Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain
Speaker 1: Stuff Lauren Boga Bam here with the appeal of all
Speaker 1: cuddles and no allergic reactions, hypoallergenic dogs seem like the
Speaker 1: obvious choice for animal lovers who are somehow sensitive to
Speaker 1: those wet noses and wagging tails. But are these hypoallergenic
Speaker 1: dogs too good to be true? The truth is many
Speaker 1: specific breeds of pups touted as hypoallergenic don't shed fur,
Speaker 1: and because of this trait, some breeders promise these dogs
Speaker 1: won't trigger any allergies at all, except they can, so
Speaker 1: what gives. It's not actually a dog's fur that's responsible
Speaker 1: for humans allergic reactions. It's what's stuck on the fur
Speaker 1: that causes are sneezing or asthma attacks. People who are
Speaker 1: allergic to dogs and cats too, for that matter, are
Speaker 1: triggered by protein in the animals saliva and urine that
Speaker 1: sticks to the animals fur and skin. When a dog
Speaker 1: sheds its fur and dander or dry skin flakes, that
Speaker 1: alle g inducing protein is released into the air. That's
Speaker 1: why non shedding breeds tend to lessen allergic reactions and
Speaker 1: humans no shedding means fewer of those allergen inducing proteins
Speaker 1: are released, but no dog breed is entirely hypoallergenic. It's
Speaker 1: a marketing term more than a medical term. But while
Speaker 1: hypoallergenic maybe a fluff term, having a non shedding breed
Speaker 1: is totally helpful for people that have allergies and who
Speaker 1: want a dog too. The American Kennel Club reports that
Speaker 1: many less allergenic breeds do produce less dander. This, paired
Speaker 1: with the fact that these dogs don't shed, makes several
Speaker 1: breeds a good fit for people prone to allergies, including
Speaker 1: Afghan hounds, Irish water spaniels, Maltese poodles, Portuguese water dogs, schnauzers,
Speaker 1: and mixes of the above. On the other hand, some
Speaker 1: breeds can produce more of that protein and shed more.
Speaker 1: Labrador retrievers, for example, can quote Greek havoc on your allergies.
Speaker 1: According to the American Kennel Club that said, it's not
Speaker 1: one size fits all solution. We spoke with Melanie Carver,
Speaker 1: vice president of Community Health for the Asthma and Allergy
Speaker 1: Foundation of America. She said some people with a dog
Speaker 1: dander allergy may be less reactive or have less symptoms
Speaker 1: to dander from certain breeds. Allergy testing cannot determine which
Speaker 1: breeds may work better for you than others. The only
Speaker 1: way to determine if you can tolerate being around a
Speaker 1: certain breed is to have direct, repeated exposure to a
Speaker 1: dog and see how your body reacts. While the typical
Speaker 1: signs of pet allergies may seem obvious sneezing, scratchy throad,
Speaker 1: or itchy eyes, several lesser known symptoms can also appear.
Speaker 1: If you're doing a test a round with a pup,
Speaker 1: be on the lookout for facial pressure and pain, swollen
Speaker 1: blue tinted skin beneath your eyes, and excessive coughing. These
Speaker 1: symptoms are similar to allergies caused by hay fever. They're
Speaker 1: caused by the inflammation of nasal passages. Other allergic reactions
Speaker 1: could affect the skin, resulting in hives, eczema, and general itchiness.
Speaker 1: In the most serious cases. PET allergies can also contribute
Speaker 1: to asthmatic reactions like chest tightness, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and
Speaker 1: trouble sleeping. Many pet allergy warning signs resemble symptoms of
Speaker 1: a regular cold symptoms that last beyond two weeks are
Speaker 1: likely allergies and therefore a red flag. In some severe cases,
Speaker 1: it's impossible to find a dog that doesn't trigger allergies,
Speaker 1: but more often than not, a few trials can lead
Speaker 1: to the perfect pub. Breed plays the biggest role, but
Speaker 1: several other factors such as dog size, can help or
Speaker 1: hurt allergy prone owners. Big dogs produce more dander and saliva,
Speaker 1: for instance, and small dogs are simply easier to bathe
Speaker 1: and groom. Frequent grooming, which is required for any non
Speaker 1: shedding dog, is one way to stay ahead of allergies.
Speaker 1: Another recommendation is setting ground rules when it comes to
Speaker 1: lounge time. The American Kennel Club suggests keeping pets off
Speaker 1: the bed and washing their pet beds regularly. It also
Speaker 1: recommends ditching heavy carpets and drapes that are known to
Speaker 1: trap and hold on to dander. Carver also suggests brushing
Speaker 1: and grooming your pet outside, vacuuming regularly, and washing your
Speaker 1: hands and changing clothes after playing with your pup. It's
Speaker 1: not all dooming gloom for those who have pet allergies.
Speaker 1: Several types of medicines can help owners further manage their
Speaker 1: allergy symptoms. Over the counter anahistamines help relieve itching, sneezing,
Speaker 1: and running nose, while nasal sprays can help reduce inflammation.
Speaker 1: Doctors may also prescribe stronger medications for patients who have
Speaker 1: both asthma and allergies, and other allergy treatment options include immunotherapy,
Speaker 1: which is a series of allergy shots, and nasal irrigation
Speaker 1: like a Nettie pot. But hey, humans aren't the only
Speaker 1: ones who have dander allergies. Dogs can be allergic to
Speaker 1: human dander too. Today's episode was written by Stephanie Vermillion
Speaker 1: and produced by Tyler Klang. Brain Stuff is a production
Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio's How Stuff Works. For more in
Speaker 1: this and lots of other well groomed topic, visit our
Speaker 1: home planet astuffworks dot com. And for more podcasts from
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