Have an allergy and want a pet? Here’s how it can work

Wanting but not being able to have a pet can be really difficult. Pet hair allergies can lead to difficult decisions, broken hearts and sad children’s eyes.

Allergies have to be taken seriously, that’s for sure. In extreme cases, every contact with an animal can be a challenge for your immune system and a strain on your health.

Nevertheless, if you can’t live without a dog or a cat despite being allergic to them, here are some tips. I got them from speaking to allergy expert Nadia Ramseier from Aha! Allergy Centre Switzerland and reading Prof. Dr. med. Karl-Christian Bergmann’s book Diagnose Katzenhaarallergie. Wie kann ich meinen Liebling trotz Allergie behalten von Prof. Dr. Karl-Christian Bergmann nachgelesen. Der Allergologe und Lungenfacharzt an der Berliner Charité ist auch Klinischer Direktor der Europäischen Stiftung für Allergieforschung (ECARF) (only available in German). The allergist and lung specialist at Charité hospital in Berlin is also Clinical Director of the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF).

An allergic sensitisation isn’t the same as an allergy

From a medical point of view, it’s clear that if you have a pet hair allergy, your pet needs to move out and be rehomed. This is particularly tricky if you never used to be allergic to your beloved pet and develop an allergy overnight. «Allergies can come out of nowhere, even if you’ve lived with a pet for a long time,» Nadia Ramseier says. How come? No-one knows the answer yet.

However, not everyone who’s sensitised i.e. predisposed to develop an allergy after repeated contact to animal hair, will actually develop an allergy. Taken a test and turns out you’re allergic to an animal? Expert Karl-Christian Bergmann has reassuring news: «Even if antibodies to cat allergens are detected on your skin or in your blood, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll develop symptoms. If you don’t have symptoms, there won’t be any problems for you to have a pet.»

Of 100 adults with proven allergic sensitisation, as many as 50 per cent have «clinically silent sensitisation», he writes in his book. In other words, an allergic sensitisation isn’t the same as an allergy. It’s only an allergy if the positive test result is accompanied by symptoms in the nose, eyes or bronchial tubes.

However, it’s impossible to predict whether you’ll develop an allergy one day. You can remain symptom-free for a lifetime – or have a bad allergic reaction to your pet all of a sudden. Everyone’s situation has to be considered individually. Karl-Christian Bergmann’s hopeful message is: «In today’s times, it’s almost always possible to find a sensible solution for people and animals in the case of an allergy.»

Pets and allergies: risks for those affected

If you have a pet and an allergy, you’ll need good support from an allergology and pulmonology team. The danger when you have an allergic reaction is that it moves from the upper to the lower airways, resulting in allergic asthma. This is a condition in which the airways are permanently inflamed and the bronchial tubes react very sensitively to environmental allergens. In Switzerland, every tenth child and every 14th adult (link in German) suffers from this chronic respiratory disease. There are good treatment options today but it can’t be cured.

If one or more family members have severe asthma, most experts will probably advise you to avoid the allergen at home altogether – aka not get a pet.

How pets protect children from allergies

Children often desperately want a pet. The positive news, according to Karl-Christian Bergmann, is that «paediatricians and allergists have reconsidered their advice over the last 10 years. They no longer warn against getting a cat or dog in order to avoid allergies. There’s a much more relaxed approach to this topic nowadays. Why? Doctors, especially paediatricians and allergists, have learned that early and frequent contact with allergens can lead to greater tolerance than if you only come into contact with them rarely.» These lines from Karl-Christian Bergmann’s book bring hope to those who want a pet.

In fact, researchers in a large European study of 22,000 children have found there’s no link between having pets such as a dog or cat in early life (up to the age of two) and the occurrence of asthma or allergic rhinitis between the ages of 6 and 10. And pollen allergies were even less common in children who had grown up sharing their home with a cat.

Pets and allergies: tips before moving in together

Want to get a pet despite being allergic to animals? As already mentioned, it’s important to do so with the help of doctors.

1. Allergological clarification

Generally speaking, if no allergies run in your family, you can get a pet without taking any special measures. If you or anyone in your family have an allergy, it’s a different story. Why? «If there are allergies such as hay fever, there’s a greater risk of developing other allergies,» Nadia Ramseier explains. If you’re unsure, consulting an allergist is a good idea.

As with pollen allergies, it’s now also possible to treat pet hair allergies with Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT), also known as desensitisation. This involves injecting small doses of the allergen over a period of three to five years in order to slowly accustom the immune system to it.

In the past, this form of therapy was often criticised for overloading the immune system with the allergen. However, as doctor Bergmann explains, «advising against immunotherapy is based on old fears.» Modern vaccines with so-called cat hair depigoids are considered safe – especially if they’re taken sublingually, i.e. in the form of drops or tablets.

As long as the medical requirements for immunotherapy have been clarified in advance, Karl-Christian Bergmann believes it’s a viable option. According to his book, trying immunotherapy before getting a cat is a good option. Once you show little or no allergic reaction to contact with cats, you can get the pet. Continue the immunotherapy after your new pet has moved in.

2. Visit your future pet beforehand

How strongly you react to which animal is very individual and can be tested in a trial-and-error procedure before getting a pet.

«Generally speaking, allergic reactions occur more frequently with cats than with dogs. We don’t know why this is so,» expert Nadia Ramseier states. «The allergen load varies from breed to breed. In general, female cats and neutered males excrete fewer allergens via dander, saliva, hair, urine and tears. And short-haired dogs produce more allergens than long-haired dogs.»

To be able to assess your reaction in advance, the expert advises visiting your potential future pet several times before getting it. Alternatively, have the pet move in for a while as a trial. If no symptoms occur, the risk of developing an allergy later on isn’t eliminated entirely, but it’s likely that you tolerate the animal quite well. However, as expert Nadia Ramseier points out, «there is currently no breed of dog or cat that is hypoallergenic and can be recommended for all allergy sufferers without limitation.»

Home remedies: what you can do

Which symptoms you develop and at which intensity is different from person to person – just like what you’re willing to put up with. If you have a proven allergy to pet hair and want a pet nonetheless, make sure to get good allergy and/or respiratory advice by experts. All other less allergy-prone people can try the following methods at home to reduce pet allergens and alleviate allergy symptoms.

1. No-pet zones

If you want to keep a pet despite being allergic to it, limit their access to your home. In other words, make some rooms pet-free zones so that their allergens don’t spread throughout your four walls. If possible, you could also keep the animal completely outdoors and make it as comfortable as possible for them. In general, dogs have a lower allergenic potential than cats.

If you don’t want to restrict your pet’s access to your home, settle for the lowest common denominator: no pets in the bedroom. This room should be where you can relax, breathe deeply and enjoy undisturbed sleep.

2. Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene

Even if your pet’s allergens are very strong, maintaining good hygiene in your home can help reduce exposure to allergens. Expert Nadia Ramseier recommends the following: «Wash your hands after every contact with the animal and have others who aren’t allergy sufferers clean the pet’s sleeping spots and food stations.»

Getting removable, washable sofa covers can also make living together easier. Make sure to clean carpets and curtains regularly or remove them entirely, as they catch a lot of dust and pet hair. Wet mop the floors of your home and get a carpet washer that allows for damp vacuuming. In addition to this, make sure your vacuum cleaner features a special HEPA filter. If you have a pet and an allergy, frequent ventilation, an air purifier with a HEPA filter and regular damp cleaning of all surfaces is also important.

Ideally, a non-allergic family member should wipe the dog or cat with a damp cloth every day. Some cats even tolerate weekly baths. Most dogs do. On top of this, don’t smoke at home, as this increases allergy symptoms.

3. Medication

According to Nadia Ramseier, modern medicine has solutions for allergy sufferers, too: «If symptoms persist despite all the measures taken to reduce allergens, antihistamines can reduce the runny nose, itchy eyes or sneezing attacks. They’re available in tablet form, as a nasal spray or as eye drops.»

The expert goes on to mention another rather new treatment option: a lozenge for allergic rhinitis, triggered by animal hair, among other things. This tablet was developed at MedUni Vienna by clinical immunologist Erika Jensen-Jarolim’s team.

An exposure chamber study conducted by Charité in Berlin in 2022 (publication still pending) showed that taking the lozenge reduced the symptoms of people who are allergic to animal hair by around 40 per cent after three months – without taking additional medication.

«If the symptoms don’t go away despite taking medication and all other measures to avoid allergens, we recommend rehoming the pet and cleaning the home thoroughly – as difficult as it may be,» Nadia Ramseier recommends.