How to Deal with Pet Allergies

A New York allergist says all is not lost when people discover too late that they are allergic to their new pets.

“Trying to minimize exposure can be very difficult when there is a relationship between the pet and the patient,” says Dr. Sherry Farzan, attending allergy physician at the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

Allergies from pets come from two sources -- dander, which is found in their fur, and saliva. The dander is airborne as the pet walks through the house, and also can spread when someone pets the animal. Someone can come into contact with saliva not just from directly being licked, but also from their bedding, toys and feeding bowls.

Closing a bedroom door so the pet dander isn’t in a room where you would spend many hours is one good idea, Dr. Farzan said. Dander is made up of large particles, unlike pollen, and a HEPA filter would also help remove dander from the air. The allergy sufferer should also not be the one to bathe the pet.

If the symptoms continue and the thought of separating oneself from their pet is difficult, another step could be allergy immunotherapy.

“We’ve had a lot of patients who want to continue having their pet so they started on allergy shots and that helps reduce symptoms significantly,” Dr. Farzan said.

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