Very often, when I am asking my patients about their homes and I ask them if they have any pets, they reply that they have a dog, "but it's hypoallergenic." The AKC lists Bichons, Poodles, Portuguese water dogs, and Xoloitzcuitli (I'd never heard of that one before but it seems like a nice dog) among others as hypoallergenic. Labradoodles are a mix including the "hypoallergenic" poodle.
At the recent ACAAI meeting, an article this year in the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy was highlighted which sought to determine if Can f 1, the major allergen protein from dogs, was found in higher levels in houses with regular dogs compared to homes with hypoallergenic dogs. And the verdict is….
Allergen levels were just as high in homes with hypoallergenic dogs as in homes with other dogs.
I've always stressed to my patients that hypo means "less" not "none". This supports that maybe those dogs aren't even less allergic.
Here's the study and a news article.
Of course, this may not be the whole picture for dogs. While Can f 1 levels do not vary and Can f 1 is the major allergen, some people are allergic to other proteins besides Can f 1. These other protein levels still might vary considerably.
My advice stays the same. Don't get any dogs if you are allergic to them, keep your current dogs out of your bedroom, wash your hands after you play with dogs, and see your allergist for more help.
Thank you for the excellent blog post. It confirms what I had always thought.
ReplyDeleteI've never believed the hype about hypoallergenic dogs. I'm allergic to dogs and cats, and get itchy around most of the hypoallergenic dogs. Some less than others, so your point about hypo meaning "less" is so true.
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