Study: Hypoallergenic pets may be only a myth

But a study in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy suggests that there may be no such thing as a hypoallergenic canine, after all.

Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit analyzed dust samples from 173 dog-owning households, representing 60 breeds, including 11 that are considered hypoallergenic, including Portuguese water dogs, poodles and schnauzers. They found that the homes with allegedly hypoallergenic pets contained just as much of the prime dog allergen, known as Can f 1, as those with the other breeds. “Any way we looked at it, there just wasn’t a difference,” says senior author and epidemiologist Christine Cole Johnson. “There is simply no environmental evidence that any particular dog breed produces more or less allergen in the home than another one.”

Allergist Anne Miranowski, who works at the Pediatric Lung Center in Fairfax , wasn’t surprised by the findings. “What I’ve always told my patients is ‘If you can find a dog without skin, saliva and urine, then you have a hypoallergenic dog,’ ” she says. These are the main sources of Can f 1, a protein that can attach to the dried skin flakes called dander and make its way into the air and your home.

Miranowski adds that while there is no comparable research on felines, based on what she’s seen in practice and some smaller studies, “it’s very much the same story: I don’t think there’s a truly hypoallergenic cat out there, either.”

That’s not to say, however, that every animal generates the same quantity of dander. “The bottom line is that there’s huge variability from one dog to another in the amount of allergen they produce, but that variability is not predicted by breed, size, shedding or hair length — any of the things we thought in the past or that breeders still claim,” says Robert Wood, director of pediatric allergy and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. In fact, Wood notes that it’s not uncommon, within a single breed, to see a hundredfold difference in the amount of Can f 1 one dog creates vs. another. He attributes this to a combination of genetics and behavior as well as environmental factors such as how often owners clean their pets and their home. Still, generally speaking, Wood says that male animals tend to produce and shed more allergens than females.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know how one bichon frise or German shepherd stacks up against another, allergen-wise, when you pick out a puppy. The only real solution, it seems, is trial and error.

Allergies and Your Pet | 3MC

Dog bed. Check. Chew toy. Check. Litter box. Check. Cat nip. Check. Veterinary pet insurance…if you haven’t thought about it, you should! While pets are wonderful, loving creatures, they do require routine check-ups to make certain they remain healthy and happy. Pet ailments can range from irritable bowel syndrome to lymphoma – and everything in between. Pet care expenses can vary, depending on your pet’s breed, age and overall health, which is why pet insurance should be a serious consideration when you are thinking of adding a pet to your family. The most common of these pet allergies is contact. Contact allergens are most commonly caused by your pet coming in contact with plants (particularly oily ones which can “cling” to your pet’s fur) as well as carpet, household cleaners, and dust. Symptoms include rashes, changes in skin color and sores, especially in the chin, underarm, stomach, and ears – the areas that typically receive the most contact with the allergen.

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