Mites and Dander

Is dog and cat dander equally bad? What about "non-allergenic" breeds?
Cats tend to be more allergenic than dogs for most allergic people, although some people are more sensitive to dogs than cats. Non-allergenic breeds of dogs or cats do not exist. Animals tend to shed dander at different rates and hair length is only a minor factor in the amount of dander an animal makes. Hairless cats and non-shedding dogs have significant amounts of dander and are potentially allergenic. Animals may also be more allergenic at certain times of the year as they go through dander-shedding cycles.

The healthiest choice for animal-allergic people is to completely avoid warm-blooded animals. Purchasing a so-called "non-allergenic" breed usually does not work out well for either you or the pet. Getting rid of a pet after emotional attachments have been made is hard for you, your family, and the pet.

What level of humidity is best?
High humidity levels promote mold and dust mite growth. Humidity levels less than 50% and particularly less than 40% inhibit mold and dust mite growth. The Puget Sound area has high levels of humidity and trying to achieve this may be difficult. To measure the relative humidity in your home, you can purchase a humidity gauge at a local hardware store. Using a dehumidifier may be of benefit.

Should I clean the carpeting in rooms other than the bedroom and TV room?
Spend your money and effort where it will do the most good: in the rooms where you spend the most time. For most people, the bedroom tops the list and the TV room takes second place. Generally, other rooms are less important. Nevertheless, a good carpet cleaning by a professional at least once is likely to be helpful. After the cleaning, be sure that all residual moisture is removed to avoid conditions that promote mite growth. Regular vacuuming with double vacuum cleaner bags or HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) vacuum cleaner bags may be useful. Carpet treatments, such as benzyl benzoate or tannic acid solutions, are also available; however, for effective antigen control, they must be used thoroughly and regularly to realize any benefit.

Should I have my furnace ducts cleaned?
Although there is evidence that duct cleaning reduces mold counts, there is no solid evidence that it reduces animal dander. Nevertheless, duct cleaning (along with washing the walls and treating the carpet with tannic acid) when animal-allergic people move into a house where an animal has previously dwelled may be helpful. Dust-allergic people are unlikely to benefit from duct cleaning.

Should I purchase a special furncace filter?
Several studies have indicated that electrostatic or HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters may be useful in reducing exposure to animal dander as it stays airborne for relatively long periods of time. It may be useful to initially rent a HEPA filter to see if it is worth purchasing.

For dust mite particles, it is simpler, less expensive, and more effective to encase the mattress, boxspring, and pillow in zippered covers, launder bed linens in 130° F weekly, and remove bedroom carpeting if possible.

What should we do about our child's stuffed animals?
Inch for inch, stuffed animals are the richest source of dust mite antigen, and they are frequently next to the child's face. This provides easy access to the respiratory tract! Limit your child to two or three favorite stuffed toys, which should be laundered with the bed linens each week. Some brands of stuffed animals are specially made to withstand this rigorous treatment. An alternative is to place them in a freezer for 12 to 24 hours every 2 weeks which markedly reduces the dust mite population without risking damage to the toys.

Adapted from Luskin AT. Of Mites and Dander: Answering Patient's Allergy Questions. J Respir Dis 16; 547-551.

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