By Dr. Gary Pusillo:

You can provide the best nutrition for your dog or cat as possible, but without excellent quality air, all your efforts of selecting a food, supplement or treat type, are in jeopardy.

Dog and cat breath can be unpleasant some times, but so can the air your pet is forced to breathe each day. At 23,000 to 58,000 breaths per day for cats and 26,000 to 49,000 breaths per day for dogs, air is more important than food! Most American pets look as if they can go months without food, but the absence of oxygen is usually not thought of.

Take a moment and get to the level of your house where your pet spends most of the day. Once at the level of the floor, chair or favorite resting place, take a moment to notice everything that influences the air flow, odor, and oxygen content of the space.

Dryer vents, heating ducts, exhaust fans, washing machines, dish washers, fireplaces, diaper pails, litter boxes, garbage cans, bathrooms, doors, windows all influence the type of air breathed in by your pet.

Everything that comes in your pet’s nostrils does not come out. For example, mold spores, bacteria, viruses, and dust, can enter not only your pets nose but also nasal cavities and the lungs. Many things entering the airways can cause allergic reactions, infections, disease and respiratory complications.

I highly recommend using air purification systems that will efficiently and effectively remove over 99% of smoke, dust, pollen, mold spores, and pet dander.

The room in our house where my cat Frio spends most of her time contains a Hunter brand fan with a HEPA (High efficiency particulate air) filtration system that eliminates “99.9% of smoke, dust, pollen, mold spores, and pet dander.” I really like the convenience of a small air purifier that can be easily maintained and positioned for maximum effectiveness for my pets needs.

In larger spaces in our home and office we use Austin Health Mate, air purifiers on wheels. As the season changes airflow pattern, the units can be placed in areas which help control the micro environment more effectively.

The number of animal’s and people occupying the space does have an influence of the size and type of the air purifier you will need.

Nutrition programs can not substitute for excellent quality air. By insuring optimized air quality and availability, your dog or cat will be able to reflect the nutritional inputs you choose to make.