Dealing with Pet Allergies

Do you sneeze, wheeze, cough and tear when greeted by a cuddly critter? Here’s how to stop the suffering:

Shed your pet allergies now!

By Lynn Schnurnberger
Published: June 24, 2007

If you’ve ever felt like the cat’s got your lung, you’re not alone. Fifteen percent of us get watery eyes or a runny nose, cough, break out into a rash or worse when we’re around dogs and cats. But some of us have no choice. Tim Justice, a doctor in Boulder, Colo., knew that if his wife had to choose between him and her kitty, she’d pick the cat! Although one in 10 animal owners is allergic, a whopping 80% of people advised by their doctors to give up their Fluffy or Fido refuse.

That’s why many of us watched closely last fall as the first hypoallergenic cats were delivered to their owners. One was so pleased by her no-wheeze, no-sneeze pet that she sang its praises on national television. The others aren’t talking. Perhaps the price left them speechless: Each cat now costs $5,950 plus a $995 processing fee.

Luckily, short of springing for a genetically engineered pet, there are lots of ways to keep man’s best friend from turning into your worst enemy.

Know thy pet. Don’t blame your allergy symptoms on cat hair and bird feathers: The real culprits are proteins found in your pet’s saliva, urine, glandular secretions and dandruff-like particles that animals with fur or feathers shed. But while most animals can cause allergic reactions, some are less troublesome than others. For example, small birds don’t produce as much symptom-inducing feather dust as larger ones. It’s the same concept with dogs: The smaller they are (and the less they run around), the less likely their dander is to spread and cause an allergic reaction. With hamsters and other rodents, at least the dander is contained in the cage. But beware of black cats: Physicians at Long Island College Hospital found that patients who owned dark-colored felines were four times more likely to have allergies than those who owned light-colored ones.

Set boundaries. No matter how plaintively your Yorkie yelps, banish her from the bedroom. (Keep the door shut, so she won’t sneak visits while you’re gone.) If you breathe well for eight hours, you’ll be better able to deal with your allergies the next day, advises Dr. William E. Berger, an allergist in Mission Viejo, Calif., and former president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. To make your bedroom as irritant-free as possible, keep windows closed and the room uncluttered. Encase mattresses, box springs, pillows and comforters in zippered, mite-proof covers.

Use filters. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters suck impurities out of the air so well that they’re used on NASA space missions. More important for us, they can help eliminate invisible airborne allergens in the home, according to Dr. David Rosenstreich of Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Use HEPA filters on air ducts, HEPA bags in vacuum cleaners and buy HEPA air purifiers for your bedroom and the rooms your pet inhabits most frequently.

Replace the drapes. A series of studies by Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills of the Asthma & Allergic Diseases Center at the University of Virginia found that the greatest source of allergens at home is the dander trapped in carpets and drapes. It’s an expensive solution, but it may be time to unleash your inner Martha Stewart: Replace carpets with tile or hardwood floors, exchange fabric drapes for plastic blinds and swap cloth-covered couches and chairs for wood or leather furniture.

Keep Spot spotless. Brush or comb furry pets frequently, advises Shirlee Kalstone, author of a book on pet allergies. Washing your dog once a week with a pH-balanced shampoo also will reduce dander. For cats who’d rather not bathe, wet a washcloth with a nontoxic, allergen-removal solution and gently wipe your kitty’s fur. Small birds can splash in shallow water, while larger birds might enjoy a gentle shower from a spray bottle. Clean all pet cages frequently. If you can’t enlist a non-allergic friend to help, wear a cup-shaped face mask.

Shirt the issue. In a study from the University of Sydney, people who wore wool sweaters were exposed to 11 times the amount of cat allergens as those who wore freshly washed T-shirts.

Get a shot in the arm. While over-the-counter medications can relieve symptoms, Dr. Berger cautions that extreme discomfort or trouble breathing may require allergy shots. The shots work like a vaccine: As the body builds up tolerance to increasing doses, symptoms typically improve within a year.

Be patient. Dr. Rosenstreich says that some allergy sufferers develop a tolerance over time for the animals they live with. When school psychologist Ronnie Kirschenberg brought a kitten into their Florida home, her allergic husband nicknamed the cat Maybe. As his symptoms improved, he upgraded her to Probably. It’s just anecdotal says Dr. Rosenstreich, but some patients tell me that their dog doesn’t bother them anymore, while other dogs still do.

If all else fails, get a goldfish. It’s not cuddly, but it won’t make you sneeze