Healthier Homes Guidelines: Pets

Understand how pet dander can trigger asthma attacks and discover ways to reduce exposure, such as improving air quality, increasing pet hygiene, and limiting pets' access to sleeping areas.

• Pet dander consists of tiny skin flakes, hair, fur, feathers, saliva, and urine

• It can float in the air and live for months on carpets, furniture, clothing, cloth toys, and curtains

• Persistent breathing of pet dander can trigger asthma attacks

• To reduce exposure to pet dander, improve air quality by using HEPA filters in vacuums and air purifiers, bathe pets frequently, wash pet toys and bedding regularly, and avoid allowing pets in sleeping areas