What Type of Pets Produce the Most Allergens? - An Expert's Guide

Basset hounds are generally sweet, adorable, and gentle, with a stubborn streak and character. They're one of the most popular dogs, but they're not necessarily the right choice for people with allergies. They have generous jowls and skin folds and are champions drooling. Your saliva is more likely to get on your skin, furniture, and other items in the house.

This greater potential for exposure puts this breed at greater risk of causing allergies. And twice as much, bassets have a short coat, but they lose a lot of hair, which means more hair and dandruff around the house. German shepherds are one of the most popular and enduring breeds. They are intelligent, eager to please, devoted and courageous.

Unfortunately, this dog has been known to trigger serious allergic reactions. They lose their hair the most, regardless of whether you have long or short hair. Their hair gets everywhere, especially when their fur falls out twice a year. This large dog sheds masses of hair, which inevitably results in a lot of dander in the environment. The Labrador Retriever tops the American Kennel Club list of the most popular breeds each year.

These dogs are smart, loyal and wonderful family pets. Unfortunately, however, they are known to frequently trigger allergies in humans. Their double coat may be relatively short, but it is dense and sheds profusely. They are also known to often suffer from dry, flaky skin.

The positive side is that if you let your water-loving laboratory swim frequently, you can reduce the level of dandruff concentration in the home's air, which could decrease the frequency of allergy outbreaks. Pekingese fans love this breed for their affectionate, loyal, and energetic personalities. However, their long, loose coat presents a problem for people with allergies, and the breed is known for being quite stubborn when it comes to training at home. Dandruff and saliva aren't the only allergy triggers; so is dog urine. If your Peke is making marks around the house, this behavior increases the chances of suffering allergy attacks.

A good enzymatic stain and odor remover will be necessary for your cleaning arsenal to neutralize traces of urine. Smaller mammals and rodents, such as guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, and chinchillas, produce dander just like cats and dogs. The main difference lies in the possibility of preventing the spread of allergens throughout the house. These animals are usually in cages and, therefore, most of their dander can be isolated in the area where they live. Animals without fur, such as reptiles, amphibians, and fish, don't shed dander, so they are less likely to cause an allergic reaction. But any mammal - cats and dogs; guinea pigs; rabbits; hamsters; etc - eliminates dead skin cells called dandruff which can cause an allergy.

Dandruff is the most annoying allergen for pets. This comes off the skin of warm-blooded pets and can be found on the animal's fur. Pet saliva is another common allergen; these allergens then attach to the pet's hair. As a result people often wrongly assume that fur is the main culprit in this scenario when in reality it's simply the carrier. While no cat dog rodent or even bird is completely hypoallergenic hypoallergenic pets produce fewer allergens than others.

A number of adorably fluffy dog and cat breeds are considered “hypoallergenic breeds”; these breeds produce fewer allergens than other breeds which has earned them this title. If you're someone who has allergy problems but craves the affection of a furry baby one of the following friendly creatures may be your best happy medium. The Newfoundland dog breed is another large dog with a long thick coat; it's a heavy coat that loses hair throughout the year and blows its fur twice a year in spring and fall to prepare for the next season.

Breeds that lose a lot of hair such as the Newfoundland are sure to cause allergies in anyone sensitive to pet dander

. This dog also tends to drool and saliva can cause reactions as it dries. Many hairless pets are a great solution for pet allergies but if you're thinking about buying a pig keep in mind that some can weigh up to 500 pounds! Physical contact with pet dander can cause contact dermatitis skin rash hives or cause a person to have asthma. If you can't avoid being around an animal you can prevent pet dander from remaining by making sure that all furniture rugs and clothing are cleaned immediately and often after contact. Controlling dandruff and keeping cats dogs or other pets that don't lose hair may be enough to protect people with mild allergy symptoms. In addition to regularly cleaning all the dander in your house choosing an allergen-free or low-allergen pet and changing air filters you can medically treat pet allergies.

The most effective way to protect your home from pet allergens is to not have warm-blooded pets but if that's not possible there are other things you can do to minimize exposure. In addition to dandruff, people with pet allergies can also be allergic to proteins that are present in pet saliva urine and feces. Physical contact with pet dander can cause contact dermatitis skin rash hives or cause asthma in a person.