Discovering through allergy testing that your child is allergic to the family pet can be a heart-wrenching situation for the family. The obvious solution to this issue might be to get rid of the pet, but doing so can be highly upsetting for everyone — and arguably a little unfair for your children who aren't allergic to it. While relocating the pet to a new home might need to eventually be what happens, there are some steps that you can take in the interim in an attempt to limit the risk and severity of your child's allergic reactions. Here are some things that you can do:

Make Rules About Interacting With The Pet

The days of your child getting down on the floor and rolling around with the family pet should be over. In an effort to keep the pet in your home, you'll need to make a set of new rules about how your child should now interact with the pet. It's fine for him or her to pet the animal, but this should be done at arm's length, rather than while cuddling the animal. Your child should know to immediately go to the sink and wash his or her hands with hot, soapy water afterward — and to avoid touching his or her face until the hands are washed.

Limit The Pet's Access To The Child's Room

Your family pet should no longer visit your child's room. Hair and dander left behind in this space can be problematic for the child, so keeping the animal out is valuable. If you have a dog, you can likely train it to stay out of the room. For a cat, training is more difficult — this means that you'll want to have your child keep his or her room's door closed as much as possible to keep the pet from going inside.

Keep Your Home Clean

Your home needs to be cleaner than ever before, which means that hiring a residential cleaning service can be a good idea. The cleaner will use a high-powered vacuum to lift hair and dander from every surface, as well as occasionally steam clean the carpets, rugs, and even the furniture to remove pet-related allergens. In addition to getting help from professionals, you'll also want to do your own cleaning regularly, as well as keep the windows open as much as possible to allow fresh air to circulate through your home, thus reducing the buildup of pet-related allergens.

Contact a company like Dino Peds for more information and assistance.