Re: Austin Air Pet Machine for Dog Odor?

A Reader writes:

Hi Ed,

I'm set on ordering the Winix 5300, but had a question on the Austin Air purifiers.

Is there is significant difference between the Austin Air HealthMate and the Austin Air Pet Machine units?

I compared the specs on allergybuyersclub.com and they seem identical, both having the 15 lbs of carbon/zeolite mixture, but having a slight variation on the wording in Stage 4 for the pet machine, to be geared towards pet odors.

But seems both would take care of odors equally well.

I ask because the Healthmate is $449 vs. the Pet Machine $499.

Just wondered if the Pet Machine is worth the extra $50 if the Healthmate is just as effective.

Healthmate:

360 degree Progressive 4 Stage Filtering System:

* STAGE 1 - Large Particle Pre-filter removes particles easily seen by the naked eye (e.g. dust, hair and pet dander).
* STAGE 2 - Medium particle pre-filter removes small to medium size particles (e.g. molds, spores and pollen).
* STAGE 3 - Activated Anthracite Carbon/Zeolite blend removes chemicals, gases, and odors (e.g. sulfuric acid and ammonia).
* STAGE 4 - true medical grade HEPA filter removes harmful particles and micro-organisms (e.g. bacteria and viruses) at a 99.97% efficiency down to 0.3 microns.

360 degree Progressive 4 Stage Filtering System:

* STAGE 1 - Large Particle Pre-filter removes particles easily seen by the naked eye (e.g. dust, hair and pet dander).
* STAGE 2 - Medium particle pre-filter removes small to medium size particles (e.g. molds, spores and pollen).
* STAGE 3 - 15 lbs. of Specially mixed carbons and zeolite blend reduces odors caused by pets and other chemicals, gases, and odors (e.g. ammonia and sulfuric acid).
* STAGE 4 - 60 ft. of true medical grade HEPA removes pet allergens such as dander and dust, as well as thousands of other micro-organisms (e.g. bacteria and viruses) at a 99.97% efficiency down to 0.3 microns.

So general odor control is what I'm looking for.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this.

Thanks!

Ed's Reply

Hey Reader;

The Austin Pet Machine is different, it's not just a marketing trick as employed by others in the business.

Pet odor is one extremely difficult indoor air issue, second only to tobacco smoke.

All air purifiers will struggle with this notorious continuous source emission.

While many ads claim their air cleaner will "eliminate" persistent pet odor the fine print usually says "reduces pet odors."

Since you do not have a catbox and your dogs are housebroken, the worst issues are not present.

But always expect very short carbon filter life with pets!

Dog odors have two components;

1.) Urine odor.

2.) The dog's natural smells.

1.) Urine Odor

Pet urine odor is so hard to control because it contains high levels of ammonia.

Noses are exquisitely sensitive to ammonia's odor because it warns us away from dangerous excrement.

Ammonia saturates absorbents in carpet and other fabrics, and is a notoriously difficult and common problem in pet, hospital, and day care situations.

So, by necessity, Austin's pet-oriented air cleaner is designed around urine odors.

2.) Doggy Smell:

Dogs, in spite of regular baths/grooming, often stink!

To humans, who nearly universally impute human social values to their canine companions, this is unacceptable.

Some folks go to extremes - special shampoos, toothbrushes, perfumes, clothing... for Fifi - without understanding that canines use scent for communication, it is fundamental to who and what they are, is continuously secreted, and generally does not wash off.

Dogs naturally produce secretions for individual identity. The best analogy is the use of a name/face association to recognize another human.

Dogs sniff each others hind quarters in a circling ritual. They cannot identify each other effectively by sight alone. Strange dogs on first encounters will circle elaborately until they are sure they have memorized the other dog's chemical signature. If the encounter is pleasant, additional sniffing will be required before departure to seal the relationship.

Males use strong scents to mark territory. Domesticated dogs cannot stop this deep seated instinctive behavior.

Females signal their ovulatory cycle with strong scent emissions when fertile.

Dogs paw pads, external ear canals, and skin have glands which secrete oils and scents.

Dogs have dual anal sacs - strong scent glands - which produce a strong musky smell.

Dogs use excrement, tinged with these chemical markers, to communicate.

Dogs also release this anal scent when afraid, excited, stressed, or jealous, as many pets frequently are.

A buddy's dog, a very good boy otherwise, had the habit of sitting on the feet of the dominant human.

He would sit in his best erect posture, with his hind end on my shoes, just basking in the adulation, as I waxed eloquent, dominating the rap and annoying the other members of the human pack.

He was a big strong dog and it was sometimes hard to get up without being pretty aggressive to him. But the worst thing was the dog-anus smell which would never wash off my pants, socks, and shoes.

Canine scents are designed to last for days or weeks in the outdoor elements - they will permeate the home's interior. Doggy smell is very hard to eliminate, especially from bedding.

If you, habituated to the dog's smell, are bothered by the odor, rest assured it is very offensive to non-pet people.

Back in 1956, my brother and I were bathed and dressed in cute little suits for my aunt's wedding. We had an hour to kill, so naturally we took the dog out to play in the baled hay stacked in the barn.

Grampa's dog found a skunk, then we found the dog.

Ruined my Mom's day, she was red hot!

Another bath and less formal clothes eased the offending perfume, and nobody seemed to notice (?) at the wedding.

But dog still smelled like a skunk when we came back 3 weeks later.

But more than social embarrassment is at stake.

I recently got into a near perfect low mileage used car, a very nice car at what seemed a great price.

I was in there less than a minute before I knew it had been owned by a middle-aged lady who never left her multiple dogs at home.

Sniff, probably Poodles.

Absolute deal breaker.

The car salesman said:

"Nobody will touch a pet odor car, and the detail shop can't get rid of the smell, even with sprays. When a buyer shows up accompanied by a pet, I smile my best smile and take them straight to that car."

With real estate the problem is even worse.

Carbon Filters and Pet Odor

Not all carbon is created equal.

Austin is an economy brand in the sense that their products offer a lot for the money and exclude features that could add to the price.

Austin has a unique integrated carbon-HEPA filter, which they warrant on a pro-rated basis. No other builder does this.

Smokers, pet owners, and remodelers can ruin the carbon in an Austin very quickly, requiring the entire filter assembly to be exchanged.

This creates excessive warranty claims expense and unhappy customers - a CEO's nightmare.

So Austin has created specialty filters for specific applications to solve these concurrent issues.

The standard Austin 60 sq. ft. HEPA filter is unchanged in the Pet.

The main Pet Machine difference is in the quality and composition of the carbon filter.

Ordinary activated carbon adsorbs little ammonia and will foul in as little as 2 weeks in high urine areas like nursing homes, day cares, and kennels.

The Austin Pet has the same weight of adsorbent - 15 lbs - but the composition includes premium coconut shell carbon, extra zeolite and phosphoric acid impregnation for better ammonia adsorbtion.

While Austin's site has no specs, some vendors quote the Pet Machine as having 6.5 lbs. of Activated Carbon, 7.5 lbs. of Zeolite and 1 lb. of a product called Ammonasorb.

Calgon Carbon's MSDS for Ammonasorb lists Phosphoric Acid (H3PO4) at 20% by weight.

So the target application is placement near catboxes, untrained pets and their bedding, and kennels

Since you don't have ammonia issues, the ordinary HealthMate should be fine, but I'd consider paying extra for Austin's HealthMate "Plus" instead.

The Plus version carries potassium permanganate oxidizer, commonly found in higher priced premium-class air purifiers and useful for formaldehyde, the ubiquitous indoor air contaminant.

Pet Health Influences Odor

You probably don't need to pay the additional costs of the Austin Pet Machine, but I suggest a wider scope on this issue.

Healthy people, and pets, just naturally smell better.

Shampoos and perfumes do not alter this fact.

Dogs often develop unsavory odors as a result of poor health, despite looking ok to humans.

Though I don't pretend to be any kind of expert on pet health, I see almost as many sick pets as people.

A start would be a look at the dog's diet - many cheaper pet food products are outright toxic.

This is especially true for fish-based cat food, made from fish with Mercury levels higher than the ever-rising FDA human consumption maximum.

In the Japanese fishing village mercury tragedy, although many human children were born defective and almost everyone had symptoms for years, nothing happened.

It was the village cats (eating 100% fish) going absolutely berserk which drew the attention of the media and eventually the government.

Poor quality dog food is also the norm.

A treatise on dog diet is far beyond the scope of air-purifier-power,

Here are a few ideas.

Dogs are carnivores.

Their short intestines are designed for fast emptying.

Cereal based diets (which damage human intestines), destroy canine insides. This affects the frequency and composition of the anal secretions, increasing smells, and setting up for parasites.

Skin gland odor in dogs is associated with itchiness and inflammation, common in dogs fed dry-food diets high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3s. ("unbalanced essential fatty acids").

Sugary diets produce canine diabetes, "bad breath in dogs," canine tooth and gum disease, fur and skin odors, and ear infections.

A vet's inspection for parasites is also a good idea for domesticated canines, who live in a very unnatural environment.

Wild canines maintain territories, relying heavily on scent markers. This allows packs to distribute feces along the periphery, minimizing worm and parasite re-infection.

Domesticated dogs are denied this instinctive behavior, though they will try mightily to mark territory at every fire hydrant.

Have you noticed how a house-trained dog will sometimes get the leash and ask to go out only to seem picky about where to poop, taking a long time?

This is especially common at interstate highway rest areas.

Pets are instinctively trying to find the proper scent environment, which is unavailable in urban and rest area situations.

Ever seen a box-trained cat which will refuse to use a dirty catbox and wet the carpet instead?

The "pet rest area," in some urban areas just a narrow strip along the street, becomes a repository for encysted parasite stages, which can persist for years in a community of domesticated canines, reinfecting the dog soon after de-worming medication is finished.

As with people, incorrect and refined cereal grains and sugars in the dog's diet ("carbs"), will lead to yeast-infected ear canals.

Micro-organisms in the ears can emit odors, which can get nasty if the micro-terrain in there gets unhealthy.

Sniffing a dog's ears is a veterinary diagnostic tool.

Some groomers and a few vets have begun massaging the anal glands to milk the scent as part of the shampooing process. I do not know how effective this is in reducing odors, but I don't think it promotes dog health.

A naturopath-oriented veterinarian will be able to help more than I can.

Be aware that no air purifier will completely remove the dog odor - it can take time even after the dog is no longer present.

Best Wishes,

Ed