Dog Allergies: Allergy-Proof Your Home

Is your dog constantly licking its paws? Scratching its ears? Shaking its head? Chances are your dog has allergies. I know about this all too well as one of our dogs has chronic allergies. We aren’t talking just the seasonal kind of stuff. We are talking about the $300 trip to the vet kind of allergies. The kind that wake you up in the middle of the night shaking the bed from scratching and head shaking. Apart from a trip to the vet and putting your dog on an allergy medication, there are things you can do to help allergy-proof your home.

Daily

• Dog – Wipe your dog’s paws after being outside to remove dust and pollens. I use baby wipes. I know it’s a pain but if it lessens the chances of me being woken up in the middle of night from scratching, I’m gonna do it!
• Bathroom & Kitchen – Run exhaust fans while showering or cooking to reduce humidity.

Weekly

• Laundry – Wash all bedding and stuffed toys in hot water. Place washed items in hot dryer. Never line-dry outside.
• Vacuum – Thoroughly vacuum and change the filter frequently. Never reuse filters. I love to vacuum so this gives me a great excuse to do it on the regular!
• Dust Control – Dusting sucks, I know, but if it helps the dogs, well, just do it.
• Mowing – Avoid mowing the lawn during the early morning and evening which are peak pollen production times.
• Dog – Bathe weekly if possible to remove dust and pollens from being outside.

Monthly

• Air Filters – Inspect your furnace filters for cleanliness. Check filters on air purifier units.
• Landscape – Prune tree and shrub branches away from the home, One of our dogs is highly allergic to most trees so removing a river birch from our back yard helped immensely.
• Dog – Give monthly allergy medication prescribed by vet.

Other

• Carpet – Replace carpet with wood, tile or another hard surface. Have carpets professionally cleaned at least once a year.
• Air Ducts – Have air ducts professionally cleaned.
• Mold Inspection – Inspect the interior and exterior of your home for visible mold growth.

While there is no magic formula that makes dog allergies disappear, completing the above checklist on a regular basis does help reduce the allergens in your home which is good for both you and your pet.