Interesting Allergy question--any ideas?

[Ginny Nightingale]

I just got off the phone with a fellow who is hoping to buy one of Lyric's pups--he has an interesting allergy and I am hoping that others may have some suggestions or advice about this.

He is allergic to the saliva of the dog and has been hoping that doodles are hypoallergenic (Don't worry--I already set him straight on that one!) He has bigger hopes because he met one of Lyric's pup from her last litter and had no reaction to her. He is also non-reactive to his brother's bulldog, who sheds, but apparently, his saliva is not a problem, nor is the saliva of a few other shedding dogs he has met.

These pups are half-sibs to the pup he met--he is coming in a few weeks to meet Lyric and the pups (and needs to stay away from my other two dogs) and is hoping that there will be no reaction--however, I am thinking that he may be fine with one pup and will react to another--there is no guarantee that all the pups are the same with regards to the allergens in their saliva--and just because they are Lyric's kids, they could still vary, right?

Then I had another thought--a wild one, but worth thinking about--what if it is the food the dog eats that causes the issue? He did mention that there are some foods, most notably chocolate, that he is allergic to. I was thinking that the factor could be whether or not the dog is on grain free food--I know Sophie, the doodle he has not reacted to, is on grain-free food. And his brother feeds the bulldog Royal Canin (also grain free?) 

Any thoughts and is anyone else out there allergic to dog saliva?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The proteins in the saliva that provoke the allergies are the same proteins as those in the dander. It's a particular protein called KNF-1, and different dogs have differing amounts.

Allergies are very specific to the particular pattern of amino acids in the allergen. This is why it's possible to have an allergy to chicken but not to turkey, or to fescue grass but not to bluegrass. 

Therefore, if this man is truly allergic to dog saliva (OR dog dander), it would have nothing to do with what food the dog eats, or whether the food contains grains or not. If he had an allergy test that showed that he is allergic to KNF-1, (i.e. that his immune system has developed antibodies to it) nothing the dog eats is going to change the amount of the allergen in a dog's saliva. It's genetic.

It is not only possible that this man may be fine with one of Lyric's pups but not another, it's likely. Puppies from the same mother and same litter can vary greatly in terms of provoking an allergic response or not, the same way their coats vary. It just depends on how much KNF-1 each puppy inherited.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here is an excellent article and video about dog allergies, and puppies, with a great explanation by a leading allergy doctor:

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/video/hypoallergenic-dogs

[Ginny Nightingale]

Thanks Karen--great video and I agree with you--it was wishful thinking on my part, I am afraid...another family is getting the allergy shots but I don't think they are that allergic to begin with--this case, however,  is probably NOT going to have a happy ending...  :(

[F, Calla & Luca]

Of course if money is not object nor time you could try one of these. I've mentioned them before but I have no idea if what they say on the website is accurate.

http://www.allerca.com/index.html

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nope, not accurate.  You apparently might not even get any pet, let alone one who is hypoallergenic. 

Even Nightline had a report on this scam :http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/case-hypoallergenic-cat-19695208

Lots more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyle_Pets

http://allercascam.blogspot.com/

http://consumerist.com/2009/04/04/allerca-wheres-my-4000-hypoallerg...

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Lifestyle-Pets-Allerca-Simon-Brodie-S...

http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Allerca-Lifestyle-Pets/internet/Aller...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Here is my suggestion.  Wash each puppy  to make him/her as pure as possible them wipe a cloth on each one sealing it in a ziploc, then mail the ziplocs to him to open one each day and rub wear it inside his shirt?  But then when the pup gets its adult coat.......

Here are a couple of links that might be helpful:

http://www.justdogbreeds.com/low-shedding-dog-breeds.html

  http://doodlerescue.org/group/isadoodleforyou/forum/topics/the-alle...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The second link you posted, which is courtesy of the Labradoodle Trust in the UK, has good info on this, and includes the sentence: "We cannot stress strongly enough that allergy testing with puppies is futile."

[Ginny Nightingale]

Exactly.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks to the DRC for posting it on their site where I read it.

[Ginny Nightingale]

That is an interesting idea Nancy, but the saliva would not be present--Karen, are you saying at the top that you don't need the saliva? That the dander has the same protein and that petting the dog would have the same effect as having the dog lick you? Either way, if the KNF1 protein were present, it will get to you? Or is it true that the protein can be in the saliva OR the dander--

This is pretty tricky and I can't promise this person anything!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It isn't petting the dog that causes an allergic reaction, it's inhaling the dander. The allergens have to enter the bloodstream via ingestion or inhalation to cause the immune response (allergy symptoms). There are people who get contact dermatitis from petting dogs or having them lick you, but that's not the same thing. And it doesn't cause the itchy watering eyes and respiratory symptoms like true allergies. 

Dogs who shed throw off way more dander than dogs who don't shed, which is one reason shedding dogs provoke allergy symtpoms more than non-shedding dogs. And one interesting fact is that dogs who have allergies themselves are more likely to aggravate an owner's dog allergies, because the scratching also throws more dry skin cells into the air. 

Dogs who slobber heavily also provoke the owner's allergies more than dogs who don't for the same reasons.  

[Ginny Nightingale]

Not sure, but I think it is contact dermatitis...and I will ask,