Pets are like members of the family, and we often want to make sure they're as comfortable as possible - which sometimes means letting them curl up and sleep at the bottom of our beds.
Even when they have perfectly good pet beds, it's often too tempting to let our dogs and cats share with us.
But pet hair-shedding season is officially upon us, so experts at Happy Beds have teamed up with a doctor to reveal the dangers that sharing a bed can have on pet owner's health.
It's commonly thought that fur is the leading cause of any risks but in fact, animal dander is the thing that can cause serious health problems.
Dander refers to tiny flakes of skin shed by humans or warm-blooded animals with fur, hair, or feathers. These small particles can be inhaled through the air, causing potential problems with breathing and the lungs.
Dr Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy confirmed this, saying: "Pet dander is a common cause of allergy in children and adults. Encountering pet dander can cause allergic rhinitis, dermatitis, hives and asthma symptoms.
“When you breathe the animal dander particles into your lungs, your body's immune cells recognise the dog or cat antigen as a foreign substance posing a threat to your health. As a result, an inflammatory reaction is initiated, and an antibody called Ig E is released.
"Cells called mast cells release histamine, which causes smooth muscle contraction, causing the airways to constrict, meaning you cannot get so much air into the lungs. Histamine also causes an increase in bronchial secretions and swelling. This is why pet-induced asthma gives you all those unpleasant asthma symptoms - cough, wheeze and feel chest tightness and shortness of breath."
A recent study showed that 68% of pet owners permit dogs and cats to enter their bedrooms, and 30% allow them to sleep on the bed.
Of these, 86% of dogs and 32% of cats tested positive for Enterobacteriaceae on their fur or foot pads. This group of bacteria includes salmonella, E. coli, and shigella, all common causes of gastroenteritis in humans. Similarly, 23% and 7% of dogs were found to have fleas.
However, excessive pet hair shedding can make you even more susceptible to allergies. With a change in season, you may notice that dogs and cats begin to shed excessive hair. Around these times of the year, pets who shed seasonally will shed their heavyweight coat for a lightweight one, or vice versa.
How to remove pet hair from around the home
As hard as it may be to say no, steering clear of sharing a bed with your pet is probably for the best. However, there are other ways to reduce the number of pet hairs hiding around your home, which Happy Beds have highlighted below:
- Add an air purifier to your bedroom to remove dander and aid breathing.
- Buy an additional attachment for your vacuum that specifically targets pet hair.
- Use a lint roller to remove excess fur from your bedding, sofa and anywhere else that your pet sits that you also sit. Make sure to clean the area at least twice a week, unless it’s your bed, which you should do every day given that you sleep here.
- Use fabric softener to remove pet hair that's embedded in the furniture. Simply add a cap full of fabric softener into a spray bottle, and then fill the rest up with water. You can then spray this homemade solution onto any hairy areas around your home. Make sure to let it set for 15 minutes and then remove it with the vacuum or lint roller.
- Use dryer sheets to remove pet hair from your bedsheets. Rub it back and forth and the static electricity will quickly remove the pet hair from your bed set, whilst leaving it a lovely odour.
- Brush your pet daily to remove excess fur and reduce shedding.
- Take your pet to a professional groomer as soon as possible to help with the shedding that is to come. Alternatively, if your pet doesn’t have enough hair for the groomers, you can use a de-shedding shampoo to reduce the volume of shedding from your pet.
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