Decreasing Dust Mites for Your Allergic Dog

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Dust mites are microscopic bugs that every home hosts. They eat skin and dander that come off humans and pets. They especially love to hang out in bedding and sleeping areas and carpeting and are more plentiful in high humidity homes.

Are Dust Mites Bad for Dogs?

Dust mites are only a bad thing for dogs to be around if the dog is allergic to them. In that case, being exposed to dust mites can cause atopic dermatitis, which is itchy skin. Dogs may scratch incessantly, lose hair, and develop secondary skin infections.

House dust mites cause atopy that's consistent all year round because the dog is exposed to mites all year.

A veterinarian can diagnose house dust mite allergy by ruling out other causes of allergies, such as food allergy, by doing a food trial. Allergy testing may isolate dust mite allergy.

How to Decrease Your Dog's Exposure to Dust Mites

Here are some ways to decrease dust mites in your home:

• Keep your dog out of your bed, if possible. That's because dust mites will be plentiful in your mattress. If your dog absolutely must be in your bed, try a plastic mattress cover and wash your sheets and pillowcases once a week.
• Feather pillows hold more dust mites than other types of pillows, so don't let your allergic dog near feather pillows.
• Similarly, your pet's bed can be covered in plastic under a cover and should be washed every week. Replace your dog's beds twice a year. Similarly, wash your dog's stuffed toys weekly and get rid of them periodically. Stick to washable toys.
• As much as possible, use hard surfaces in your home. Use wood and plastic instead of carpet, upholstery, and blankets.
• Vacuum and dust your home often, with a vacuum with a HEPA filter, keeping your dog out of the immediate area while you're doing so.
• Keep the humidity as low as possible in your home.

Additionally, follow your veterinarian's recommendations for treating your dog and decreasing itchiness and secondary skin infections.

Learn more about atopy here: "Atopy: Inhalant Allergies in Dogs."

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