Fur is great, when it’s on your pet. But even those clumps of fur can be easily spotted and lint rolled off our clothes, sucked into a HEPA-filtered vacuum, or microfibre cloth-lifted from the surfaces to which they cling. Pet dander, however? A far more insidious situation. You see, pet dander consists of super tiny, often microscopic skin particles, that attach themselves to dried pet saliva to float about your home’s air (and beyond, as it also attaches to clothes and backpacks, to be carried to destinations near and far.) It clogs your HVAC system’s air filters, lessening the longevity of your system, and releases back into the air you breathe. This can cause allergic reactions, and potentially dangerous respiratory responses, such as asthma, as well as skin inflammation, itching and rashes. And here’s another thing. Your pets don’t like to breathe it either. It turns out pets are just as sensitive to air-pollution as humans (as well as toxic chemicals like pesticides, smoke, and chemical cleaning products) and their health is as improved as ours is by cleaning up the IAQ.
Because pets spend their lives much closer to the floor than we do, their exposure to pollutants increases because they take in everything we bring in on our shoes and clothes from the outside. And, they’re also quite sensitive to some of the same allergies we face as humans. An article in National Geographic states, “pets can suffer from many of the same allergens that make humans miserable”. The most common signs of allergic reaction in dogs is itchy skin and inflammation, sneezing, and a runny nose. Cats tend to show symptoms such as little scabs or missing hair around their head and neck. While the vet usually rules out food allergies first, the pet dander test is next in line.
What can you do to reduce your pets’ exposure to poor IAQ? In addition to choosing pet-safe cleaning products, growing a less-toxic lawn/garden, and walking your pets in natural wooded areas, when possible, you can make sure your air-filters are changed and your ducts are cleaned regularly, and look into an IAQ solution for your home. Filtration, UV lights, and ERV systems, are effective in making sure the air you breathe is free of mold, mildew, allergens, and other unhealthy particulates, like pet dander!
Climate Care also offers Membership Programs to protect you and your pets’ indoor comfort year around. We offer a full range of state-of-the-art HVAC equipment and services, including our cutting edge Indoor Air Quality solutions.
Visit our website at https://climatecarect.com/ or call 203-354-2020 to schedule an appointment. With over 12 years of experience in all aspects of HVAC, Climate Care is local to Connecticut, and offer our services to
Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, Darien, Wilton, Norwalk, Weston, Westport, Fairfield
You can leave the dander to us, so you can focus on the dandy!
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