The protein in dog dander is most often at the root of allergy and asthma flare ups. The sensitivity to this protein often causes watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, and many other disrupting symptoms in people. Here are 6 suggestions for ways you can reduce the amount of dog dander in your life.
Bathe Your Dog Regularly - Regular baths can keep your dog's excess hair and dander to a minimum. Shampooing your dog regularly keeps the skin healthy, and removes hair that your dog has already shed. Depending on the size of your dog, the shower with a hose extension puts the water where you need it.
If you have a bigger breed, outside might be a better option, or having your dog professionally groomed might make more sense. Check with your veterinarian for suggestions on shampoo and frequency of bathing.
Brush Your Dog's Coat - Regular brushing outdoors will help remove the undercoat and excess hair that would go airborne with normal activities. Brushing also increases circulation and lessens scratching and the flaking of dead skin and dander.
Brushing your pooch is time consuming but so worth it in terms of the benefits it provides. Your dog will love you and the attention, and you'll love the fact that their is less hair to which dander is able to cling. Your dog will also look forward to it because it feels good, and it's a way to receive one-on-one time with you. You may even find that your dog will bring the brush to you as a reminder.
Fine Tune Your Dog's Diet - Adding a small amount of oil to the daily diet will help. Derm Caps have been a success for us. They are easily lumped in with food and seem to go down with the rest of the food without notice.
If your dog shakes and scratches a lot, sometimes the culprit can be diet. Check with your veterinarian to help determine that the food is not a cause of excessive scratching and licking.
Take Your Dog for Regular Checkups - Regular visits and consultations with your veterinarian will help keep your dog in top physical condition with healthy skin and coat which will lessen scratching, shaking, and licking, all of which send hair and dander airborne.
Vacuum Your Home Often - Once dander has fallen to the floor, normal activity will send it airborne again. Vacuuming (for best results with a HEPA air purifier) not only your floors but your furniture (with a soft brush, of course) will stop dander from re-entering the air.
Filter Your Air - Nothing will eliminate dog dander completely, but greatly reducing the amount of dander in the air you breathe will make a huge difference in how you feel. A portable high efficiency particle arresting air purifier will continuously filter dander from the air, and many are designed to run economically 24 hours a day.
This type of filtration will remove not only dog dander but other normal household particulates that you live with down to .3 microns in size.
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