Three Tips To Handling Pet Allergies With A New Pet

Bringing home a new pet can be a joyous occasion as you add a new member to your family. While you may not have pet allergies yourself, one of your family members could. In fact, about one in three people in the United States who have allergies end up having an allergic reaction to a dog or cat. This can put a great damper on the whole event of bringing in a new pet. Fortunately, there are ways to still enjoy having a new pet even when someone in the home has allergies to it. Here are some tips to make the experience of bringing in a new pet better for someone with pet allergies. 

Take Baby Steps

When you have an allergy to a pet, you cannot overlook them. You could end up getting really sick and miserable after being around the pet. To help transition into the process of being around a pet you may be allergic to you need to ease into it slowly. Limit the amount of contact you have with the dog or cat at first. Start by only touching the animal with one hand and seeing what the reaction is. Before going straight into adopting the pet, you may want to opt to foster the pet first. Some people can grow out of an allergy the more they are exposed to it. By fostering the pet, you can determine how severe the allergy is. 

Choose the Right Breed

Allergies can vary depending on the person. While one person may be allergic to the pet's urine, another may be allergic to the saliva from the pet. Pet dander is one of the most common allergens that people are allergic to. To find a dog with less pet dander, you want to look for a breed that has a coat that feels more like hair than it does fur. Dogs like Maltese, Schnauzers, and Poodles are less prone to have pet dander than breeds like labs or golden retrievers. Since many adopted dogs are mixes, it is important to speak with the adoption company about the different breeds the dog is made from. 

Stick with a Female

Female dogs and cats are prone to be less allergenic than their male counterparts. Male animals secrete more than female animals. Since the sebaceous glands produce protein allergens, you are more likely to have an allergic reaction around a male pet than a female one. If you have your heart set on a male, then make sure they have been neutered. A neutered male dog or cat will secrete less than males who have not been neutered. 

For more information, contact an adoption clinic like Pilot Knob Animal Hospital.

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