I'm a doctor and there's a very gross reason you shouldn't let your dog sleep on your bed – it’s probably making you ill | The Sun

A DOCTOR has revealed the very gross reason you shouldn’t let your dog sleep in bed with you.

And it’s much worse than their snoring keeping you up at night. 

Dr Deborah Lee shared that your dog will leave shreds of its dandruff in your bed – and not only is this gross, but dangerous. 

Pet dandruff can cause serious respiratory problems when inhaled and a serious reaction on your skin when touched. 

Pet hair-shedding is particularly worse in Spring and could escalate issues with allergic rhinitis, dermatitis, hives and asthma. 

It's often incorrectly assumed that fur is the leading cause of these risks – but it’s actually the dead skin that sheds with the hair that causes serious health problems. 

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Medically referred to as dander, it is tiny flakes of skin shed by humans or warm-blooded animals with fur, hair, or feathers.

Dr Lee said: “Pet dander is a common cause of allergy in children and adults. 

“Encountering pet dander can cause allergic rhinitis, dermatitis, hives and asthma symptoms.

“When you breathe the animal dander particles into your lungs, your body's immune cells recognise the dog or cat antigen as a foreign substance posing a threat to your health. 

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“As a result, an inflammatory reaction is initiated, and an antibody called Ig E is released. 

“Cells called mast cells release histamine, which causes smooth muscle contraction, causing the airways to constrict, meaning you cannot get so much air into the lungs.”

She added that histamine also causes an increase in bronchial secretions and swelling, producing the typical unpleasant asthma symptom such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. 

With the recent change in season, Happy Beds warned you may notice your pooches and moggies are shedding excessive hair. 

Around these times of the year, pets who shed seasonally will shed their heavyweight coat for a lightweight one, or vice versa.

A recent study found that 68% of pet owners let dogs and cats in their bedrooms, while 30% allow them to sleep on the bed. 

Of these, a whopping 86% of dogs and 32% of cats tested positive for Enterobacteriaceae on their fur or foot pads. 

This group of bacteria includes salmonella, E. coli, and shigella, all common causes of gastroenteritis in humans.

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