There are many people who are allergic to dogs, including myself and it can be quite upsetting at times. It’s not the actual dog you’re susceptible to but your dog’s dander, saliva and urine. Before contemplating giving your dog to another home there are some steps to follow to alleviate your allergies.It is possible to live with your dog or dogs and control your allergies. Using the methods below will more than likely help your allergies subside, but may not totally dissipate. These suggestion though have certainly worked for me.
Reality of being allergic to dogs?
The signs and symptoms of being allergic to dogs can be mild to severe. In milder cases, symptoms include runny nose or itchy eyes. In extreme cases, you may have additional symptoms such as asthma. In my case, I come within the latter category.
After following the techniques below, it will help you decide whether you reduce your pack size, or your one and only dog stays or has to go to another home.
The mystery behind being allergic to dogs is their dander, urine and saliva not fur. Dander is old skin and is much smaller than human dead skin. It is microscopic, and it’s invisible when floating in the air. It sticks to furniture, curtains and anything everything else; this is why it is important to wash linen regularly and have wooden floors instead of carpets.
The skin of a dog replaces itself on an average of 21 days; consequently, dander is constantly in the air. The more dogs you own or look after the more the problem!
The epidermis on a dog is much thinner than humans and its thickness varies from dog to dog. Therefore, some dogs shed dander more often than others, especially if they’re prone to dry skin.
Believe it or not humans can be allergic to a dog’s urine and their saliva too. Have you ever noticed when you take your dog out for a pee, it splashes onto their fur and paws? You bring your dog back into the house; they lay down and start grooming themselves, with that their hair dries and minuscule particles start floating around the home.
Dogs constantly lick themselves to keep clean so it stands to reason why people are also allergic to their saliva and urine.
Ways To Reduce Being Allergic To Dogs
You may never stop being allergic to your pet, but you can reduce exposure and alleviate its symptoms, here’s how:
- Regularly wash your dog.
- Always groom your dogs two to three times per week, furminators and slickers are excellent check them out HERE.
- Buy some sensitive baby wipes or dog wipes and daily rub your dog down.
- Dogs must not sleep in your bedroom.
- If it’s possible have plenty of ventilation, this obviously depends upon the weather.
- Clean all carpets regularly or change to wooden floors (we have wooden floors; it’s much cleaner).
- If you choose to keep your carpets, buy a vacuum especially made for pets with a Hepa filter and either rent or buy a steam cleaning vacuum which should be used regularly.
- Regularly wash bedding and curtains.
- When changing the filter have another person to change it or use a mask.
- Your dog could sleep outside in a specially built kennel with heating, etc. Check the internet for different designs.
- There are many products on the market to ease allergies such as vaporizers, purifiers, inhalers and more.
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