Raccoons are cute looking bandits. But when you approach them, they can be quite fearsome. They are usually grown as big as a small dog. The average height of a raccoon ranges from 23 to 37 inches. And the normal weight of this animal can be from 4 to 23 pounds. Raccoons are generally found in North as well as Central America, Japan, and Europe.
Are Raccoons Hypoallergenic?
Raccoons are hypoallergenic. This is the reason why many people prefer to keep a raccoon as a pet in the areas where it is legally permissible to keep a raccoon as a pet. They can be kept as an alternative to cats and dogs in the house as pets. The principal reason is that while cats and dogs can be allergic, raccoons are not.
Why Raccoons Are Known To Be Hypoallergenic?
When we say that people have allergies to pet fur, what we actually mean is that they have an allergy to the dander found in the fur of pets. Pet dander is the small flakes of dead skin that sit upon the body of the animal. So basically when we are saying that raccoons are hypoallergenic, it means that raccoons do not have these small flakes of dead skin in their body.
Are Raccoons Completely Free From Dander?
The study reveals that raccoons do not produce dander in their body at all. If somehow they do, the quantity of dander is so small that you will have no chance of getting an allergy from a raccoon even if you come close to it or even touch it. The reason behind this is that the body of a raccoon is such that they do not produce the protein which is responsible to cause dander.
Are All Raccoons Hypoallergenic?
When we are saying that raccoons are hypoallergenic, we are speaking about a raccoon that is completely clean. A person may not be allergic to the fur of the raccoon. However, it should be kept in mind that a wild raccoon goes through a lot in its everyday life. It may often carry something on its fur which can cause an allergy to you.
Has Someone Ever Been Allergic To A Raccoon?
Yes, we have a case report of a 39-year-old asthmatic patient. A friend kept a raccoon at her home for few days. After repeated exposure to the said raccoon, she had acute rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, and other problems. Her skin prick and scratch tests found native raccoon hair as well as epithelium. RAST was also clearly positive. Therefore, think again getting up close and personal with a raccoon.
Final Words
It is true that raccoons do not produce skin flakes which cause allergies to people. But it does not provide a guarantee that a raccoon cannot give rise to an allergy to someone. What it merely means is that raccoon is less probable to bring about an allergy to you than your pet dog or your pet cat. Please do not touch one unless you can be hundred percent sure that the raccoon is safe.
