Hypoallergenic - Hypoallergenic Pets

Hypoallergenic Pets

"Hypoallergenic pets" are breeds of pet animals (e.g., some breeds of dogs) that are less likely to trigger allergic reactions in people who are sensitized to the pet species (e.g., in people generally allergic to dogs).

With regard to allergy sufferers, a hypoallergenic pet would presumably enable them to have a pet in their home, whereas most dogs, cats, rabbits, and other fur-bearing animals can cause an allergic reaction. The proteins that cause allergies are found not only in the animals' fur or hair but also in saliva, urine, mucous, and hair roots and in the dander sloughed from the animals' skin. Thus, the widespread idea that "hypoallergenic pets" are those that have less hair or shed less is a myth.

Some dog breeds have been promoted as hypoallergenic because they do not shed their hair, shed very little, or have the same pH as human hair. However, no canine is known to be completely nonallergenic. Yorkshire Terriers, Poodles and Poodle hybrids are commonly mistaken as being hypoallergenic, when in reality they are known to cause different forms of allergies, including bronchitis, as does any breed of dog.

Cat breeds such as the LaPerm, Sphynx, Devon Rex and Cornish Rex, which lack some or all of the normal layers in cats' fur, are believed by mild allergy sufferers to be significantly less likely to provoke an allergic reaction than other breeds. Siberian cats and Russian Blue are also believed by some to have such properties.

A company called Allerca recently claimed to be able to produce a so-called hypoallergenic cat using gene silencing, but it has now instead used traditional breeding methods, starting with cats that naturally lack the gene that produces the glycoprotein Fel d 1 causing an allergic reaction in some people. However, no peer-reviewed studies have confirmed the company's claims and some scientists are skeptical of the company's assertions. Allerca is currently accepting orders for hypoallergenic kittens. Another company, Felix Pets, also claims to be developing a breed of hypoallergenic cat.

There is only one known hypoallergenic horse breed. The Bashkir Curly horse has a uniquely textured coat that lacks the protein (present in all other horse fur) believed to be the source of allergic reactions to equines. Many people with severe allergies to horses can handle Bashkir Curlies with no reaction.