Can Pet Mice Trigger Asthma or Allergies?

Some people may find getting a new pet the ultimate source of happiness. Others, unfortunately, find this as their own personal nightmare, especially if they have asthma or frequent allergic reactions. But can pet mice trigger asthma or allergies?

Unfortunately, mice can trigger allergies and asthma. According to this extremely helpful reading, mice are one of those animals which can easily trigger asthma or allergic reactions.

Both children and adults who keep mice can have respiratory issues or allergic reactions such as rash, watery nose, or itchy eyes. Just to be clear, this only applies to people who have asthma or are hypersensitive.

Why do Pet Mice Cause Allergic Reactions?

Thinking that allergic reactions are caused by pet fur is only partially true. In fact, what most people are allergic to is their dander. These tiny flecks of skin are highly triggering and can only be found on animals that have fur or feather.

With mice being one of those animals which produce dander, it is pure logic to conclude they can cause allergic reactions, too. Just as much as cats and dogs.

Other triggers can be found in their saliva or even urine, depending of course on the individual people and their individual allergy triggers. Some people are allergic to cats and dogs, for example, but not rodents. The best way to find this out is to make an allergy test.

How do You Know if You Are Allergic to Pet Mice?

As just stated above, the only completely accurate way to find out whether you are allergic to your pet mice is by doing an allergy test. Contact your family doctor and he or she will easily fix you up with an appointment. Most tests are super simple and will not take more than an hour or two of your time.

Another efficient method of finding out if you are allergic to mice is to closely monitor how your body reacts when you are nearby them. For instance, if you are allergic and you touch (or worse, inhale) allergy triggers, your immune system will automatically overreact.

And such reactions will be clearly noticeable through respiratory issues, rash, sneezing, itching and similar. Some people may notice this immediately after getting in contact with mice, while others will take a few hours or more to realize they are having an allergic reaction.

If you have asthma, you probably know very well how to recognize when your symptoms are getting worse. This can include a lack of breath, tightness in your chest, wheezing sounds or coughing outbursts.

When you leave your house and get away from your mice and their habitats, check how you are feeling. If symptoms are then eased, you can be pretty confident that you are allergic to your pet mice.

However, this can also sometimes mean that you are allergic to anything else that you live with, so it is necessary to suggest once again doing an allergy test. Just to be sure.

Should You Get a Pet Mouse if You Have Asthma?

If you are living with asthma several times now, you surely know that all possible triggers should be avoided whenever they can. However, on the other side, you are well aware that other common triggers can be smog, dust, rainy weather… you name it. And you are able to live with those, right?

After some years, living with asthma makes you understand what to avoid more and what to live with. It also makes you learn how to thoroughly clean your house and how to generally get on with your life.

So, if you already own a pet mouse, we are not going to be the ones to ruin your day by suggesting to giving it up for adoption. Generally, you can live with your pet mouse if you carefully follow some basic rules.

First of all, make sure that you are taking your regular asthma therapy. This will help to keep most of the triggered asthma reactions under control. Secondly, never ever keep or bring your mouse into your bedroom.

Lastly, avoid holding your mouse in your hands (never let it go near your face!) and clean. Clean both mice habitats and all areas where they walk around. Ask your family members to vacuum as often as possible.

If you have no furry pet in your home but are thinking of getting some pet mice maybe, then we highly recommend thinking twice about such a decision. Additionally, if you do not have asthma but your kids do, also please do not get any kind of furry pet. Ever.

Skin particles are crazy little things, and they will get into anything: carpets, curtains, couches, clothes… you can vacuum as much as you wish but you will never manage to get rid of those completely.

To wrap up, we would suggest the following: if you do not own any furry pet, your home is skin-particle free and it should remain like that. If you are a real pet lover, try getting a hypoallergenic pet instead, such as a reptile, or fish or any kind of cold-blooded animal.

On the other side, if you already own a pet mouse (and you are an adult with several years of asthma behind you) then you do not necessarily have to give up on living with your tiny rodent friend.

Will Petting Mice for a Short Time Cause Allergies?

This entirely depends on the level of allergies you suffer from.

If you have severe allergies, you will definitely want to get as far as possible from mice. However, if your reactions are not too strong, petting mice for just a brief time should not bring to bad consequences. Nonetheless, make sure to wash hands immediately after petting them.

And finally, a small tip: female mice create fewer allergens than male mice.

Wrapping Up

Pet mice can be the cutest little creatures ever, but they do cause allergies and they do trigger asthma. So, please make sure to know your health condition completely before you decide to get one.