Pets and ASTHMA Hard choices and emotional issues involving pets and asthma.
Pets are very important in many people's lives. They provide entertainment, protection, companionship, and affection. People who have never had pets have a difficult time understanding the emotional bound many people form with their pets. Unfortunately, as asthmatics we know that danders from dogs, cats, birds, etc. are common asthma triggers. More than 50% of asthmatics have pets in their homes.
Simply telling an asthmatic to get rid of a beloved pet will only make a difficult situation worse. This can be particularly difficult when children are involved. The pet may belong to a family member that does not have asthma, this can cause division in the family. The feelings of all family members must be taken into consideration. Other factors, such as the pet's age, are also important. All of the options must be investigated, discussed, and reasonable plans implemented.
First, be sure that the pet is at fault. Allergy testing can determine sensitivity to the pet one way or the other. If sensitivity to the pet is established, its time to sit down with the family and discuss options, including removal of the pet if no other options are workable.
The family must be made aware that the clinician (Physician, Respiratory Therapist, or Nurse) is sensitive to the difficulty in deciding the fate of a pet. A supportive clinician, as opposed to authoritative, will be much more effective in this situation. The clinician should first "lay all the cards on the table."
The option of keeping the pet requires commitments from the whole family. The pet's movements through the house must be restricted. The pet must be kept away from the person with asthma and also out of areas where this person spends most of their time, like bedrooms. This requires full family support to diligently keep the pet from those areas. Frequent bathing of the pet, frequent vacuuming of carpets, drapes, and furnisher upholstery is required. An asthmatic may also require immunotherapy to live with the pet. If possible, the best choice is to keep pet out of doors.
The drawbacks include, pet dander will be reduced in restricted areas, but not eliminated. The movement of people and air currents will still carry some danders into those areas and pets have a way of getting into places they want to go. Depending on the severity of the asthmatic's sensitivity, keeping the pet may not prove to be a realistic option.
If the first option proves unrealistic, the option of removing the pet from the home should be discussed with input from the whole family. One attractive choice may be finding a home for the pet with a close relative or neighbor. This choice is especially attractive since the pet may still be visited on occasion.
Once a decision is made to remove a pet some other choices may help ease the transition. Replacing the pet with another that is "hypo-allergenic" such as fish, amphibians, or reptiles may be helpful. Realize that these type of pets don't return the emotional feedback of cats and dogs, but they may help with the transition.
Another possibility for some asthmatics could be some of the "hairless" variety of cats and dogs. Be aware that asthma triggers from pets include more than hair, they also include skin cells and saliva and sensitivity to hairless pets can exist, this is especially true of cats.
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