Huskies aren’t hypoallergenic
Huskies rank alongside Basset Hounds and Labrador Retrievers as well as Doberman Pinschers, Doberman Pinschers (Doberman Pinschers), German Shepherds, Pugs and St. Bernards.
There are no hypoallergenic Huskies. Mild dog allergies can still occur even if a Husky has had its fur trimmed (something that you should never do to this gorgeous dog).
Your Husky’s grooming habits can have a significant impact on how allergy-friendly it is as well as how easy it is for you to keep your home free from dog hair.
The Reason Huskies Aggravate Dog Allergies
Huskies are naturally conscious of cleanliness. They don’t smell at all. Thats because they will spend hours grooming themselves and cleaning their paws.
The flip side of the Huskys natural cleanliness is its heavy shedding. And the reason Huskies shed all the time is they have double coats, an undercoat and a top coat of guard hair.
The beautiful, colorful, coarse, and long guard hairs of the Huskys outer coat give it its regal appearance.
These coarse hairs can be compared to Teflon for ice and snow. Frosty precipitation is able to slide off the Husky’s coat, so that the Husky remains warmer in colder weather.
The short, soft, fine hair of your Huskys undercoat insulates it from heat and cold. In the winter, these fine hairs trap tiny pockets of air that keep your dog warmer.
The same hairs trap cool air in summer.
Long hairs are a common problem for Huskies. They shed their topcoat 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They blow out their topcoat twice a season in climates with temperatures above 10 C (about 10 C)
Although Huskies shed all year, they shed about 10 times per year. Many homes have floors that look like carpeted with dog hair.
People who have dog allergies will have challenges with Huskies any time of year, but allergy symptoms will be worst during the two times a year their Huskies shed their undercoats.
Fortunately, there are things allergy sufferers can do if they want to keep a Husky in their lives
What You Can Do If You Have Allergies And You Want To Keep A Husky
People with dog allergies who are allergic to Huskies won’t find the problem in Huskies because they don’t shed their hair as often.
Dog allergy sufferers will be concerned that Huskies constantly shed tiny, dry, dead skin flakes. These flakes of dead skin are called dander.
Dog dander, which is very light, can get into your home and become dust. Its made of proteins, so it has an electrical charge. It is I
t is essentially magnetic to curtains, drapes, upholstery, and carpet.
Dried particles of dog saliva, urine, and anal gland secretions can also become airborne and cause allergic reactions.
Scientists discovered that sometimes dogs with allergies to urine are allergic to dry particles, while sometimes they are allergic to dander.
There are people who areallergic to male dogs but not to female dogs, and vice versa. In some cases, allergies to Huskies have nothing to do with shedding or dander.
According to Finnish scientists, there may be cases where people are allergic only to their Huskies.
In these cases, people sneeze when they inhale dried particles of mucus from dog sneezes caused by cat allergies.
No matter what it is about your dog that may be triggering your allergy, there are positive things you can do:
- Talk to an allergist about immunotherapy. You may be able to get allergy shots that will eventually make you immune to dog allergens. Your doctor might be able to prescribe antihistamines for you.
- Keep all surfaces in your house clean. Even if you allow your Husky in a small area of your home, vacuum the entire place at least once a week. Husky dander easily flows through HVAC or heating ducts throughout your house. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter. Operate a portable air filter in the rooms you use most.
- You can allergy-proof your home. Allergens from pets stick to fabrics and fibers. Cover windows with blinds instead of drapes. Carpet should be replaced with hardwood, tile, or laminate floors. Your Husky shouldn’t be allowed to sleep on your couch.
- Pay attention to hygiene. After you have pet your Husky, wash your hands. Take a shower and put on clean clothes after prolonged contact with your dog. Keep your Husky clean.
Grooming Your Husky
Grooming your Husky’s coat at least once per week is the most important thing. Brush your Husky’s undercoat and guard hair at least once a week.
Using a steel comb, begin with the undercoat. Comb the hair thoroughly, moving in the direction opposite of the way it naturally falls.
Remove any loose fur. You may be amazed how much hair a Husky can produce in just one week.
You may want to use an undercoat rake to remove excess hair and so it is easier for new hair to grow correctly.
Next, brush your Huskys top coat in the opposite direction. In a healthy Husky, this part of weekly grooming should release a lot less hair.
You are most interested in removing tangles from your dog’s top coat. Detangling spray may help. You will also want to remove any burrs or plant parts that may have stuck to your dogs coat.
You don’t have to take your Husky to the groomer. If you have the time, Huskies are extremely easy to groom. However, if you have allergies, you may want to leave this task to someone else.
To Blow Out Or Not To Blow Out
A quick and painless way for your Husky to shed winter underwear is to give it a good blowout.
Instead of letting your Husky pull out its hair in clumps or shed continuously around the house, you blow your dogs undercoat away with a professional-grade blow-dryer.
Professional dog groomers will often give a Husky a blow out before combing its top coat.
Blowing loose hair away with a powerful blow-dryer prevents any need to use steel combs on sensitive skin. It is faster than combing. But its messier.
You will need to blow out your Husky outside if you want to groom it at home. You will end up with Husky hair all over your home.
Let your Husky go outside for a blowout, and then let the birds line their nests with its hair.
What Your Husky Might Feel About Having Its Undercoat Removed And Its Hair Groomed
If your Husky has never had its undercoat blown out before, it may be apprehensive about the whole process. It is a good idea for your Husky to first smell the blow-dryer.
Let your dog confirm that the blow-dryer has a non-threatening scent. Then back up a foot or two and turn on the blow-dryer, without pointing at him.
Your Husky will confirm that noises aren’t dangerous.
Next, work your way up from the dogs abdomen to the ridge of the dog’s back.
Be patient with your dog, and take your time the first time your dog has been groomed this way.
Husky puppies may be similarly apprehensive about getting combed. Remember that a Husky’s sense of smell is their best friend.
Dont expect your Husky puppy to see that a steel comb is harmless. Let them sniff that the comb is harmless.
Once your Husky puppy has had the chance to get used to the comb, you can begin grooming. After several grooming sessions, your Husky puppy should feel comfortable having its hair combed.
How About Bathing Your Husky?
It seems that bathing your Husky is the best way to prevent it from getting allergic reactions.
Warm, relaxing baths can wash away dried secretions such as dander, urine, saliva and other dry substances. But it turns out that bathing isnt really the answer for Husky lovers who suffer dog allergies.
Researchers at an asthma treatment center inside the Wythenshawe Hospitalin Manchester in the United Kingdom were seeing a lot of patients with severe allergies who still couldnt bear to part with their dogs.
Looking for ways for their human patients to live with fewer asthma attacks while keeping the dogs they loved, the researchers tested various bathing routines.
The researchers used advanced instrumentation to ask volunteers to allow them into their homes seven days per week to take tiny samples of the hairs of their dogs.
They then measured the amount of allergens in the samples of dog hair to the millionths of a gram.
The research team then asked the patients in their study to wash their dogs twice a week. They continued collecting and measuring dog hair samples as before.
The research team found that giving your dog a bath reduced the amount of allergens it contained an average of 84%.
Giving a dog a bath reduced the amount of allergens in the air by 86%.
However, dog dander and allergen levels returned to close to normal in seven days. To reduce allergies and asthma, you should wash your dog at least twice per week.
The problem for Husky owners is that this wont really work.
Huskies produce skin oils that keep dander down.
Washing them more often than once a month depletes these skin oils and, ironically, makes sebum glands start operating in overdrive.
A Husky that is bathed too often isnt cleaner. It both produces more dead skin, due to irritation, and its coat becomes greasy, due stimulation of sebum production.
Although you can reduce allergen production in your Husky, they won’t disappear. Groom your Husky once a week.
Your Husky should be bathed once per month. You can rely on HEPA filters to reduce your allergy symptoms and use allergy treatments to live with the Husky that you love.
