Expert: Marc Rubin, RPh Asthma Educator - 8/10/2010

Question
Hi, I used to have a cat but we recently had to place him in our local MSPCA because a family member of ours now living with us has asthma and we found it best to not have a cat around the home. Is it just cats that cause reactions in asthma patients, or other animals too? I feel very saddened with having to part with my cat... but I was wondering if maybe getting another type of pet would be a good idea since I am used to having a pet around, and now have nothing. I was thinking of getting just one guinea pig. This pet would depend totally on my and possibly my sister's care, it would be in my room near a window for good ventilation and the person with asthma would not need to interact with it really... would having this pet in any way affect the health of my family member with asthma?

Answer
Hi G,

There are no hypo-allergenic mammals. It is not the hair, but the skin dander which causes the problem. With a forced air heating system, the dander will still be pulled throughout the home. Buying multiple HEPA filtration units would be a costly approach, and those filters are expensive to replace. Fish are the best choice, but not exactly a companion.

Cats are actually a significant problem, since it can take up to a year to clear all the dander out of the home. Washing down the walls,replace the furnace filters, shampooing the carpets ( I love the "Rug Doctor", but the way to get the greatest efficacy from it is to repeat the cleaning with another pass using clear hot water. You won't believe how much more comes up!)

What you may wish to do is have the family member fully tested for reactants by the allergist. The allergy may be specific, and you may discover a potential pet that the member is not sensitive to. Should an allergy later develop, allergy shots can be given to mute the allergic response.

Hope this helps you.

Sincerely,

Marc