# Hypoallergenic or Not?



## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

You have probably discussed this before, but after reading Antig's post regarding whether poodles have hair or fur, and discussion of whether it is "wool" --- I wondered what everyone believes about hypoallergenic dogs.

I have a life of allergies / asthma and have been tested for allergies several times; I started with allergy shots when I was maybe 8 and got them weekly, then every other week, every 3rd week and then monthly until I was around 17 -- then they seemed to go a way and came back when I was in my 30's. Originally, I was told my cat allergies were off the chart, and dogs, too but not poodles (which I have owned for 30 years). Then later on as an adult, the thinking was that a dog is a dog is a dog and if you are allergic to dogs, you are allergic to dogs -- some more than others. Poodles have never bothered me.

See this interesting article -- wonder what the thinking is here. I can only speak for personal experience as I have terrible allergies and am on daily maintenance allergy meds.

Allergy sufferers who still want a canine companion have been known to drop big bucks on so-called "hypoallergenic dogs" -- so dubbed because they are reported to have lower household allergen levels than other pooches. But a new study suggests that might not actually be the case.
Writing in the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy, researchers from the Henry Ford Hospital found no scientific basis backing the idea that hypoallergenic dogs have less irritating allergens. As the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America explains, "People with pet allergies have supersensitive immune systems that react to harmless proteins in the pet's dander -- dead skin that is shed -- saliva, or urine. These proteins are called allergens."
In the new study, researchers collected dust samples from more than 173 homes with one dog. All told, they looked at 60 different breeds, 11 of which were supposed to be hypoallergenic. The researchers found no significant differences in allergen levels among the hypoallergenic versus non hypoallergenic dogs.
"The idea that you can buy a certain breed of dog and think it will cause less allergy problems for a person already dog-allergic is not borne out by our study," said Christine Cole Johnson, Ph.D., chair of Henry Ford's Department of Public Health Sciences and the study's lead author in a press release.
Maybe not. But the American Kennel Club -- which admits that no dog is 100-percent hypoallergenic -- provides a list of dogs it claims are better-suited to allergy sufferers, saying they have non-shedding coats and thus, result in less dander. 
On that list? Breeds like Bichon Frise, Maltese, Poodles and (first-family style) Portuguese Water Dogs.


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## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

I too suffer with allergies / allergic asthma and I'm very allergic to dogs and cats. I'm fine with poodles though and have no reaction to panda, well I am allergic to his wee (and he pees on himself a lot) but a bath sorts that out. He also brings in allergens from outside if I go too long between baths, a bath every couple of weeks seems to work for us 

I'm not sure I would want to trust any cross breeds as being hypoallergenic but a poodle does definitely seem to be. My asthma gets bad around other dog breeds but nothing with poodles.


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

They can say there's no difference between "hypoallergenic" and "nonhypoallergenic" dogs, but I see a first-hand difference in my husband. His allergy to cats and dogs are immediate in double coated breeds. Even breeds like boxers, with their short coats, bother the heck out of him. He does not exhibit symptoms with our poodle and hairless cat. Our cats do get greasy and if he pets them he'll have to wash his hands later, cause if he rubs his eyes, they will get red, but he does not sneeze and have runny eyes like when he's around haired cats. He also doesn't get itchy when Leroy licks him, like he does with other dogs. I just don't like when they use "hypoallergenic" as a marketing term to sell puppies for lots of money, such as labordoodles/goldendoodles.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

LOLolol. This is now the fourth time this article has been used to start a thread on this forum! Might be a good idea to search "hypoallergenic" on a forum about poodles before posting!    

http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle-talk/15120-hypoallergenic-dogs-not.html

http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle-talk/14399-hypoallergenic-dog-claims-dont-stand-up.html

http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle-talk/14353-hypoallergenic-dogs-study-what.html

This study being quoted only tested for amount of dander. It did not test for makeup of dander. I would hypothesize that possibly the makeup of dander is different in poodles (and other similar breeds).

The other possibility is that poodles (and other similar breeds) require more frequent bathing, thus the saliva and urine on the coat is reduced, greatly reducing the allergy sufferer's allergic response. MAYBE, the people who are allergic to dogs, but suffer much less around poodles and other similar breeds, have more of an allergy to urine and saliva than to dander.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I know first hand with my husband and daughter that certain dogs are differant. Neither could pet our Boxer without having to go wash up as soon as the petting was over... Neither can even walk into a house where a cat lives! Horses get them both ect. But Maltese, Shih tuz's, Blonkas, and Poodles are fine!


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Carley's Mom said:


> I know first hand with my husband and daughter that certain dogs are differant. Neither could pet our Boxer without having to go wash up as soon as the petting was over... Neither can even walk into a house where a cat lives! Horses get them both ect. But Maltese, Shih tuz's, Blonkas, and Poodles are fine!


I agree totally, which is why I always take what the medical research community publishes with a grain of salt -- I know what affects me and what does not, and well poodles do not, bichons do not, but all other dog breeds do.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

It is funny to go online this morning and see this topic. We actually had friends over last night for what we started calling dessert and a sniff test with a side of Benadryl if needed. They have pretty bad pet allergies in their house. Their son is home from school and so they came over. Lexi was more than happy to play and climb all over their three boys and ds. They spent the entire two hours playing fetch, petting, letting her "mouth" arms(for some reason the boys thought this was really funny!) in otherwords, the boys and Lexi were all over each other. She of course did not mind at all.  Their oldest if he is going to have problems will notice right away. He had no issues at all. They really want a dog and have wanted to learn about breeding for some time, but until we got Lexi had never been around a spoo. I checked with her this morning and nobody had any allergy problems at all last night. Their youngest who I am told doesn't really take to dogs had a ton of fun with Lexi.


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## lilypoo (Jul 25, 2011)

I'm highly allergic to most furry creatures, but most of the poodles I've met/lived with have not bothered me. I've almost died from animal-induced asthma attacks--nothing as fun as being in the ER getting epinephrine in the middle of the night! LOL 

Lily doesn't bother me usually--even having her sleep in bed with me. Occasionally I will get a small hive or three if she licks me somewhere that my skin is sensitive--like on the inside of my arm. My husband and I do OK with her sleeping in bed, even up by our faces...but I do bathe her weekly. And I discourage her from rolling in grass, etc. since I know then she will be tracking around plant allergens.

Now, my dad's black mini seems to be more "allergenic" than other poodles I've encountered. When my oldest dd was four, she needed an ER visit for allergies/asthma after Mr. Fox licked her face/arms. 

Fox seems to bother us less as he gets older. My parents have always had cats too though, so there's no way for me to know if the itchiness and chest tightness I get at their house is from the cats (prob!) or Mr. Fox. I can pet him but my arms get itchy if I don't wash them after....he is bathed only about once every 6 weeks though and does often have a greasy-feeling (feels like the lanolin on sheep) when I pet him.


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## PoodleMomAnew (Dec 22, 2010)

My son's GF is highly allergic to dogs and this is evidenced by extreme welts and redness which erupt whenever she dogsits a Lab and Chihuahua (don't ask me why she does this.) However, she spends a lot of time in our home with our 2 spoos who adore her and are very demonstrative of this by jumping on her, licking her, rubbing up against her and in the case of our female, attempting to sit in her lap. This young woman has never had the slightest reaction to our spoos.


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