Pet Allergy Information - How to Live With Your Cat Or Dog

Did you know that over 70 percent of households inremove the pet allergens and other allergens from
the United States share their lives and living spacethe air. Also stay away from ionizers that will drop
with pet dogs and cats? Yes, this is a fact and thisfloating allergens from the air and onto your furniture,
report is to help those who love their pets and desirecarpet and onto your bed while you are sleeping.
to live with them as comfortably, happily and allergyIonizers do not filter the air and are not the answer
free as possible!for pet dander problems. We have found these
First you need to know that it's not your pet's fur,brands of HEPA air cleaners and HEPA air purifiers to
dander or hair that is the real problem. The realdo the best job. The Austin Air Healthmate HM-400
culprits are tiny proteins that are secreted by glandsHEPA air cleaner, The TRACS HEPA air purifier and
in your dog or cat. The allergen protein is found inthe EZ Air HEPA air cleaner.
the fur, saliva, urine, mucous, salivary glands and hairIf you have ducted central air or heating, it is a good
roots. This protein will stick to your pet's fur andidea to utilize a quality self-charging electrostatic air
dander {Dead Skin} but know that the fur andfilter for your system. These air filters are custom
dander itself is not what you're reacting to.made to size, washable, approximately 90 percent
For cats the protein is called the Fel D1 Glycoprotein,efficient and will last for years and years. A proper air
For Dogs it's called Can F1 Proteinduct cleaning company can often remove many
These proteins are very potent and can quicklypounds of pet allergen, dust and other allergens from
cause an allergic reaction for those that are sensitiveyour ducted central air or heating system. To find a
to them. They are also very sticky and quick to stickquality and knowledgeable air duct cleaning company
to your clothing furniture, bedding and carpeting ingo to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association
your home or office environment. Unfortunatelywebsite in Washington DC.
these proteins are not sticky enough to preventOK this one may be difficult for you to do but it is
them from going airborne into the indoor breathingVERY IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS keep your pet{s}
environment when disturbed. Cat allergen is oftenout of your bedroom. This will allow you to keep the
stronger then dog allergen and more people react tomost important room in your home more pet allergen
cats. Dog allergen can also be very strong butfree to allow you to sleep better at night. You can
reactions from dog dander vary from breed tocall your bedroom "The Allergy Free Zone!"
breed.Other Important Things To Do
The good news is there are steps that can be takenIf you can, replace your carpet with tile, linoleum or
{important steps} to allow you or your allergic familyhard wood floors and instead of sweeping {it puts
member{s} to limit and control the pet allergen sothe allergens airborne again} use a quality SEALED
you can live in harmony with your beloved dog orHEPA vacuum cleaner with a floor nozzle to contain
cat! If you are diligent and follow these guidelines itand remove the allergens. Again, check out the Air
can make a huge difference for those that sufferStorm HEPA vacuum cleaner. It has a great 14-inch
from dog and cat allergies.wide floor nozzle and no pet allergen escapes from
The Steps to followthis incredible vacuum cleaner. Replace cloth curtains
First and foremost, KEEP YOUR HOME CLEAN!with washable / vacuum able blinds.
Be diligent about cleaning hard services, carpeting andWash your dog or cat once a week to reduce the
furniture of dust and allergens. Use a damp cloth orprotein allergen sticking to their fur. Once a week can
micro fiber cloth to clean hard surfaces and Vacuumreally make a difference and YES Cats will get used
Often! NOTE: It is very important to own and utilize ato their weekly bath and even enjoy them in time.
quality HEPA vacuum cleaner that is totally sealed!If you are highly allergic, don't wipe your eyes with
Most vacuum cleaners including so-called HEPA andyour hands while playing with your pet{s}. Then
HEPA type vacuum cleaners leak air and allergenswash your hands after playing with your pet{s}, and
from their case even if the HEPA filter is sealed inwash your clothes often. Don't leave your pet
the machine. If you have a dog or cat many of theallergen covered clothes in your bedroom! Keep a
allergens that escape from an unsealed vacuumhamper in a hallway bathroom.
cleaner will be from your pet{s}! If you would like toCover your car seats and porous fabric furniture with
test your vacuum cleaner for leakage it's easy to do.sheets that can be washed and when you are able
Just place your vacuum cleaner into the beam of lighttoo, switch to wipe able / cleanable leather or faux
that shines through your window and turn on yourleather furniture.
vacuum cleaner.There are companies that offer chemical sprays that
Don't even clean with it. If your vacuum cleaner isclaim to reduce, retard or remove pet allergens. We
not sealed {and most are not} you will seehave determined that diligent cleaning using our
thousands of particles including pet allergen spewingprovided information will do the best job of keeping
from your vacuum cleaner and back into the air thatyou and your pet{s} together as one big happy
you breath! We have found that the Air Storm HEPAfamily!
vacuum cleaner to be the best on the market. It'sHowever if you can't comply with these important
sealed like a drum and no pet dander will escapesteps to keep your home more pet allergen free you
from it. NONE! The Air Storm HEPA vacuum cleaner iscan always make that visit to your local allergy
also made in the USA, it's lightweight and easy todoctor for prescription nose sprays, antihistamine pills
operate. I'm going to say this again because it's veryand immunotherapy {allergy shots} The allergy shots
important. Vacuum Often!!!can improve your pet allergy symptoms but they
The next step is to have quality HEPA room airoften do not eliminate them entirely.
cleaners or HEPA air purifiers in any room that youYour allergy doctor will most likely tell you to get rid
spend time in. HEPA room air cleaners are veryof your pet{s} {Yeah Right!} or when you do keep
important in the fight to remove airborne petyour pet{s} your allergy doctor will tell you to follow
allergen, other allergens and dust from your livingthe above information even if you do get the sprays,
space. A quality HEPA air cleaner or air purifier shoulddrugs and allergy shots.
be able to clean pet allergen and other airborneHere is a list of dogs that are said to be less reactive
allergens in an open room or area up toto people with pet allergies
approximately 1000 square feet or be able toAiredale, Basenji, Bedlington terrier, Bichon frise,
exchange the air through the HEPA air cleaner or airChinese crested Irish water spaniel, Italian greyhound,
purifier to clean an average bedroom sized areaKerry blue terrier, Maltese Poodle, Portuguese water
approximately 12-15 times per hour. It is alsodog, Schnauzers, Shih tzu, Soft-coated Wheaten
important to choose HEPA air cleaners or air purifiersterrier, Tibetan terrier, Tibetan mastiff, Wire-haired
that have low filter replacement costs.fox terrier, Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican hairless), Bonus
Stay away from so-called air cleaners and air purifiersInformation For Cat Lovers!
that do not have HEPA filters in them to actually