember, she says, excessively bathing your pets will dry out their skin and result in more dander.

And sometimes keeping your own house clean isn’t enough. “If you have one kid who’s real allergic, when the other kid comes home [after contact with animals], he will contaminate the house,” Krasnick says. “Cross-contamination is a problem, especially in winter when kids are wearing sweaters.”

In severe cases, Krasnick says, permanent removal of the pet from the home is the only logical option, but in her experience, “The majority of people won’t remove the animal. The attachment to that animal is quite an unusual bond.”