Hypoallergenic Dogs: Not Really Allergy-Free
Published July 11, 2011
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More and more people are looking into obtaining hypoallergenic dogs.
Hypoallergenic dogs are becoming extremely popular with pet owners who struggle with allergens due to pet dander and pet shedding. These hypoallergenic dogs are believed to produce less dander and saliva and shed less fur. But are they really hypoallergenic?
Hypoallergenic Dogs: The Truth
Recent studies by Henry Ford Hospital researchers reveal the truth about hypoallergenic dogs.
Christine Cole Johnson, Ph.D., MPH, chair of Henry Ford's Department of Public Health Sciences, says in a written statement "We found no scientific basis to the claim hypoallergenic dogs have less allergen."
"Based on previous allergy studies conducted here at Henry Ford, exposure to a dog early in life provides protection against dog allergy development. But the idea that you can buy a certain breed of dog and think it will cause less allergy problems for a person already dog-allergic is not borne out by our study." states Dr. Johnson.
CBC News gives the full description of the experiment conducted to disprove the hypoallergenic dog breeds.
According to CBS News Dr. James T.C. Li, chair of the division of allergic diseases at the Mayo Clinic, may have the answer. He says the real source of pet allergies is not the fur, but a protein that's found in a dog's saliva and urine, that sticks to dried flakes on the pet's skin, known as dander. Some dogs, he says, are "marketed" as hypoallergenic because they don't shed as much.
How do you feel about hypoallergenic dogs or cats? Do you think they really help pet owners who have allergies?
For more tips on pet allergies, see Petside’s article on Home Cleaning for People with Pet Allergies.
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Comments (4)
My son adores animals but he always breaks out afterwards on his face and neck, he gets hives, redness, swelling eyes, but no sneezing or labored breathing etc, after I wash his hands real good and he no longer has contact with the animal his symptoms disappear, now about a year ago we babysat a male yorkie for approx a month and my son showed "no signs" of an allergy and I was quite surprised because they played together constantly.
My son is highly allergic to dogs: hives, teary eyes, sneezing within seconds of exposure. My daughter is allergic, same reaction, but it takes a couple of hours. We researched dogs for years (debating whether to even get one was part of the research) and decided to borrow a friend's Portuguese Water Dog. No problems whatsoever. We've now had Milli for 8 months & my kids haven't had any problems with her. Perhaps she is not officially hypo-allergenic, but she and my kids can live & cuddle together without any reactions.
With my 9-year-old Cairn Terrier, I have not had any allergic reactions; with any other non-hypoallergenic breed, I get hives, sneeze, etc. Whatever the science says, the Cairn Terrier has worked for me. Love you, Fiona!
My son and husband are highly allergic to dogs. My son would break out in hives where ever a dog touched him and if he rubbed his eyes after petting one, his eyes would swell together. After hearing that yorkies are 'hypoallergenic' I started researching it. After several of my own unscientific tests....borrowing a neighbor's yorkie, we discovered that indead he did not react to the yorkie. He and my husband are Maggie's, our 6 month old yorkie, biggest fans. Neither have hives, red itchy or swollen eyes, no nasal symptoms. All are in harmony and we can now call ourself a 'dog' family! Yay!