You may have heard that “animal dander” from your pet(s) may worsen your asthma. In fact, all furry/feathered animals produce animal dander. Thus, any pet dander puts asthmatics at increased risk of poor asthma control if they are sensitive.
What is Pet Dander?
While it is commonly thought that it is the hair from pets that causes the allergic cascade leading to asthma symptoms and short-haired animals are less allergic for asthma sufferers, both are myths. In fact, it is dander or the proteins in skin flakes, urine, feces, saliva and hair that trigger your asthma symptoms.
Does The Type Of Pet Matter?
Pets all shed certain amount of allergen-producing dander per week, so there are no hypoallergenic pets but some produce less allergen than others and may be a better choice if you really want a pet.
What Types of Pets To Get:
If you already know you have allergy symptoms or want to make sure you or your child will not develop symptoms from a particular pet, consider spending time with someone that has the pet you wish to get before you purchase or adopt that pet. Alternatively, consider animals that typically do not cause or worsen allergies like:
- Turtles
- Hermit Crabs
- Aquarium Fish
- Snakes
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