http://www.care2.com/greenliving/control-allergies-to-pets-how-to.html
Controlling Allergies to Pets
Adapted from The Puppy Owner’s Manual, by Diana Delmar (Storey Books, 2001).
How many times have we heard or said, “I love cats (or dogs), but I’m allergic to them!” Or, even worse, “I just got the cutest puppy (or kitten), but it turns out I’m allergic to it. I’ll have to get rid of it!“
Here are ten great ideas for helping you or someone you love control allergies, so you can get a companion animal, or keep the one you have.
People who are allergic to pets usually are reacting to dander (pieces of skin that have been shed) and saliva.
Keep in mind that people who have allergies usually react to more than one allergen. Allergy to dust mites, for instance, is even more common than allergy to dogs and cats. Sometimes pets take all the blame, when in fact there are other things in the house contributing to allergic symptoms.
Some of these tips are primarily for dogs, while others will apply to either dogs or cats.
1. Keep your pet out of the bedroom.
2. Bathe your dog more frequently. Between baths, try rinsing the dog in plain water, which can keep the dander down. Some people believe that using distilled water is better than regular tap water.
3. Groom your pet more often outdoors or perhaps in the basement, away from the main living areas.
4. Eliminate allergens from the bedroom. In addition to forbidding your pet from the bedroom, remove any carpet from the room (and elsewhere in the house if necessary), as well as curtains and other dust- and dander-catchers.
5. Keep the bedroom meticulously clean and as free of dust as possible.
6. Invest in covers for the mattress and pillows, since they harbor dust mires. Get rid of feather pillows and buy the washable, hypoallergenic kind.
7. Wash bedclothes and pillows frequently in hot water, which will kill dust mites and get rid of any pet dander that might be present.
8. Keep humidity in the house low, which helps control the dust mite population.
9. You might also invest in an air-cleaner for the bedroom; be sure to buy the kind with a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. There are also more expensive air-cleaning devices that will filter air throughout the house.
10. Invest in a vacuum cleaner that keeps dust from blowing back out all over the house, which is what happens when you use a regular vacuum cleaner! These newer vacuum cleaners are more widely available than before through stores and catalogs.
Go to the Source
The Puppy Owner's Manual
Solutions to all your puppy problems in an easy-to-follow question & answer format.buy nowrelated stories
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add your comment »Interesting article, thank you!
To all suffering from whatever type of allergy, please check out NAET acupuncture treatments. http://naet.com/
It is an amazing process that truly works! I'm now free & clear from pollen, food & cat allergies. I love it!
After 10 years without a cat in my life, a stray girl was in need of a home & I needed a buddy. Years ago, I lived with three long haired cats with no issue. Something had changed...
Two NAET treatments later, boom! Gone! Individual results can vary depending on your personal situation. Find a practitioner in your area and give it a go! Best of health to all! :-)
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why is this inappropriate?
he real problem is IgE. If you can get IgE levels low enough, symptoms of allergy will disappear. The only natural product proven to drop IgE levels is Immune Extra - an extract from pine cones. This spring was my first in 40+ years that I have not had allergies.
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why is this inappropriate?
I say just shalack the little fuzzy buggers!!
No more allergies. No worries about shedding. Just peal them twice a year and re-apply.
Bekki: ew... nettles ...ew I can't tell you how many times I've walked into those nasty stinging things trying to get to the blackberries growing underneath. I was in pain for hours! And when it died down I'd walk right back in for more blackberries. I don't think I'll purposely put them in my mouth.
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I am a healer and herbalist in SE Ohio. Also active in animal welfare.
Some things to try that have helped a lot of folks I know:
1) Feed you cat homemade food. Raw organic is best, but anything that is better than the commercial stuff is an improvement (most of it is made with ingredients that would make you sick, plus you cat will be a lot healthier --mine seldom have to go to the vet.)
2) Eat for your blood type. For blood type Os especially, that means giving up almost all dairy and wheat, which will improve your allergies tremendously. Many O and A people I know have gotten rid of asthma and respiratory allergies completely, just doing this. (Eat Right 4 Your Type and other books by Peter D'Adamo are the source for info on this.) I have been doing this diet for 12 years and I don't get colds or flu or ear infections--was a chronic sufferer all my life.
Eat Nettles, drink Nettles tea or take the tincture (needs to be fresh nettles, so you will need to grow your own, but it is easy to do and you can tincture them fresh for a year round supply. Very safe with no side effects. I know many people who do this when they come to see us, and can visit our 5 cat household without fear.
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I acclimated to my cat-son, although I wasn't diligent about protective measures (eventually he slept with me, and no furniture was off-limits to him). Kittens are more allergenic than cats, so the E.R. visits stopped when he got bigger. If his saliva touched me, I would have to rinse that spot immediately, but it was worth 15 years with such a delightful companion, and I'm now preparing to adopt a (full-grown) cat again. Some nutritional supplements that help: buffered vitamin C, raw milk, homeopathic tinctures (for pet dander)
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
I was allergic to my cat at first and then my body just got used to it. And now I have two. :)
Now if my allergies to mold/dust/pollen would just go away...
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why is this inappropriate?
This is my problem...I'm allergic to my new baby kitten! As much as I would love to snuggle with her at night, I don't think it's going to happen. :(
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why is this inappropriate?
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