SENSITIVITY TO ANIMAL DANDER

Furry and feathered pets give off dander which in the case of furry animals is usually protein from their skin or sebaceous gland while in birds, it tends to be protein from their blood.
Cats are more sensitizing than dogs and horses probably even more so.
There is no such thing as a non-allergenic cat or dog. I have searched the literature for evidence that such breeds exit but have not found it. Veterinarians that I have asked about evidence suggest that it just their experience. There are some low shedding animals but since housing has been made tighter for energy conservation, even with a low shedding animal, the dander collects over time. Moreover it very much depends on the level of a childs immune system activity towards the allergen, with some children responding to lower allergen levels than others.
All furry animals are allergenic including rats, mice, rabbits, gerbils, hamsters and guinea pigs. Mice infestations in the home can create allergy.
There are strategies for reducing the level of pet dander in the home with the pet present. BUT, although the levels are reduced they do not go as low as not having a pet in the home and there is no evidence that the levels can be reduced to the point where they do not aggravate a sensitive child's asthma.
After the pet goes, even with thorough cleaning, it can take up to 6 months before the dander clears from the home.
Unfortunately, dander can be carried on peoples clothing and schools often have measureable dander levels even when there are no animals in the building. Even worse for the allergic child, many schools have animals in the classroom as part of a learning experience.
Research shows that even after one contact with an animal allergen, the airways of a sensitized asthmatic can remain twitchy for 2 or 3 weeks.
Our own research has demonstrated that asthmatics sensitized to their pet animal often have higher levels of eosinophilic inflammation in their airways than is suggested by their symptoms. As a result, parents may not recognize that their child is having a problem. We think that over time, airway remodelling (a form of scarring of the tubes to the lungs) can occur resulting in a higher level of asthma with little warning.
Some years ago we found, in a telephone survey, that 70% of families who have been told that their child is allergic to the pet, fail to get rid of the pet. That was independant of the severity of the child's asthma.
Although I strongly recommend that there should be no furry or feathered pets in the home of an allergic child, if that is not possible, there are steps to be taken. The pet should never be allowed in the bedroom and if possible, the living area of the home. The pet(s) should be washed once per week to reduce the amount of dander given off; there should be no carpets or upholstered furniture anywhere in the home since they act as dander traps; there should be a HEPA filter in the bedroom and, of course, the home should be cleaned frequently. It goes without saying that these measures are not as good as not having a pet in the first place.
Dust mite control in the bedroom helps to reduce dander.

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