Aaah‑Chooo!
Are You Allergic to Your Dog?
by Kim Campbell Thornton
Sneezing. Runny nose. Itchy, swollen eyes. Rash. When most of us pet our dogs, we get pleasure from the encounter, but some unfortunates‑about 15 percent of the population‑experience just the opposite reaction.
People who are allergic to dogs suffer adverse reactions after they touch the animals and sometimes even when simply in their presence. The symptoms can be immediate or build to severity 8 to 12 hours after contact.
Although most people blame a pet's fur for triggering the allergy, the real cause is less tangible: proteins found in the hair, saliva, and dander (dead skin flakes) of an animal with fur.
The hair and dander, often mixed with house dust‑which itself contains multiple allergens, such as dust mites and molds‑waft through the air. They then land on the lining of the eyes or nose or are inhaled into the lungs. A single lick from a dog can also set off an allergic response.
The development of an allergy is not instantaneous. It's possible for a dog owner to "suddenly" become allergic to a pet that she's had for some time.
WHAT CAUSES ALLERGIES?
Antibodies in the bloodstream aid the immune system in repelling invaders. People with allergies have an antibody called Immunoglobulin E, or IgE. When these people are exposed to antigens (substances that are capable of stimulating an immune response), the body produces IgE antibodies specific to that substance‑say, for example, dog dander. People can have more than one type of IgE antibody, thus making them allergic to multiple substances.
Once the antibodies are produced, they attach themselves to mast cells, which, unfortunately, just happen to be abundant in the nose, eyes, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. When the body builds up enough of the same antibodies which can take anywhere from three weeks to three years problems begin. Exposure to that particular antigen now causes the antibodies to react, releasing chemical mediators, such as histamine, from the mast cells. The release of these chemicals produces the symptoms of an allergy.
Scientists do not know exactly why some substances trigger allergies and not others, or why some people develop allergic reactions and others don't. Often, however, people with allergies have parents with allergies. A person with one allergic parent has an estimated 48 percent risk of developing allergies; having two allergic parents increases the risk to 70 percent.
HYPOALLERGENIC?
The Holy Grail for dog lovers with allergies is that elusive breed, the hypoallergenic dog. People usually believe that such a dog doesn't shed, has short hair, or has no hair at all. Among the breeds that often fall into this supposedly hypoallergenic category are curly‑coated dogs, such as Poodles, Irish Water Spaniels, Portuguese Water Dogs, and Bichons Frise; terriers, including Bedlington and Kerry Blue Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers, and Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers; hairless breeds, such as American Hairless Terriers, Chinese Cresteds, Xoloitzcuintlis, and Peruvian Inca Orchids; and low‑shedding or single‑coated breeds, such as Basenjis, Italian Greyhounds, Chihuahuas, and Maltese.
In truth, however, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. All dogs produce dander, even hairless ones, and of course, all dogs produce saliva. So, there's no escaping the presence of allergenic proteins.
There are, however, a couple of reasons why people may react less to a particular breed. One is that many of these breeds require frequent bathing and grooming, which reduces‑temporarily, anyway‑the amount of dander they produce.
Another reason is related to physiological changes that affect hair growth. For instance, dogs with longer hair‑growth cycles, such as Poodles, may shed dead surface cells more uniformly than short‑coated breeds, which shed frequently.
