Dog Allergy What Makes Dogs Trigger Allergic Reactions

Your affection towards your pet seems excessive, but each time you get close to them, you end up sneezing. When you play around with your dog, you start having teary eyes. Is your pet the one causing these allergic symptoms in you? Dog allergy can cause these reactions, and hair is only one part of the problem.

What Actually Triggers a Dog Allergy?

Allergy to dogs arises from the response of the immune system to specific proteins produced by the dog. The said proteins are present in dog dander, saliva, urine, and other body fluids.

Researchers have identified seven major dog allergen components:

• Can f 1 – mainly present in dander and saliva
• Can f 2 – found in dander and saliva
• Can f 3 – mainly present in serum, dander, and saliva
• Can f 4 – mainly present in dander
• Can f 5 – found in urine
• Can f 6 – mainly present in dander and saliva
• Can f 7 – yet another dog allergen protein

Among these allergens, Can f 1 is one of the most significant, yet not all dog-sensitive individuals react to it. Studies show that Can f 1 was detected in about 64% of sensitized adults, suggesting the involvement of several allergens in dog allergies.

Why Can Dog Allergens Follow You Around?

Allergens produced by dogs can spread further than just the dog itself. Dander, along with the allergens, will enter the house dust and stay there for a long time.

It follows that moving a dog out of the room will not automatically eliminate the existing allergens from the carpets, furniture, and house dust.

Why Is Dog Allergy So Hard to Identify?

The problem is that there are considerable variations in the composition and strength of dog allergens used for testing purposes. In such cases, it is not always possible to have a full picture of a patient’s sensitivity through skin prick and IgE tests.

Molecular allergen tests, which focus on analyzing particular dog allergens rather than crude extracts, can be of great assistance to doctors in identifying the particular component causing the allergic reaction.

Does a Hypoallergenic Dog Really Exist?

And here’s the shocking truth: no truly hypoallergenic dogs exist at present.

Allergen amounts differ from one breed to another and also among individual dogs. Studies have shown that many breeds considered “hypoallergenic” actually have allergen amounts close to those of other breeds.

Can Dog Allergy Symptoms Be Managed?

Avoidance of allergens is one of the management strategies. The patient may bathe regularly in order to reduce allergens, and clean dust and carpet in order to avoid allergen accumulation. According to the patient’s symptoms, antihistamines, local steroid application, and immunotherapy may be recommended by the healthcare professionals.

Dog allergy is not about dog hair only; this allergy is a reaction to a complicated composition of proteins, and knowing Can f 1–Can f 7 is the way to diagnose dog allergy accurately.

References Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5809771/