When the Fur Flies
Taming Pet Allergies
Pet allergies took the national spotlight when the Obama family delayed selection of a "first dog" for several months to seek a hypoallergenic pup because of daughter Malia’s allergies.
In reality, fully hypoallergenic dogs don’t exist, says Michelle Lierl, MD, a clinical allergist at Cincinnati Children’s. But the Obama family’s concerns are common, she says, so here's the scoop on pet allergies.
Pre-Pet Planning
With pet allergies, prevention may be the best medicine. Test for allergies by taking the child on a no-promises play date with cats or a specific breed of dog before taking one home.
Big differences exist between dog and cat allergies, a distinction that feeds the hypoallergenic dog myth.
“Someone who’s allergic to cats is allergic to every cat,” Lierl says. “But dogs have been selectively bred to the point that breeds are almost different animals. So a lot of people are allergic to some types of dogs but not others.”
Pinpoint the Cause
Clues to whether your child has a pet allergy are symptoms that affect the child year-round and lessen away from home. These could point to dust mites or mold. Your doctor can perform blood or skin tests to help pinpoint the cause.
If problems are severe, removing the pet from the home may be the only solution, Lierl says. But that’s also an emotionally difficult choice.
With cats, it may be the only relief. Allergens carried in the cat’s saliva are pervasive and hard to clean away. It takes six months, short of a thorough home cleaning, for cat allergen levels to reach levels where they don’t cause symptoms even after a cat is gone.
With dogs, it’s easier to make accommodations, Lierl says, such as washing the dog regularly and using an air filter.
Allergy shots can desensitize children to pet allergies in three to seven months. Lierl advises them for people with severe cat allergies regardless of whether a cat is at home, as the allergen is pervasive.
“I strongly recommend removing the pet when the child has asthma,” Lierl says. “If they require daily inhalable medicine, or they’re sick or missing school, then it’s not reasonable to keep that pet.”
One Cincinnati Children’s study says removing pets from a home could reduce a child’s asthma by nearly 45 percent.
