Pet allergies 2
Are there hypoallergenic dogs and cats? The true story of the Labradoodle
Wally Conron was working at the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia in 1988 and was busy getting new canine hybrids: it was then that, by crossing a Labrador with a poodle, he created the Labradoodle dog. His goal was to get a “hypoallergenic” dog to satisfy the request that a blind lady from Hawaii had made to have a guide dog that shed little hair, because her husband was allergic to dogs. No sooner said than done, Conron produced the new breed and at the first litter he sent saliva and hair from the puppies to Hawaii, and had confirmation that the lady’s husband tolerated contact with them. He then waited for a second litter but only three of the ten puppies born proved to be hypoallergenic. Later, he completely abandoned the project that failed so miserably, however the idea of the hypoallergenic dog had already conquered the “media” so much that now on the Web we find an offer of a large variety of hybrid dogs and cats “proved hypoallergenic”. Therefore it is possible to buy a dog or a cat declared “hypoallergenic” for a price between 2,500 and 22,000 dollars.
Dogs and cats
Dogs and cats are important causes of respiratory allergies. Daily contact with these animals causes people with this allergy to suffer from respiratory problems (asthma, chronic rhinitis, sinusitis) that will tend to become chronic and worsen. The major allergen of cats, Fel d 1, is a protein that is produced in saliva, sebaceous glands and perianal glands and is collected on the skin and fur; the major allergen of dogs, Can f 1, is produced in the tongue and parotid glands of the animal and is present in saliva, dandruff and fur. Clearly these animals continuously produce their allergens that are then dispersed in the home environment, for example by infiltrating the bed, upholstered furniture and carpets. An allergy sufferer who keeps the source of the allergens to which he is sensitized at home will have no escape.
Prevention
The prevention and treatment of this type of allergy is simple, as it is, in fact, sufficient to permanently remove the animal responsible for the disease to heal. However, this is not always accepted by dog and cat owners. Many, surfing the Web, discover the existence of the aforementioned “hypoallergenic” dogs and cats with guaranteed scientific certification. However, if you delve deeper into the problem, you will not find in the databases of scientific literature published articles that report experiments proving the real reduction of allergenicity of these animals.
It is legitimate at this point to ask ourselves: what is the truth? For dogs, two very rigorous scientific experiments have been published comparing the allergenicity between “hypoallergenic” and normal animals. In the first, in 2011, the quantity of Can f 1 was measured in the dust of houses where there were dogs of “hypoallergenic” breeds and in comparison with those with dogs of non-hypoallergenic breeds. The study concluded that there was no significant difference in the amount of allergen present in the homes studied, regardless of the characteristics of the dogs present in them.
The second study, from 2012, also took into consideration homes with “hypoallergenic” dogs (Labradoodle, Poodle, Spanish Waterdog and Airedale terrier) and homes with normal dogs (Labrador retriever and a control group consisting of several dogs) and was based on the dosage of Can f 1 in the fur of the dogs, in the air and in house dust. The surprising result was to have found higher concentrations of Can f 1 in the fur of the animals considered “hypoallergenic” compared to that of the non-hypoallergenic ones. The differences between the breeds were irrelevant. In particular, Labradoodles did not differ from the other breeds, except for the finding of a lower concentration of allergen in house dust but not in the air.
Conclusions
labrador retrieverIn conclusion, dog breeds considered “hypoallergenic” have been shown to possess a greater quantity of allergen in their fur than non-hypoallergenic ones. However, the difference in concentration of allergen found in the fur did not lead to a greater dispersion of allergen in the environment. Therefore, there is no confirmation that there are dog breeds indicated as “hypoallergenic”.
It is also stated that hypoallergenic breeds exist for cats or have been produced through hybridization. There is no shortage of offers of cats certified as hypoallergenic on the Web and at least one company has selected cats with a genetic defect that produces a variant of Fel d 1 declared less allergenic. Unfortunately, even in this case, the experiments on patients have never been published. In fact, systematic research in the official databases of scientific publications regarding hypoallergenic cats does not report any scientific study on the subject. There are also no verification studies for cats, as for dogs, of the quantity of allergen present in homes where “hypoallergenic” animals live compared to those with normal animals.
How are they diagnosed
There are different diagnostic tests:
Prick test: the allergen is injected and the skin reaction is observed
Prick by prick: it is used for food allergies, directly using the food considered to be allergenic
Rast test or radio-allergo-absorption test: antibodies are searched for through blood tests
Provocation test: the allergen is applied through the eyes, nose or bronchi and a possible reaction is waited for
Patch test: allergens are applied through patches.
How to stop an allergy attack?
Now let’s see in summary how to stop an allergy attack quickly and effectively. There are different methods to use – even independently or with the support of an acquaintance or relative – when certain allergy symptoms appear:
– Move away and avoid exposure to allergens;
– Use antihistamine allergy medications to always carry with you;
– Use nasal sprays based on corticosteroids or decongestants;