Hypoallergenic

Hypoallergenic is a term first coined in 1964 by a small cosmetics company based in Hyattsville, Maryland, and used by the advertising industry (based on the Greek prefix hypo meaning "below" or "less"), that designates the characteristic of provoking fewer allergic reactions in allergy sufferers, to have a decreased tendency to cause allergies. Hypoallergenic pets still produce allergens, but because of their coat type or absence of fur, typically produce fewer than others of the same species. People with severe allergies and asthma might still be affected by a hypoallergenic pet.

Note that the term lacks a medical definition, and is not found in most standard English dictionaries. As there isn't any official certification that an item must undergo before being touted as hypoallergenic, additional studies should be sought after, before one can assert how much and in which way the tendency to cause allergies is decreased^[1].

Hypoallergenic Pets

For allergy sufferers, a hypoallergenic pet might enable them to have a pet in their home, whereas most dogs, cats, rabbits, and other fur-bearing animals can make their lives miserable. The proteins that cause allergies are found not only in the animals' fur or hair but also in saliva, urine, mucous, and hair roots and in the dander sloughed from the animals' skin.

Some dog breeds have been promoted as hypoallergenic, such as the Afghan Hound whose coat (hair) does not shed and is the same pH as human hair creating no dander, Maltese, Bichon Frisé, Shih Tzu, West Highland White Terrier, Poodle, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, and the Schnauzer. Goldendoodles, Lhasa Poos, and other Poodle hybrids are sometimes good choices for those who have allergies, because some of these dogs do not shed their hair or shed very little. However, no canine is known to be completely nonallergenic.

Cat breeds such as the Sphinx, Devon Rex and Cornish Rex, which lack some or all of the normal layers in cats' fur, are believed by mild allergy sufferers to be significantly less likely to provoke an allergic reaction than other breeds. Siberian cats are also believed by some to have such properties.

A company called Allerca has recently claimed to be able to produce a so called hypoallergenic cat using gene silencing, but as of September 2006, there is some question about the legitimacy of this company (see corresponding article). At the same time, the company denied that it will be able to do the same for dogs, because whereas cats have a single gene that produces the allergenic protein, dogs have many allergenic proteins controlled by multiple genes.

There is only one known hypoallergenic horse breed. The Bashkir Curly horse has a uniquely textured coat that lacks the protein (present in all other horse fur) believed to be the source of allergic reactions to equines. Many people with severe allergies to horses can handle Bashkir Curlies with no reaction.

See also

• Hypoallergenic dog breeds
• Cat allergy
• Skinny pig

References

1. ^ Hypoallergenic: What's in a word?. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.

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