Owning a cat or dog is a dream that many of us have since childhood. But allergies can often become an obstacle, in which case we begin to look for a hypoallergenic breed.
But, as Inverse writes, scientists have bad news for those who pin their hopes on it. According to statistics, from 10 to 20 percent of people are sensitive to proteins released in animal hair or saliva. And it seems that there are no pets that do not secrete these proteins.
According to Sandra Koch, a veterinarian and professor of comparative dermatology at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, the human immune system can react hostilely to several types of proteins found in saliva, skin particles or animal hair. The body perceives these proteins as if they were bacteria or viruses and attacks them. Because of this, many unpleasant symptoms develop, such as sneezing, itching or coughing.
Some cat breeds, including hairless or bare-haired Cornish Rexes and Sphynxes, and dogs such as hairless terriers, poodles, bichon frizes and schnauzers, are considered “relatively unlikely” to cause allergic reactions. They do not shed as much and therefore secrete little of potentially dangerous proteins. But they secrete little – not the same as not excreting at all. A sensitive person may even suffer because of them.
According to Koch, dogs can produce allergens in the blood, prostate and anal glands, while cats produce such proteins in the sebaceous glands of the skin, anal glands, and blood. And male cats excrete them in their urine.
Allergens contained in saliva are a particular problem. After all, while grooming themselves, cats and dogs distribute these proteins throughout their bodies. These compounds can hang in the air for several days. That is, even if you purchased a hairless animal, you are not at all protected from this type of allergen.
Scientists collected data on the content of allergens in the air of a home where a hypoallergenic and a normal dog lives. And they did not reveal any differences in the content of allergens.
Also, according to a 2012 study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers analyzed hair samples from 196 hypoallergenic dogs and 160 non-hypoallergenic dogs, as well as dust samples from the air in the animals’ homes. Scientists looked for the main sources of the Can f 1 component, the most common dog allergen. And they found it “in almost all wool samples.” Researchers who published data in the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy in 2011 came to the same conclusions.
As for cats, the difference between conventional breeds and hypoallergenic ones turned out to be more pronounced. This is according to a small 2014 study reported in the journal Clinical and Translational Allergy. But it was carried out on a small sample of only 14 animals. It turned out that hypoallergenic cats excrete and distribute less Fel d 1 allergen compared to others.
However, Dr. Koch advises against relying entirely on this data because of the complexity of animal allergies. Despite the fact that breeders often promote their breeds as hypoallergenic, to date there is not a single scientific study confirming the complete safety of at least one of them. This also applies to hairless breeds, which are considered the safest. Since allergens can come from saliva, blood and glands, fur is not a decisive factor in the development of the body’s reaction. “Allergies are very complex, and allergen triggers and contributing factors can vary greatly from person to person,” Koch said.
Previously, OBOZ.UA told you what people with allergies should absolutely not do.
