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It is said that allergy sufferers should not have pets. This is not entirely true - there are animals that do not sensitize, and there are allergy sufferers who do not respond to all animal allergens. Which animal is safe for allergy sufferers and what is best for allergy sufferers?

Which animal is the best for an allergy sufferer and is it even there? Yes - and this is good news for anyone struggling with allergies. According to specialists, an allergy sufferer can live in the same house with an animal, as long as he chooses a safe pet for himself.

Not every animal is a source of allergens and not all allergens are dangerous for people prone to allergies. Therefore, even people with allergies can have a pet at home. Which animal is best for allergy sufferers?

Is allergic to any animal allergy?

Of course not: some are completely safe for people with allergies, others are allergenic, but only some. However, before we start enumerating animals that can live in the same house with a person with allergies, it is worth explaining the mechanism of allergy to an animal.

First of all: there is no such thing as allergy to an animal, it is hard to even say that there is an allergy to fur. In fact, allergy symptoms are caused by proteins in the epidermis (only there are about 30 allergens), in the urine, as well as in sebum and saliva, from where they pass into the hair of dogs, cats and rodents.

Allergenic proteins are produced in the secretory glands (sweat and sebaceous) of tetrapods, but also, for example, in the prostate gland of dogs (allergy to this specific type of protein affects up to 30% of allergy sufferers).

One such animal protein is Canf5. This allergen is found in the urine and hair of a dog. The allergenic enzyme Fel D1 is also produced by the cat's salivary and sebaceous glands. This substance is transferred to the hair during licking, so even stroking the cat may cause symptoms.

It is worth knowing that allergens can be dangerous not only in the case of direct contact with an animal. Sometimes an allergy occurs when an allergy sufferer enters a room where a cat or a rodent was, because its allergens circulate in the air, settle on objects, carpets, etc.

Signs of allergy to hairanimal

The most common symptoms of animal hair allergy are:

  • allergic rhinitis,
  • sneezing,
  • itchy and watery eyes,
  • cough,
  • itchy skin and hives
  • shortness of breath.

Which animal is best for allergy sufferers?

Taking this into account, we can risk a statement that the safest animal for allergy sufferers is the one that has no hair or hair, and the one that does not shed dead skin.

Unfortunately, there are not so many of them. A good choice for a person prone to allergies are reptiles and fish. Bearded agama, lizards, e.g. iguanas, turtles are especially recommended. Dogs are also quite a safe choice, as they relatively rarely sensitize despite strong allergens (approx. 8% of people in the world are allergic to dog allergens).

Dogs that do not drool are less allergenic because there are many sensitizing substances in their saliva. Before choosing a dog, it is also worth checking whether the quadruped sheds hair, which is the source of allergens.

Dogs that have hair instead of fur are less allergenic - such breeds are Shih Tzu, M altese, Polish Lowland Sheepdog and Poodle. It should also be remembered that males have more sebaceous glands in their skin and secrete more allergenic proteins, so female dogs are the best for allergy sufferers, not dogs.

What animals do sensitize the most?

Which animals are not suitable for allergy sufferers? Cats are considered the most dangerous animals for allergy sufferers - their allergens stay in the air even when the pet is not in the room. Their allergenic proteins are found in the epidermis and urine, but mainly in saliva.

Therefore - contrary to popular opinion - bald cats (sphinx, elven) are also dangerous, as they spread allergens around their skin.

Other animals that are dangerous for allergy sufferers are rodents (hamsters, guinea pigs, mice), rabbits and horses, and finally birds, whose allergens are found in faeces and feathers.

Worth knowing

It happens that the reason for an allergy is not the animal itself and the substances it produces, but the products we buy for it. Food, vitamins or plants that are the food of the animal can sensitize. Sometimes, for example, sawdust or litter used in cages and litter boxes and, for example, perfumed with chemical substances, which are allergens, are dangerous to humans. Allergy can also be caused by fungi and molds that develop in reptile and rodent terrariums.

Read also: How to reduce allergy symptoms?

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Allergies