Tag: Dog

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False promises: The myth of hypoallergenic dogs

The idea that pet owners can find a hypoallergenic dog is not backed by science. Image: Getty Images

Finding a new dog isn’t trivial, and I’m often faced with questions about the process. There are so many variables to consider. Should you adopt a puppy or rescue an adult? What size dog best fits your lifestyle? Some questions have easier answers than others, and many require a degree of generalization that makes me uncomfortable. I can never say for sure that a certain breed will be good with children or that your choice will be easier to house train. But there is one thing I do know for sure: You can give up on your search for a hypoallergenic breed.

Allergies to pets are a very real thing. For many, the symptoms are some mild sniffling and sneezing. But more severe reactions are possible, ranging from rashes to asthma attacks. It is understandable that people afflicted with such allergies might want assurance that their new best friend isn’t going to be a medical liability. And that’s why it is vitally important to make this clear: As pervasive as the idea has become, there is absolutely no evidence that some breeds are hypoallergenic.

Don’t put away the tissues just yet.

Research has shown absolutely no difference in the presence of allergens in homes with supposedly hypoallergenic dogs compared to homes with “regular” ones.

Allergies happen when the immune system overreacts to something that wouldn’t otherwise be a threat. In this case, proteins in a dog’s skin or saliva are the trigger. While direct contact with dogs can produce symptoms, it isn’t necessary. Microscopic flakes of skin are constantly being shed from any animal. These particles, collectively called dander, will spread well beyond the dog’s reach. Some will remain suspended in the air, waiting to be inhaled. Others settle on clothing or furniture, ready to trigger skin allergies on contact.

While many breeds of dog are advertised as hypoallergenic, the most common ones seem to be those perceived as shedding less. The idea is that if they aren’t filling your home with fur, then they must not be filling it with dander either. It’s a completely reasonable supposition. Unfortunately, it also turns out to be a false one. Research has shown absolutely no difference in the presence of allergens in homes with supposedly hypoallergenic dogs compared to homes with “regular” ones.

Wittingly or not, breeders have seized on the popularity of hypoallergenic breeds. These dogs are often sold at premium prices to families willing to spend thousands of dollars for a perceived medical necessity. These families deserve to know that they are buying into a fiction.

If someone in your family does suffer from pet allergies, it is important to speak to your physician or allergist before adding a dog or cat to your home. Perhaps the allergy is mild enough to be managed with air filters, designated pet-free rooms, or medication. But the decision and its consequences are too important to revolve around a myth.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

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Living

Scooby deux: The problem with canine cloning

Cloning your beloved canine does not mean you’ll have the same pet. Clones are much like twins with their own unique physical characteristics and personalities. Photo by Bill LeSueur

It was a trivial bit of celebrity news, but it evoked conversations I’ve had with clients in the past, and probably meant I’d be having them more often in the future. Barbra Streisand cloned her dog. I have never had someone approach me with the serious intention of cloning a pet, but the idea is frequently sprinkled into wistful conversation after a loss. “She was such a great dog. I wish we’d cloned her.”

Anybody who has lost a dog can sympathize with this wish. It is such a deep and fulfilling bond that we share with our dogs, and it is precious in its brevity. Wouldn’t it be something if cloning could circumvent biological reality and let that bond persist indefinitely?

To answer that question, it’s important to be clear about what a clone is. Science fiction often depicts cloning as a kind of biological photocopier. Short on time, but need a vast army of perfectly identical Stormtroopers? Bring in the clones! This vision of cloning presumes that genes work like blueprints—that they contain an encoded description of the final product. This misconception is common not only in fiction, but in classrooms. There is a good chance you once learned that DNA is the “blueprint of life.” If you did, it is best to unlearn that lesson.

Genes do not function as blueprints. They do not describe the end result. Instead, they provide a set of conditional instructions to be carried out in time. Variations in exactly how those instructions are performed can—and will—result in significant differences. This means that identical genes will never be expressed the same way twice. This phenomenon is so complex that it has spawned an entire field of study called epigenetics, but it won’t surprise anybody who knows identical twins. They are similar, to be sure. If you don’t know them well, you might even have trouble telling them apart. But on closer inspection, the differences become clear. They look different. They act different. They are genetically identical, but unique individuals.

Stripped of all the science, a clone is just an identical twin born at a different time. While natural identical twins occur when a single embryo splits in two, a clone is produced when the DNA from a living animal is transplanted into a new egg. But the result is effectively the same. If you were able to clone your dog, you wouldn’t be getting your dog back. You wouldn’t even be getting a copy. You’d be getting a virtual twin, with all the differences that implies.

Right now, dog cloning is far too rare and expensive to be accessible to anybody but the ultra-wealthy. But as these services become more available, it is important that people understand what they really offer. And, more to the point, what they don’t. It’s not the ethics of cloning that concerns me so much as the ethics of marketing it for this purpose. I worry that the promise of commercial cloning preys upon a fundamental misunderstanding, exploiting a heartfelt desire to preserve one relationship by covertly replacing it with another.

It is sad that we need to part ways with our pets, but I’m afraid that cloning offers no way around it. The best and only way to get more time with your dog is the old-fashioned way—spending it with them to begin with.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small-animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

Ready to be adopted!

Hello! My name might be Beauty, but I’m not all about my looks. In fact, I’m pretty adventurous—
I’m up for long walks and playing chase, and interested in taking agility or nose-work classes. Let’s explore together.

What’s up? I’m Brooklyn, a medium- hair, muted tortie with a love of the outdoors. Once inside, I’ll sit and let you brush my fluffy coat for hours (how fun!), as long as there are no other cats or dogs around.

Hey, I’m Chloe. Folks at the shelter describe me as “spritely” and “friendly.” And I guess that’s true—I love playing, eating treats, receiving pets and generally hanging on your every word. Let’s be pals! 

You may call me Watson (that’s my name, indubitably). I can be a bit of a wallflower, so my new family will need to help me socialize, with both humans and other canines. Perhaps an obedience class is the ticket.

Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, 3355 Berkmar Dr. 973-5959, caspca.org, noon-6pm, daily

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Living

Thoroughly Vetted: Dogs and cats have an extra eyelid

If a pet’s third eyelid remains exposed, it means something is wrong with that eye.

At a glance, you wouldn’t even know it’s there. Dogs and cats appear to have the same two eyelids that we do. But look closer, especially if you find your pet half asleep, and you might catch a glimpse of their third eyelid. Properly called the nictitans, it’s a pink sheet of tissue that stretches diagonally from the inner corner of each eye, but which stays drawn out of view under normal circumstances.

The nictitans isn’t unique to our household pets. This membrane is common across the animal kingdom, and is seen in a variety of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. It’s even translucent in some species, functioning as flip-up safety goggles. And while human beings don’t have a proper third eyelid, you can see the vestigial remnant of yours in the mirror—a little band of pink tissue called the plica semilunaris.

In dogs and cats, the third eyelid isn’t directly controlled by any muscles. Instead, it works as a spring-loaded protective device. When threatened or injured, the eye reflexively sinks backwards into its socket. This simply gives the nictitans enough room to pop up and do its job. Once the situation has passed, the eye returns to its normal position, forcing the nictitans back into its pocket.

This is important because if a pet’s third eyelid remains exposed, it means something is wrong with that eye. It could be a simple eye infection, or perhaps a scratched cornea. Sometimes I’ll find foreign material—perhaps a bit of grass or grit—stuck in there. And if both are exposed, it can indicate a wide variety of underlying causes ranging from dehydration to neuromuscular disease.

It’s not uncommon that I see an animal with an injured third eyelid. It’s relatively delicate, and the edge can easily be cut or torn. But these injuries are usually simple to manage, and serve as evidence that the membrane performed admirably. Better to have an injured third eyelid than an injured eyeball. These cases are the ocular equivalent of fender-benders.

At least a few times a year, I’m also likely to see a puppy with “cherry eye,” an ugly pink lump in the corner of one or both eyes. That lump is a wayward tear gland that is supposed to be tucked deep behind the third eyelid. In some dogs (and rarely in cats), the tissue meant to hold the gland in place is too loose, allowing it to pop up over the edge of the lid. Apart from being unsightly, this can damage the tear gland and cause chronic irritation, and usually requires surgical correction to put that little sucker back where it belongs.

Perhaps it’s a bit odd that our pets have a third eyelid that we don’t. But given its prevalence in other species, and how useful it can be in preventing injury, I think it’s more appropriate to wonder why we only have two.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

Ready to be adopted!


Penelope here. So, I got into some scuffles with my sister and ended up here. I’m real gentle, honest! I’d just prefer to be the only dog in your life.

Hey, I’m Puca. I’m not shy about asking for attention, whether you’re at the computer or lounging on the couch. I just want some pets. Can we snuggle?

What’s up? I’m Andy, and I’ve never met a stranger. Give me treats and I’m yours forever (and I’ll work on that whole leash thing—I’ve almost got it!).

Hi, I’m Franie. Around here, I’m pretty popular—I love attention and will stop at nothing to get it. Let’s have a chat or sit and bird-watch.

Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, 3355 Berkmar Dr. 973-5959, caspca.org, noon-6pm, daily