The Misery Of Pet Allergens.

Dander is the by product shed from the body of various animals, very similar to dandruff.  It contains flaky dead skin, hair or feathers.

70% of Americans have a cat or dog.  11% have an allergy to their pet. For cat and dog dander allergies, the symptoms can be chronic.  There is no such thing as a non allergic breed, and there is no correlation between the length of the pets hair and allergic reactions.  It is important to remember though that shed hair can attract other allergens such as mold, bacteria and pollen.

Any caged animals should be kept as clean as possible.  Bird droppings can horde some horrible bacteria along with molds and fungi which can be very detrimental to our health.  The same applies to any pet mice, hamsters or similar that are very often kept as pets.

I was surprised to learn that pet dander can be found, albeit in lesser amounts, in places of work, public spaces and schools.  As dander is a 'sticky' substance it would make sense that it can very easily be transported on peoples clothes and shoes.

If  you suspect that you may be exposed to excessive dander, remember the good quality air test kits will be your first port of call.  This will give you a full break down to your amount of exposure.  You will be pleased to know, especially if you are a animal lover, there is an awful lot of preventative actions you can take.  I intend to cover more of these tips in a later post.  For now though , the absolute best advise would be to bath your pets on a regular basis and to keep living areas scrupulously clean.