Dog Dander
This is a sample collected from the fur of a dog. The length of the skin flakes is unique to dogs.
Transmitted Off Crossed Polarized Light Illumination
Definition/Function:
Significance in the Environment:
Dog dander is common in homes with a pet dog but is also common in office and school environments from the clothing of dog owners.
It is more common than cat dander in office and school environments because dogs tend to generate more dander than cats. Fewer
people are sensitive to dogs than to cats so the presence of dog dander is generally not a source of health complaints in these
environments.
Characteristic Features:
Dog skin flakes tend to be about three times or more as long as they are wide. In indoor tapelift samples they can be confussed with
very fine wood sawdust particles but the wood sawdust particles almost always contain cell structure or distictive fibril structure at
the edges that distinguish the sawdust from the dog dander. Sawdust has a much higher birefringence than dog dander and so can easily
be distinguished when viewed with crossed polarized light. The stress birefringence evident in the dog dander is typically irregular
in terms of its expression within the particle and from particle to particle.
Associated Particles:
Dog hair may be found with the sample.
References:
