Pet owners with allergy can mitigate environmental exposures to allergens
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Key takeaways:
- Research is focusing on reducing Fel d 1 secretions in cats.
- All breeds of dogs produce similar levels of dog allergen.
- Air filters and aggressive cleaning can remove allergens from the home.
WASHINGTON — Patients can keep their furry, four-legged friends and still control their pet allergy symptoms, according to a presentation at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting.
“They’re considered family members, right?” Amanda Michaud, DMSc, PA-C, AE-C, a physician assistant with Family Allergy and Asthma Consultants in Jacksonville, Florida, said during her lecture.
The best recommendation is for patients to avoid the pet and remove it from the home, said Michaud, who also is secretary of the Association of PAs in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and a member of Healio’s Allergy/Asthma Peer Perspective Board.
But even though physicians share these instructions with their patients, Michaud acknowledged the close relationships that patients have with their pets.
“Patients are really unlikely to remove animals from the home,” Michaud said.
In these cases, Michaud said, physicians can educate their patients about how these exposures could be contributing to their symptoms and how to mitigate the effects of dander exposure at home.
For example, cat dander is ubiquitous and can be impactful to patients with cat allergy, even if they do not have a cat themselves. But specialized cat food can reduce Fel d 1 secretions by about 47%, which can improve symptoms in individuals who are allergic to cats, Michaud said.
Breeding also may lead to genetic modifications that reduce Fel d 1 secretions. Researchers are now studying whether cats can be immunized to induce neutralizing antibodies against Fel d 1 as well.
“It was proven to be safe. None of the cats were harmed. They’re doing great,” Michaud said.
Cats who had been immunized have had significant reductions in the secretion of Fel d 1 in their tears, researchers have reported
“This might be something in the future where our veterinary colleagues might be able to offer vaccination for cats to reduce allergen exposure,” Michaud said.
“I think we should all buy stock in this because we’ll be super rich,” she joked. “Our patients will be very much in favor of this.”
Michaud also noted that no studies suggest that hypoallergenic dogs have any effect on allergy and that there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, calling it a marketing term typically reserved to describe dogs that shed significantly less or do not shed at all.
When people are allergic to dogs, there are multiple sources of the antigen as well, including saliva, skin, and urine as well as hair. Some dogs, especially unaltered males, secrete an additional allergen in their hair and skin.
Some patients are quite surprised when they find out that they are allergic to their dogs, or they get upset when they are told there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, Michaud said.
“Patients sometimes get really emotional or upset when we tell them that, but it’s true,” she said. “You can’t really argue with science.”
Nor is there any evidence that certain breeds are better for patients with dog allergy, Michaud continued, as studies have found no differences in concentrations of allergenic protein or dander in homes that have “regular” dogs and those with dogs that have been described as hypoallergenic.
“Their home may be cleaner. Perhaps they may not shed as much. But there’s significant variability between species, and the environment plays a role,” Michaud said.
Patients may be able to tolerate their own dogs in their own homes, but if they encounter a dog of the same breed outside of the home, they may experience a reaction as different dogs release different allergens as well as different levels of allergens, Michaud said.
Further, Michaud noted her own experiences with patients who did not believe the results of skin tests indicating that they were allergic to their dog.
“It probably won’t make much of a difference if they’re polysensitized and they remove the dog from the home,” Michaud said. “You probably are allergic.”
Patients also can reduce the levels of dog allergen in their homes by bathing their dogs twice a week, potentially achieving baseline levels.
“When we tell patients that, it’s ridiculous and they laugh at you,” Michaud said. “Nobody does that. But for me, it illustrates that if they can just increase that level of bathing that it might help substantially.”
Patients with pet allergies and pets could benefit from running air purifiers with HEPA filters all day long and from aggressive cleaning with vacuums that also have HEPA filters, along with filtration systems that cover the entire home.
“You don’t have to buy the fancy $70 filters every month,” Michaud said. “But just regularly replacing them like you’re supposed to do can be very helpful.”
These patients also should keep their pets out of the bedroom, although Michaud conceded that this is easier said than done.
“You want to keep that a clean and safe space from aeroallergens,” she said.
Patients who are allergic to pet dander even though they do not have pets of their own also can use air purifiers and aggressive cleaning to protect themselves, particularly if pets previously had lived in the home.
For more information:
Amanda Michaud, DMSc, PA-C, AE-C, can be reached at amandalmichaud@gmail.com.