Common Asthma Trigger #2: Domestic Pets

• Cats: Allergens occur mostly in cat skin and hair follicles. All breeds of cats, including short-haired and long-haired varieties produce allergens. It is unlikely that truly allergen-free breeds of cats or dogs exist. Intact male cats carry more allergen levels than females or castrated males.


• Dogs: Allergens are mostly found in hair, dander and saliva.


• Rodents: The major source of allergens is their urine; less so their hair, dander or saliva.


• Other pets: Guinea pigs, rabbits, horses.

What can I do to avoid or reduce exposure?

• Remove the pet from the home. Please note that it may take you 4 to 6 months before you will experience any benefits. Don't expect an immediate benefit.


• Thoroughly, aggressively, and repeatedly clean the area your pet inhabited.


• Remove carpets, curtains, upholstered furniture, and other reservoirs of allergens. Use HEPA filters when vacuuming.


• Clothing is a major source of pet allergens; remove heavily contaminated clothing and change and wash clothing frequently.


• Filter the air.


• Recent studies suggest that exposure to cats and dogs early in infancy reduces prevalence of allergic asthma in childhood. However, many other factors such as family history and the environment also play a role.

What else can I do?

• Limit your pet's territory to indoor areas that are easy to clean or confine your pet to the outdoors.


• Washing your cat to remove allergens can reduce airborne allergens, but it is a health risk to your cat.


• After visiting a home with animals, immediately bathe, shampoo your hair and wash your clothes.


• Beware of unexpected exposure from horse or hog hair mattresses, furniture, carpet padding or horse hair plaster in older homes.

Most of the above information derives from a published article by asthma specialist Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Dr Wanda Phipatanakul, of Harvard Medical School and attending physician, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.: 'Environmental Factors and Childhood Asthma'. Pediatric Annals, 35:9; September 2006.

Medica Pura

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