There will be millions of people in Britain who can sympathise with the plight
of the US President-elect, Barack Obama. Not the huge challenges he faces as
leader of the free world, but the task of finding a hypoallergenic puppy for
his daughter. While it may seem frivolous to the lucky allergy-free, the
misery of pet-induced reactions is all too familiar to many.
The first challenge is that allergic reactions are intensely personal; no one
responds in exactly the same way. This is because the symptoms are not
caused by the allergen, but by the body's reaction to it. The immune system
of an allergic person sees the harmless dog hair or rabbit fluff as a
dangerous invader.
Or, more accurately, it misidentifies proteins on the animal hair or dander
(dried skin), as potential infections. Its response is to produce an
over-the-top defence reaction, releasing a cocktail of potent chemicals that
cause inflammation. And it is this inflammation that leads to everything
from itchy eyes to lethal anaphylactic shock.
So while some people must avoid alsatians, others must dodge daschunds. It is
how your body responds to different animals that counts; something almost
impossible to predict. You won't know for sure until you try.
The commonest allergies
Dog and cat allergies are the most common, probably because they are the most
popular pets. And the majority of allergies are to proteins produced in
glands on the animal skin and in the saliva. Called Can f1 in dogs and Fel
d1 in cats, they coat the fur and are shed in the animals' wake. These
proteins are similar, which is why some people are allergic to cats and
dogs.
However, they are not the only culprits. Other proteins, such as Can f2 or
albumin, can also trigger an allergic response. And then there are those
proteins produced by other animals. Allergies have been recorded to rabbits,
cows, horses, guinea-pigs, mice and rats.
It's not possible to tell exactly which bit of your pet you're allergic to
without detailed tests. Some private clinics and laboratories offer these
tests, but beware: the field of allergen testing is full of spurious,
unproven methods. Some sound very scientific, such as cytotoxic or
electro-dermal testing. However, they have no research evidence to back them
up and they can be expensive.
If you are interested in being tested, your first stop should be your doctor.
Don't forget that knowing what you react to may not help you to choose the
right dog because all dogs produce these proteins and there is no such thing
as a truly non-allergenic dog. Obama's quest is going to be tricky.
Hypoallergenic breeds are ones that simply produce fewer proteins and so,
hopefully, do not produce such a strong reaction. The same goes for cats,
guinea-pigs, rabbits, etc. There are even some suggestions that individual
animals produce different amounts of allergens. So replacing your favourite
pet with another of the same breed may not always do the trick.
There are, though, a number of things you can do to ease pet allergies, and
there is even the prospect of genetically-engineered allergen- free pets in
the future.
Choose your breed carefully
Some dogs seem to produce fewer reactions for a number of possible reasons.
They may shed less hair, shed less dander or have lower amounts of the
allergens. There are lists of hypoallergenic dogs, such as poodles or
schnauzers, published by a number of organisations; the Kennel Club's list
of low-shedding dogs can be found at http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2100.
Similarly Rex and naked Sphinx cats are reported to be hypoallergenic.
Washing your pet regularly can also help as it removes much of the hair,
dander and allergen, preventing them from getting into the air. (Good luck
with bathing your cat, by the way.) People with rabbit or guinea-pig
allergies should keep their cages spotless as it tends to be the animals'
urine that contains the allergens.
Remember that your reaction is individual and while these animals are a
reasonable place to start, it's a good idea to try before you buy. Try to
visit your potential pet before you commit to see how you respond. Many
people get a reaction within seconds of coming into contact with an animal,
though it can take much longer. If you really struggle, reptiles and
amphibians rarely cause problems.
Keep your house - and your hands - clean
Regular vacuuming with a cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter (which retains 99
per cent of the dust hoovered up) can help to reduce the amount of allergen
in the house. It might also be worth keeping a scrupulously pet-free room,
the bedroom being the best bet. And wash your hands thoroughly after
touching a pet.
Genetically-engineered animals
Modern genetic engineering can, in theory, produce a pet that is totally free
of any particular protein. So far, attempts to genetically engineer cats
free of Fel d1 have failed. However, as the technology improves, truly
allergen-free pets may well arrive.
The closest science has got to date are the hypoallergenic cats offered by the
US company Allerca (www.allerca.com); for hypoallergenic dogs visit www.lifestylepets.com.
These animals have been bred conventionally to have low levels of the main
allergens. But they come at a price, from $7950 (about £5,300). Animals
imported from the US to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme have to be
vaccinated against rabies. For more details visit www.defra.gov.uk.
Talk to your doctor about a drug regimen
There are many antihistamines available over the counter to reduce the effects
of allergic reactions. And just as everyone's response to allergens is
unique, finding the right treatment is a matter of working out what's best
for you.
Build a tolerance
People can develop tolerances to allergens and many sufferers build up a
natural tolerance to their pets. This is exploited in a treatment called
desensitisation. Small amounts of the allergen are given over a few weeks,
normally by injection just under the skin. It is most commonly used for hay
fever, and only rarely for pet allergies, in the UK. Such treatments must
always be carried out under strict medical supervision as it could produce
an unexpectedly severe immune response. Always ask your GP.
