How To Treat a Pet Dander Allergy

Taking medications, washing your hands, and removing carpets are a few ways to treat a pet dander allergy caused by cats, dogs, or other furry or feathered pets. Pet dander, consisting of microscopic, dandruff-like skin flakes and proteins from saliva and urine, can trigger pet allergies and aggravate asthma.

Remember that some pet breeds may be touted as better for people with allergies, but no cats or dogs are truly free from dander. Here's what you need to know about dealing with pet allergies.

Separate the Pet and the Allergic Person

You might consider isolating your cat or dog from allergic family members as much as possible. Decide if you want or can keep your pet outdoors or at least out of the bedrooms.

Taking some or all of those steps may not reduce allergen levels enough to impact symptoms. That's because allergens must fall below a certain threshold to alleviate symptoms. Because pet dander readily spreads, quarantining a pet may not be helpful.

Pet dander is so pervasive that it can be found in homes without pets, schools, shopping malls, and other public places. Limiting the pet's roaming area will help reduce the amount of allergy-causing dander.

Reduce the Amount of Dander

Though their usefulness is debated, other measures may further reduce pet dander. Those measures include covering furniture with towels, sheets, or allergy-specific covers that can be washed.

Room air cleaners with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can also be helpful. They reduce pet dander by removing it from the air.

Remove or Clean Carpets and Rugs

When possible, replacing carpets with tile or wood floors is beneficial. Rugs and carpets tend to trap pet dander. Regardless of the type of flooring you have, it's also a good idea to clean it frequently.

Vacuuming when a person with a pet allergy is out of the home or area can be helpful if you can't get rid of carpets or rugs. Consider using vacuums with HEPA filters.

Wash the Pet and Your Hands

Bathing your pet weekly can help reduce airborne allergens. You'll also want to wash your hands and face after playing with the pet or its belongings.

Take Medication

Medications can be helpful if you have a pet dander allergy. An allergist may recommend that you take antihistamines or decongestants. Depending on the severity of your allergy, you may need to increase the medication dosage.

People with asthma may require higher doses of inhaled corticosteroids or the addition of other medicines, such as leukotriene inhibitors. In some cases, people may decide to get allergy shots—known as immunotherapy—that boost immunity to the allergen.

Living With and Managing Pet Dander Allergy

All of the above options can be helpful for pet dander allergy management. There are also some other factors to think about, which include:

• Ruling out other possible causes of your symptoms. Pet dander allergies are sometimes harder to recognize. Other allergens, like air pollution or dust mites, can also trigger symptoms in people with allergies or asthma.
• Getting an allergy test to confirm pet dander as an allergen. The easiest way to pinpoint a pet allergy is to visit an allergist and get a series of skin tests. A skin prick test (SPT) exposes the skin to small samples of possible allergens.
• Choosing to rehome a pet as a last resort measure. Making this decision is not necessary in all cases of pet allergies. The decision would instead depend on how severe your symptoms are and whether you have other family members who are allergic.

A Quick Review

There are many ways to treat and manage pet dander allergies for people who have them or suspect they do. A few options are washing your hands after contact with a pet, cleaning floors regularly, and using medications.

It's not always necessary to remove a pet from the home if you or a loved one has a pet dander allergy. Working with a healthcare provider like an allergist can help you devise the best treatment plan to manage the allergy.