How to Live With Pets If You Have Pet Allergies
Are you one of the 10 million people afflicted with pet allergies? If you are, experiencing the simple joys of being a pet owner may elude you. Some pet lovers with allergies insist on having a pet but have to make compromises like living with allergic reactions every day. If you don’t wish to put your health at risk but want to cuddle with pets, what else can you do?
Perfect Petzzz lets you enjoy cuddle time with a pet minus the allergies! While they are not real live pets, stuffed animals from Perfect Petzzz are the closest thing you can get to pet ownership without sneezing and itching. They can give you the companionship you deserve and the comfort you seek, much like real cats and dogs.
Read more to learn about these allergies and how you can enjoy living with pets despite them!
What Are Pet Allergies and What Causes Them?
While playing with your friend’s pet dog, you suddenly notice that you have something dripping down your nose. You thought nothing of it and continued playing. Your nose cleared up once you got home, but somehow, it returns every time you’re at your friend’s house. You started worrying about this, and you should because a runny nose is one of the many pet allergy symptoms.
Pet dander, fur, and dead flakes that pets usually shed trigger allergic reactions. The severity of the allergic reaction can vary from person to person. Some people only get a runny nose when exposed to animal allergens, while others exhibit life-threatening reactions requiring hospitalization. That’s why you shouldn’t take these allergies lightly.
How to Tell if You’re Allergic to Pets
People who love pets so much can be in denial—when they start exhibiting allergy symptoms, they may shrug them off and dismiss them as caused by something else, which is certainly not pets! If you are still in doubt, think of these symptoms as your checklist. Observe if you start experiencing any of these symptoms when around pets:
- Coughing
- Irritated eyes
- Congested nasal cavities
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Mouth or throat itchiness
- Short of breath
- Chest pain
If you consistently experience any of these symptoms whenever you are around cats or dogs, you should consider booking an appointment with a doctor. A doctor can diagnose your allergies using an allergen test. An allergen test will reveal other allergies you may have aside from pet allergy. Whether you have a pet allergy or not, an allergy test can be worth your time.
How to Treat a Pet Allergy Effectively and Safely
Once the test results say that you have a pet allergy, the next step you should take is to prepare for the allergic reactions. Since you already know what kind of allergy you have, you now know how to treat allergy symptoms and reactions. You can address allergic reactions by taking medications, training your immune system, and using a neti pot.
Medications
The worst that can happen as a result of allergic reactions is that your nose gets clogged, making it extremely difficult to breathe. Many allergy medications are formulated to target your nasal cavities to prevent such unfortunate situations. For instance, you can take antihistamines which reduce allergy symptoms, like runny nose and itching.
Immunotherapy (Pet Allergy Treatment)
Aside from treating the symptoms resulting from allergic reactions, you can train your immune system not to attack your body when it gets exposed to allergens. This pet allergy treatment is called immunotherapy. In immunotherapy, you get allergy shots with small doses of allergens. The aim is to make your body numbed to allergens over time.
Nasal Irrigation
When medications are out of reach, you can clear your nasal passages using salt water. You can do this by filling up a teapot (or better yet, a neti pot) with a saline solution and gently pouring small amounts of it down your nostrils. This method has instantaneous effects and will clear your nose up in no time. If anyone’s allergic to anything in your household, having a neti pot in your medicine cabinet will be a worthwhile investment.
What to Do If Your Child Is Allergic to a Family Pet
There’s nothing more upsetting than discovering your child has a pet allergy. However, if you insist on having a family pet, you can compromise and make some changes in your home that will let your child roam free while having a family pet indoors. Moreover, exposure to pets at such a young age can work as immunotherapy and relieve them of symptoms as they grow up.
Below are a few things you can do to make living with pets more comfortable!
Designate Pet-Free Zones
Mild cases can have your child and family pet sitting on the couch together. However, more serious cases require you to set some boundaries for your furry companions. For instance, you can turn your child’s bedroom into a no-pet zone. Your family pet shouldn’t go anywhere near your child’s room to prevent it from spreading its fur and other allergens.
Add a Layer of Protection
Despite setting a no-pet zone, allergens can still be carried over by air to your child’s bedroom. You can make your child’s pillows, blankets, and mattresses allergen-resistant by covering them with dust mite covers. Dust mite covers will also protect your child’s belongings from pollen, pet hair, dead flakes, and other possible allergens.
Choose Smooth and Hard Surfaces
You know how easy it is to clean your kitchen counter? Your kitchen counter most likely has glossy surfaces that dirt and liquid have a hard time sticking to. Likewise, allergens won’t stick to hard surfaces and would be easy to clean if they do. But do take note that allergens can stick to curtains, tablecloths, pillowcases, and other fabrics around your home.
Regularly Bathe Your Pet
If your family pet (even a small pet) sheds too much, you can reduce the amount of animal dander shed by regularly bathing it. Instead of letting the allergy-inducing pet dander spread around your house, you can let the pet shampoo do its work and wash all the bad stuff down the drain, even your worries. A regular and thorough bath can reduce other potential allergens that can cause you harm.
Is There an Allergy-Free Alternative?
Whether it’s you who's allergic to pets or someone in the family or household, living with a pet animal requires massive lifestyle changes. Fortunately, you can skip all the hassles of pet ownership by getting a life-like pet from Perfect Petzzz! Perfect Petzzz can be as adorable and cuddle-worthy as real pets—minus the allergic reactions!
If you fancy taking a cuddly and furry Perfect Petzzz home, take a look at our Perfect Petzzz Originals!