6 Things in Your Home That Could Be Triggering Your Pet’s Allergies
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A little scratching here and there is natural, but what if your pet is scratching to no end? Often, allergies are to blame.
Luckily, you can figure out which allergens are triggering your pet and help them avoid the irritating symptoms and, in some cases, more serious secondary infections. However, this can take some time and careful observation.
A good place to start is by considering what your pet comes into contact with every day.
Here are common household triggers of allergic flare-ups in cats and dogs—plus steps you can take to minimize exposure.
6 Potential Household Triggers for Your Pet’s Allergies
If your pet is constantly scratching, licking, sneezing, or has watery eyes, they might be dealing with allergies—just like you. The same allergens that make your eyes itch and your nose run can also trigger allergic reactions in pets.
Here are the most common allergens that could be triggering your pet’s allergies:
1. Dust Mites, Mold, and Pollen
Just like people, pets can be sensitive to common environmental and seasonal allergens such as dust mites, mold, and pollen. And while you might hope these triggers affect only outdoor pets, even indoor ones aren’t immune. Simply cracking a window can let pollen spores drift in.
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How it affects pets: Pets with dust mite, mold, or pollen allergies often have itchy skin, so they scratch and lick—especially on the paws—causing the area to become red and even more irritated. “These environmental or seasonal allergies can make pets pretty uncomfortable,” says Kelli Spiker, DVM, a veterinarian at Lovet Pet Health Care in Glendale, Arizona.
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Where it’s found: These tiny particles love to hang out in your home, carpeting, upholstered furniture, bedding, and air vents.
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How to reduce exposure: You can still limit exposure (all the more important during peak spring allergy season) by following these steps:
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Vacuum daily using a HEPA-filter vacuum, like the Atrix Vortex.
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Wash your pet’s bedding in hot water once a week.
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Use air purifiers with HEPA filters, like the Honeywell HPA300 Series, throughout your home.
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Place dehumidifiers in damp areas, such as basements, where mold can thrive.
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Keep pets off furniture and human beds.
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Bathe your pet regularly with a vet-recommended hypoallergenic shampoo, like Veterinary Formula.
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Wipe down their paws after walks with grooming wipes, like Earth Rated.
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2. Household Cleaning Products
Many common household cleaners are full of chemicals that do a great job killing germs but do sensitive pets no favors when you’re trying to prevent allergy flare-ups.
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How it affects pets: Symptoms can range from skin irritation, mild coughing, and watery eyes to more serious reactions, such as vomiting, difficulty breathing, and even seizures.
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Where it’s found: Pets can be exposed to household chemicals not just through skin contact but also by breathing them in. Any pet could be affected, but cats and dogs with chronic respiratory issues such as asthma are especially at risk, says Katja Lang, DVM, a veterinarian at Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group, based in New York City.
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How to reduce exposure: Pet-safe, non-toxic, unscented, or green cleaning products—like Bona and CleanSmart—are a better choice. “After cleaning, allow areas to dry thoroughly before reintroducing your pet,” says Dr. Lang.
3. Laundry Detergents and Softeners
You might not give a second thought to how you’re washing your pets’ items, but laundry detergents and softeners can be a common allergy trigger for pets.
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How it affects pets: Scented laundry detergents and fabric softeners can cause red, irritated skin and excessive licking and scratching in pets.
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Where it’s found: Any materials your pet likes to hang out on that have been washed with scented detergents, including pet beds, blankets, and even your pile of clean laundry and sheets, are common culprits.
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How to reduce exposure: Stop using scented laundry detergents and fabric softeners on your pets’ items, such as beds and blankets. Instead, try using pet laundry detergent, like PetTergent. Washing their belongings once a week in hot water can help reduce exposure to other allergy triggers.
4. Synthetic Materials
Have you checked the materials tag on your pet’s bed lately? If your pet is showing any of the following symptoms, Maggie Placer, DVM, veterinary sciences program manager at EveryCat Health Foundation in Wyckoff, New Jersey, says it might be time to take a closer look at what they’re routinely sleeping on.
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How it affects pets: Synthetic materials can cause skin irritation, including:
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Redness or small raised bumps on sparsely haired areas, such as:
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Belly
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Hind end
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Armpits
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Inside of the ears
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Underside of the tail
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Between the toes
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Around the mouth
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Hair loss
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Scaling or crusting
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Thickened skin
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Darkened or discolored skin
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Where it’s found: Materials such as nylon, vinyl, rubber and plastic (including memory foam), synthetic dyes, and even certain finishes and polishes can trigger allergic reactions in pets. And while wool isn’t synthetic, the natural oil found in it—lanolin—can cause reactions, too.
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How to reduce exposure: Swap out your pet’s bedding for cotton beds (like Molly Mutt), which Dr. Placer recommends as one of the best materials for pets with allergies.
5. Dander
Pets can be allergic to human dander or even other pets in the household, says Dr. Spiker.
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How it affects pets: The symptoms can look a lot like those of other household allergens and can include:
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Itchy skin
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Hair loss
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Areas of bumpy, red skin
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Skin scabs or crusts
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Less commonly, coughing and red, watery eyes
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Where it’s found: Dander can be found in upholstered furniture, bedding, carpet, and clothing.
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How to reduce exposure: If you think your dog might be allergic to your cat or vice versa, or your pet might even be allergic to you, you might panic. While it’s important to reduce exposure—all that scratching and licking can lead to infections—there are many strategies to try, starting with managing the environment:
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Use air purifiers.
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Clean frequently using a HEPA vacuum, pet-safe cleaners, and unscented detergent or hot water.
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Bathe your pet regularly with a vet-recommended hypoallergenic shampoo, like Pet Honesty.
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Provide pets with designated dog beds and/or cat beds and keep them off human beds and couches.
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“If the allergens are unavoidable or symptoms are too severe to manage with these steps alone, it’s best to consult a veterinarian to explore medical management options,” Dr. Spiker says.
6. Fleas
Telltale signs of fleas include bites, often at the base of the tail or along the back; flea dirt; and visible fleas.
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How it affects pets:
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The small jumping parasites feed on blood, and their bites can trigger itchy allergic reactions known as flea allergy dermatitis, which can look like:
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Itching and scratching
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Crusting skin
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Red, irritated skin
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Fleas can transmit Bartonella bacteria, which causes cat scratch disease in humans, causes anemia in kittens or puppies, and even passes tapeworms on to your pet.
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Where it’s found: Fleas like to hang out in the dirt; on clothing, pet beds, and carpets; and anywhere they can latch onto until finding a host. They can easily hitch a ride in from the outdoors, and if you share bedding, clothes, or furniture, they can spread from one home to another.
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How to reduce exposure: Act fast, as one bite can quickly lead to a full-blown flea infestation. The best way to get rid of fleas is to thoroughly clean your home and start a monthly flea preventive on your dog or cat.
How To Determine What’s Causing the Allergic Reaction
Eliza O’Callaghan, DVM, veterinarian at Small Door Veterinary in New York City, explains that there are three common types of pet allergies:
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Environmental/seasonal allergies
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Flea allergies
However, allergic reactions often don’t show up immediately. Typically, it’s the second or third exposure that triggers a reaction.
When the body encounters an allergen, the immune system starts gearing up, becoming more sensitive and ready to launch a stronger reaction the next time it’s exposed, explains Mitzi Clark, DVM, ACVD, a board-certified veterinary dermatologist and assistant clinical professor at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
So how can you figure out what’s causing your pet’s allergy flare-up? Take the following steps to narrow down the potential triggers:
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Observe patterns and take notes. Jot down everything, from the symptoms you observe to what your pet did that day and who and what they came in contact with. Are symptoms seasonal or do they persist year-round? If symptoms happen around the same season, usually spring or autumn, your pet might have a seasonal pollen allergy. In the case of digestive upset, track your pet’s diet, as a food allergy could be at play.
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Visit your vet. Discuss your pet’s symptoms and any patterns you observe. Your vet can help eliminate potential triggers, prescribe medications to soothe your pet’s skin, treat any secondary infections, and, in some cases, perform allergy testing to identify the specific triggers.
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Eliminate common household allergens. Follow your veterinarian’s advice on a step-by-step elimination process, such as switching detergents, trying a new bed, or removing access to certain areas, along with a monthly flea prevention product if your pet is not currently on one.
