Hypoallergenic Cats & Dogs

There are no breeds of cats or dogs that are hypoallergenic; however, having said that, I would like to qualify the answer. While there are no hypoallergenic breeds, there are some animals that may be reasonably close to being hypoallergenic.

Within any given litter of dogs or cats of any breed, you may, on occasion find an animal that you do not have a reaction to or, conversely, one that you are especially sensitive to.

This condition is not breed specific. It can happen in any breed. It is litter specific. . . and it does not mean that all litters contain an animal that is relatively allergen free nor does it mean that the balance of a litter that contains one relatively allergen free animal is likely to be all relatively allergen free.

However, as a generality, female animals produce fewer allergens than males. Studies show that allergen production is controlled by hormones: males produce more allergens than females. When males are castrated, the quantity of allergens produced decrease within a month.

Unfortunately, if you are looking to buy a kitten or puppy, this doesn't help you very much. All puppies and kittens have soft, supple skins. At this early age, an allergic person can probably handle any one of them and not have much, if any, of a reaction. It is as the skin ages and becomes less supple and the sebaceous glands begin to produce more oils (sebum) that allergy problems begin to appear.

Virtually every article that I have read and every person that I have spoken to about animal allergies talks only about dander. This is may be because dander can be easily seen and understood. Dander is important as a problem causing allergen, but it is not the key one. Dander is usually the simplistic explanation of the cause of animal allergies.

Dander may be part of the cause of reactions to cats, but the real culprit and cause of the major reactions is from the secretion of the sebaceous glands. All skin, human or animal, contains these glands which produce an oily lubricant that keep the skin supple and the hair shiny. It is from this secretion that Fel d1, the cat allergen, surfaces. (It also surfaces from the saliva of persistent self-cleaning cats). The protein composition of dander can, and does cause reactions, but the majority of the serious reactions stem from the Fel d1 allergen.

Lots of hair, little hair or no hair. All cats produce oils from their sebaceous glands, and this is the major allergen problem. The amount of hair that a cat has or does not have plays no significant part in its allergenicity. Cats, by the way, are probably responsible for two-thirds of all pet related allergies.

Because dogs are not self-cleaners to the extent that cats are, dogs tend to have more dander, however, it is still the production of the sebaceous glands that greatly adds to the causal effect of allergic reactions to dogs. Like cats, the amount of hair a dog has or does not have, or whether the hair sheds or does not shed, plays little in its ability to cause allergic reactions. Articles have appeared recommending low-shedding or non-shedding breeds, i.e. Poodles, Maltese, Bedlington Terriers, Kerry Blue Terriers and even the current fad of cross-breed 'designer dogs,' such as Labradoodles, Schnoodles, Yorkiepoos, Cockapoos, Pomapoos, Peke-a-Poms, Golden Doodles and others, as being hypoallergenic. Please note: These cross-breeds are exactly that and are not likely to reproduce themselves again. From the allergy viewpoint, they are every bit as allergenic as all registered and mixed-breed animals. They are not recognized by the American Kennel Club, the Canadian Kennel Club, the British Kennel Club or the worldwide Federation Cynologique International (F.C.I.)

Another common misconception is that the fur of some breeds is like human hair, and thus these breeds do not cause allergic activity.