Animal Allergy: No Hypo-Allergenic Cats or Dogs

Some people say there are breeds of dogs and cats that won't trigger allergies. However, there appears to be a major dog allergen found primarily in the sebaceous glands in the skin of dogs.

The allergen is very sticky and clings to shed skin and hair - which means the animal's hair is the carrier, not the source.

Every dog breed that exists shares this allergen. All other warm-blooded animals with fur or hair-rabbits, gerbils, hamsters, horses and cats-produce similar allergens. When animal hair is shed on sofas or carpets, humans pick up the dander when they come in contact with it.

Although a person may say their own dog doesn't cause an allergic reaction but other people's dogs do cause a reaction, it's difficult to determine how much of this is real and how much is perceived. But there is a minor difference between dog breeds.

Chihuahuas may produce a lesser amount of the allergen and golden retrievers have more. But this is only because one is small and the other quite large. No breed is entirely free of the allergen. Breeds that shed less - like the standard poodle, for example - are not allergen-free, but they do leave less of it behind.

Washing a dog twice weekly decreases the allergic protein in the air, but this isn't very practical. You could get a certain breed to try it out, but it's hard to give up a pet once it lives with you. The best solution is to avoid purchasing dogs and cats if you find you are allergic to them.

This information has been approved by Richard Weber, MD (March 2009).