Many of us are aware that we need to keep the dust, dust mites and mold down to a minimum in our homes, if we have allergies. But how often do we think about our pets as a source of allergens?

If you have allergies and own a pet, listen up. The skin particles shed by dogs and cats, known as dander, can rapidly spread through the house and cause allergic reactions for any allergy sufferer.

If your animals must be in the house, confine them to certain rooms and do not let them in your bedroom. Those skin particles combine with Dust mites, molds and other allergens and stick around in the bedroom, a room that we spend a lot of time in. If you have allergies, do not let the pet sleep with you. You would be in close contact with the dander for a number of hours.

Give the pets a regular bath

You can regularly bathe cats, whose dander is particularly allergenic. It is best to start out with bathing when they are young, so that they don’t fight it. Pet owners can get their cats to cooperate during the bath by holding onto the nape of their necks, which restricts their movements. Another option is to wipe them down with a wet wash cloth on a regular basis.

Dogs, no matter what size need a regular bath if they are to be in the house as well. Use soaps and flea repellants from the Health Food Store to keep possible causes of your allergy reactions to a minimum.

Vacuum and dust often, to keep all the shed particles from working their way deep into the carpets and upholstery. Buy specialized bags that prevent dust from blowing back into the air. The bags fit most standard vacuum cleaners and cost about $9 for a pack of three.

Consider washing or changing your filter in your heating cooling system more often. You may want to purchase an air filtration system for your home as well.