The Best Pets for People with Allergies
Your pets should bring you joy and happiness but this may not be the case if you are allergic to them. If you have allergies, some pets can bring with them a few allergy symptoms too. This can end up giving you more bad experiences than good ones.
Therefore, if you have allergies but love pets, you should consider getting the right hypoallergic pet. But finding the right pet can sometimes be a challenging feat. Luckily, this post will guide you to find the best pets for people with allergies.
Common Misconception
Before going on to mention the best pets for people with allergies, it is vital to take out this common misunderstanding. The pets’ hair is commonly believed to be directly responsible for the allergy symptoms.
It is actually the dander found in the skin, hair, feather, urine, and/or faeces from pets that causes the allergic reaction. Dander is a kind of protein, which is usually shed together with pets’ hair. Hence, hairless pets, pets that don’t shed, or pets that shed minimally are labelled hypoallergenic pets. That is, pets that don’t shed or shed less are hypoallergic.
Hypoallergenic Pets
Naturally, all warm-blooded pets produce the proteins that trigger the allergic action, however, to varying degrees. Therefore, all warm-blooded pets are not completely allergy-safe. Nevertheless, some pets have more of these proteins than others. Here is a list of allergy-safer animals to get as pets:
As said above, there is no such thing as a completely hypoallergenic dog or cat. Instead, there are some breeds that produce fewer allergens. These “hypoallergic” breeds are either hairless or shed less. These are, therefore, the best pets for people with allergies.
Because cats are self-groomers, they tend to cause more allergies than dogs. So, only cats that produce less Fel d 1 are safer for allergic people.
Some popular dog breeds that are considered to make life easier for those living with allergies are Poodle, Labradoodle, Chinese Crested Dog, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, and Maltese.
Cats that cause fewer problems for people with allergies are Sphynx, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Oriental, Russian Blue, Balinese, Siberian and Bengal.
Some popular dog breeds that are considered to make life easier for those living with allergies are Poodle, Labradoodle, Chinese Crested Dog, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, and Maltese.
Cats that cause fewer problems for people with allergies are Sphynx, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Oriental, Russian Blue, Balinese, Siberian and Bengal.
Russian Blue Cat
Smaller mammals, such as hamsters, gerbils, ferrets, and mice are also not completely hypoallergic. However, because smaller mammals have smaller sizes, they tend to cause fewer allergies compared to larger mammals. However, you would only need to keep these smaller furry pets in cages. Birds also have dander to a certain level, which may or may not be tolerated by those with allergies.
Luckily, amphibians like frogs and toads, reptiles, and fish are less likely to cause allergy symptoms. These animals lack fur, hair, and dander.
Here are some pets to consider if you have allergies – frogs, turtles, iguanas, fish, hamsters, gerbils, ferrets, canaries and parakeets.
Ferret
The fact that you have allergies doesn’t mean that you should give up on the idea of getting a pet. All you have to do is know how severe your allergies are – your level of sensitivity. You should also consult with your physician to help you manage the allergy symptoms of pets.
After choosing your pet, don’t forget to get the necessary supplies for your pet. Visit PetGoodies to get all your pets’ supplies at affordable rates.