Study Suggests No Such Thing as a Hypoallergenic Dog

There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Yet millions of allergy sufferers search for this magical fix.  Even President Obama claimed has could not adopt a shelter dog because his daughter needed a hypoallergenic puppy.  Animal experts have been asserting, forever, that while some dogs shed less than others, all dogs have dander and saliva which will impact the susceptible sufferer.

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A new study published by the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy suggests that there may be no difference between allergens present in a hypoallergenic dog or non-hypoallergenic dog.  "Homes with a hypoallergenic dog were no less likely to have detectable levels of dog allergen or to have lower average levels of allergen than homes with a non-hypoallergenic breed", according to Charlotte Nicholas, MPH, of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, and colleagues. Researchers collected dust samples from the floors of nurseries and analyzed them for the presence of dog allergens. They found no significant difference based on whether the dog was considered to be a hypoallergenic breed or not. Furthermore, "in homes where the dog was allowed in the baby's bedroom, allergen levels tended to be lower with hypoallergenic dogs and in homes where the dog was not allowed in the bedroom, levels tended to be higher with hypoallergenic dogs, although none of the differences reached statistical significance".

This calls to mind another study published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy which suggested that actually exposing infants to pets may actually reduce allergies to pets.

Clinicians were advised to warn patients that they "cannot rely on breeds deemed to be 'hypoallergenic,'" and that "Additional scientific investigation into dog-specific factors and whether hypoallergenic breeds truly exist is warranted."

Additionally, washing the pet often, eliminating carpets, using HEPA air filters, and vacuuming frequently, will also help the allergy sufferer.

So - there is no need to pay huge prices for such "miracle" dogs, patronize puppy mills that breed such dogs, or to believe in baseless representations. There is a need to make sure the allergy sufferer can tolerate a pet and then an enormous need to adopt one from a shelter.

Allergy Dogs Warn Children of Dangerous Allergens

For most people allergies can be uncomfortable, annoying, seasonal and inconvenient. For some, sensitivity is so severe that exposure can be life threatening. We have all heard of death or near death experiences resulting from bee stings, certain drugs, and, of course - peanuts. Fear of accidental encounters with allergens and their residue can severely impact the quality of life of the allergy sufferer. For afflicted children, the constant vigilance required to avoid the offending food can impair visits with friends, park play dates, and other social interactions.

Enter specially trained allergen sniffing service dogs!  These medical service dogs accompany children everywhere, such as school, parties, restaurants and movies, perform a sweep for the allergen before the child enters, and alerts the child if there is danger.

Recently we learned that exposure to pets in infancy may help prevent allergies, and now we see dogs able to protect against existing allergy attacks. How great is that! How great are dogs!

                            Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend.
                                                                                     Corey Ford, American writer

Exposing Infants to Pets May Reduce Allergies

Allergies to pets are often cited as the reason that pets are returned to shelters or prohibited from the home in the first place. Though people develop allergic reactions to the pet's saliva or dander, other allergens such as dust, pollen, or mold will lodge in the pet's coat thereby exacerbating other allergies not specific to the pet. Despite this, 70% of American households have a dog or cat and 10 million people suffer from pet allergies. Clearly, pets are either banned or borne.

A study, published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy, followed 566 boys and girls from Detroit from birth to age 18, and monitored their allergic sensitivity throughout their lifetime exposure to dogs and cats. The findings suggested that infants younger than one year who lived with pets were less likely to develop allergies than children who acquired them later in life.  Specifically, boys and girls exposed to cats during infancy were 50% less likely to be allergic to them later, and the same was true of boys and dogs. Oddly, this was not found to be true with girls and dogs. Even odder, was the finding that boys and girls born via cesarean-section were 67% less likely to be sensitive to dogs than those with dogs during the first year of their life! All of this notwithstanding, these conclusions seem to debunk the long held notion that exposing a baby to a pet could trigger an allergic reaction and render the children more susceptible to allergies in later years.

Ganesa Wegienka, PhD, of the Department of Biostatistics and Research Epidemiology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit said:  “This research provides further evidence that experiences in the first year of life are associated with health status later in life, and that early life pet exposure does not put most children at risk of being sensitized to these animals later in life.”

However, if allergies are a problem there are some things that can be done to make the afflicted more comfortable such as washing the pet frequently, eliminating carpets, using HEPA air filters, vacuuming frequently, and not allowing the pet to sleep with the sufferer.

Finally, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. All dogs have saliva and skin. This "magical fix" received national attention when President Obama, rejected the idea of adopting a shelter dog in favor of an "allergy free" pure bred portuguese water dog as one of his daughters suffered from allergies. Some dog breeds simply shed less hair and dander but will activate allergy or asthma attacks in the susceptible. Such dog breeds include some terriers, poodles, schnauzers, water dogs, malteses and spaniels. Light colored female cats produce less allergen as well as some breeds such as the long haired siamese, the oriental short hair and some hairless cats. 

Many of these animals can be found in shelters and rescue groups at affordable prices providing relief for the homeless pet and the allergy sufferer.

Article first published as Exposing Infants to Pets May Reduce Allergies on Technorati.