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Humans suffer too
Dr Thomas Platts-Mills, head of Allergic Medicine at the University of Virginia Medical School, estimates somewhere between 500 000 to 1 000 000 hospital visits are made each year by patients allergic to biocontaminants (fungi, mites, cockroaches, bacteria).
A carpet or rug can literally hold many kilos of dirt before it even appears dirty. And a significant portion of that dirt is alive. Yikes! The range of beasties in our carpets is astounding. And all of them affect your pet’s health – and yours!
Sin 1: Dust Mites
Best known is probably the dust mite, which lives and breeds in rugs, carpets, mattresses and carpet padding. Their waste is a major part of the dirt in rugs, upholstered furniture, carpets and other padded areas, and therefore a major cause of allergies, conjunctivitis and dermatitis in both pets and humans.
Sin 2: Fleas and their eggs
Then there’s the ubiquitous flea, a harbinger of diseases like the Black Death and Heartworm if left unchecked. They make pets' lives miserable, and humans begin to itch just at the thought of them. Fleas thrive in warm, moist environments. The 500 or so eggs a female flea lays after a blood meal are not sticky, and they usually fall off of the animal into the carpet. Fleas actually spend just a small portion of their time on your pet – they live in carpets and the environment and hop on your pet for a meal.
Sin 3: Ticks and their eggs
Ticks can and do live on carpets, and carry diseases like biliary and even anaemia. They prefer darker places, reproduce very quickly, and getting rid of them isn't going to be easy.
Sin 4: Lice and their eggs
There is a louse species for every part of your body that’s covered by hair – and pretty much every animal out there too! Lice cause dermatitis in humans and animals, and can also, in severe cases, cause anaemia.
Sin 5: Insects and their eggs
Think cockroaches, fish moths, ants (if they’ve moved in under the carpet), various beetles and even termites. Now add their eggs. And their itty-bitty dried-up corpses. All of which spells allergies, dermatitis, conjunctivitis and breathing problems.
Sin 6: Germs
The word ‘germs’ is a good catch-all for bacteria, viruses and fungi. Viruses and bacteria, including those that cause influenza, chicken pox and German Measles, can survive for varying amounts of time in your carpets. And don’t forget fungi. A damp spot on the carpet where Fifi has had an accident is the perfect place for the fungi that is floating about in the air to land – and grow.
Many fungi are barely visible, and almost all of them (or their spores) will cause allergies in the long run – a life-threatening situation for animals or people who are allergic to penicillin for instance. (Penicillin is derived from certain fungi.)
Sin 7: Worms
Ringworms and their Nematode cousins are quite happy to use a warm stretch of carpeting to reach new pastures. Worms cause and carry a phalanx of diseases, some of which are life-threatening to animals and their humans alike.
What to do? Your best bet is two-pronged: Suck up the little suckers with a good vacuum cleaner before they suck the life out of you or your pets – and make sure you treat parasites and insects with the (environmentally-friendly) disrespect they deserve when they invade your home!
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