Living With Child Pet Allergies

A Basic Understanding Of Child Pet Allergies

People commonly think of child pet allergies pertaining to pets with hair or fur such as cats, dogs, and rabbits; these animals certainly do cause a large number of pet allergies in children, and in large part they are the most recognized allergen-producing animals because they are among the most popular and widely kept household pets.  But a variety of other animals, pets, and farm animals can also produce allergens which cause child pet allergies. 

Functionally, child pet allergies are no different than any other type of allergy.  Pet by-products serve as the allergen, or trigger, for the child's pet allergy.  The body mistakes the allergen for an infectious invader and produces an immune response to force the allergen out of the body; the result is a skin rash, hives, sneezing, mucus production and congestion, watering eyes and nose, and/or itching aimed at ridding the body of the attacking allergen.

Child pet allergy triggers can be any number of substances which are produced naturally by the pet.  Allergens commonly found in pets include

• Animal dander
• Saliva
• Urine
• Feces

In most cases, children who are allergic to animals with hair or fur—such as cats, dogs, rabbits, and farm animals—are not allergic to the animal's hair; animal fur is not an allergen most of the time.  What causes child pet allergies to animals with hair or fur is the animal's dander.  Pet dander is skin cells produced in the animal's sebaceous glands.  Animals regularly excrete and shed dander, which can stay in a home for up to six months.  Animal hair also traps dust, dust mites, and pollen, so sometimes hair may appear to be a trigger when in actuality the trigger is what is being carried on the pet's coat and shed hair.

Feces, saliva, and urine are also highly allergenic.  Feces and urine can be a problem with any pet, but small members of the rodent family, including gerbils, hamsters, rats, and mice, are particularly offensive for children with pet allergies.  Saliva from any animal can also be a problem; often saliva is the offending allergen in dogs (more often than dog dander). 

Life With Child Pet Allergies

It can be very difficult to go through an entire childhood fighting the innate child's desire to own a pet of their own.  With good cleaning and pet management, you may not have to; some children can live quite comfortably with a pet even if they do have child pet allergies, and for those who cannot, alternative pet choices may be an acceptable substitute.

Living harmoniously with child pet allergies becomes a matter of symptom management and allergen reduction.

Child pet allergy symptoms in many cases can be adequately managed with the use of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription antihistamines and/or decongestants.  These will relieve nasal stuffiness, chest congestion, skin rashes, watery eyes, and itchiness.  Some antihistamines and decongestants (OTC versions in particular) can cause mental cloudiness and fatigue, so children with chronic pet allergy problems may fare better on a prescription strength medication.

In addition to symptom management of child pet allergies, it is at least equally important to minimize exposure to the allergen.  The protocol for allergen management for child pet allergies is regular cleaning of both the animal and the home.

• Have children wash hands and face after handling or playing with their pet
• Animals with fur and hair should be washed weekly to reduce and remove dander build-up
• Daily vacuuming reduces the amount of free-floating dander, dust, and hair and keeps it from becoming trapped in carpets and upholstery
• Weekly or bi-weekly dusting (preferably with a dusting agent such as a spray) keeps pet allergens from becoming airborne
• Whole-house air cleaners can significantly reduce the amount of allergens and dander in household air
• Pet cages should be cleaned every 1-3 days
• Litter boxes should be kept away from heating, cooling, and ventilating systems
• Animals should be kept out of children's bedrooms, and never allowed on their beds
• Restricting pets to a few rooms helps keep dander and allergens out of the majority of the house (although in truth there is not way to completely keep allergens out of any space in a home with a pet)
• Animals should be kept off rugs, carpets, and upholstered furniture as much as possible

For many children with child pet allergies, these measures provide enough relief to maintain balanced living with an allergen-producing pet.  In severe cases, children may need to surrender their pet in the interest of their health, but sometimes other types of pets can be good replacements.  Reptiles and small rodents are sometimes recommended depending on the type of child pet allergy; fish make very good pets and really have no way to pass allergens to children.  Life with child pet allergies certainly complicates matters, but with some effort and compromise, there is some pet out there for nearly every child with a pet allergy.