We love pets, but let’s clear the air: even hypoallergenic pets can have an effect on your family’s respiratory health. This doesn’t mean you need to get rid of your pets, however. We’d never recommend that. You simply need to take a few quick steps to ensure your furry friend can stay part of the family.

The Truth About Hypoallergenic Pets

For starters, there’s no such thing as a truly hypoallergenic pet. Some pets simply cause fewer allergy symptoms than others, but even those pets are shedding allergens throughout your home.

“There are some animals that are less allergenic, but they all make the allergen that can cause trouble. It’s a matter of how much they make,” says Dr. Oren P. Schaefer for VetStreet.com.

Most people think pet allergies are caused by pet hair, but that’s actually not the case. Truthfully, the real culprit comes from pet saliva, urine, and dander, which is basically pet “dandruff” as it comes from dead skin cells.

These allergens can ultimately lead to increased allergy symptoms, trigger asthma, and even lead to long-term respiratory conditions.

So, What Can Be Done?

Whole-home air purifiers can help reduce pet allergens and odors accumulating in your home. They’re able to handle the tasks of purifying the air throughout your entire home, filtering out pet allergens and other indoor air pollutants like dust, mold, and more.

You should also consider a room air purifier to keep in bedrooms or high-traffic pet areas, perhaps near a litter box or a dog bed. The beauty of room air purifiers is their portability, meaning you can move them room-to-room to add a supplemental burst of fresh air, even if you already have a whole-home air purifier installed.

Some other ways to try and reduce pet allergens in your home include keeping pets out of bedrooms and off of your favorite furniture and bathing your pets often to prevent them from shedding. You may even want to consider going carpet-free or shampooing your carpet at home to minimize allergens and odors.

Again, we’d never tell anyone not to keep his or her favorite furry family members. However, it’s important that pet lovers know that even their “hypoallergenic” pet can have an effect on their family’s respiratory wellness. No worries, though. A few proactive precautions can be made to ensure your home’s air purity is healthy, pure, and simple.