# Hypoallergenic?



## Pmama

Back for more. Thanks for being so helpful so far, here's our newest dilemma. We just had our 8 year old daughter tested for pet allergies. We've always suspected she had some allergies to at least cats. Grandma has 2 cats, 3 dogs, and 2 parrots. At times she would leave her house with red cheeks, eyes, and some sneezing.....but not always. She visits regularly and never has more than occasional red cheeks and some sneezing.

Well, the blood test results showed moderate allergy to both cats and DOGS They suggested a skin prick test which could be more accurate which we will do.

In the meantime, the breeder we've been talking to says that vizslas are very low dander and usually tolerated well by allergy sufferers. Searching the Internet has only given conflicting results. Some say Vizslas are hypoallergenic while others do not?? More say they are not but that many allergy sufferers can tolerate Vizslas.

How do we determine if our daughter will tolerate? She never has huge symptoms so just being around them for a bit won't be enough.

We will also ask the allergist. Would calling a vet help?


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## Mischa

My g/f is allergic to cats, and slightly allergic to Mischa! It's funny because she always had a minor cat allergy, but never a dog allergy. Now, if Mischa rubs up on her enough, she'll get hives on occasion.

You might want to try visiting a breeder and see what happens. It would be heartbreaking to have to give up a dog after a short while due to an allergy, so definitely get it sorted before you commit.

I hate recommending anything but a Vizsla because they're great!  The poodle mixes such as lab and golden can be hypo-allergenic as long as there is enough poodle in the mix. They're not quite V's, but still ok dogs.


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## SteelCityDozer

I test negative for dog allergies but get small hives from Dozer. It's not uncommon for extremely short haired dogs to have this effect apparently. But it's nowhere near enough to give him up. I'm more likely to end up with another. But I'm a cold a lot and therefore I rarely have bare skin available anyhow.


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## redrover

That's unfortunate, indeed.

Note that no dog is truly hypoallergenic. The allergens produced by dogs are expressed in their dander and their saliva. All dogs produce both of these things. The likelihood of your daughter being allergic to a dog can also vary by individual dog--she may be allergic to one dog, but not another, even if they're the same breed. It depends on how much allergen that one specific dog is producing.

That said, Vizslas tend to be better tolerated by individuals with allergies, probably due to their short hair. That's a risky generalization to make, of course.

I would second the recommendation that you go and visit a breeder, preferably yours. Best to get this all figured out before a puppy comes home. Ask if you can spend the day around the dogs, and let your daughter play with them. Do make sure she gets licked by them as well--I have a friend who is not allergic to dog dander, but does get hives when she is licked by them. See how she reacts as the day goes on.

Also discuss this with your allergist. If her reactions to dogs are quite mild, then allergy shots may be enough to keep the symptoms at bay. Good luck, and keep us updated!


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## Looney

DOGS 101 says they don't shed either....YEAH RIGHT i was playing with Flash (sire) and i left covered in little little red hairs......


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## threefsh

Looney said:


> DOGS 101 says they don't shed either....YEAH RIGHT i was playing with Flash (sire) and i left covered in little little red hairs......


They do shed, but it is much less than other breeds. We have a curry-style rubber brush that we use on Riley every few days and that helps quite a bit. She does have very dry/flaky skin, though. The vet gave us some capsules of stuff to squirt on her food. He thinks it's probably due to the dry weather and the heater drying out the air in our house.


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## Pmama

Still here, obsessing over vizslas. We got a skin prick test that confirmed our daughter is moderately allergic to dogs, and cats. 

The allergist suggested we get an outside dog which is not an option for us. Here is what we're doing to test her reaction to vizslas specifically: 

The breeder is sending a towel that her red dogs have been sleeping on. We will have our daughter sleep on it and look for symptoms. Then we've found a contact one hour away that has just one vizsla in their house. They will allow us to come spend some time. Finally, if it still seems like a possibility we will head out and have her interact directly with the parent dogs. 

If it looks like a go ahead we need to change our carpeting anyway so would replace with wood floor. We also would not let the dog upstairs where the children sleep. Get an air purifier, wash and brush regularly.

Open to an further suggestions. I'm very grateful that the breeder sees us as ideal candidates and has hooked us up with other members of the local vizsla club.


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## Mischa

It's nice to hear that you are trying so hard to make it work.
I wish you guys luck.


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## redrover

All that you're doing to make sure this will work is very impressive! Your children and any dog you might get are VERY lucky.

My father was allergic to dogs, and he suffered from asthma. He was able to live with schnauzers (another breed commonly considered good for allergy sufferers, as they shed little) for years without major symptoms or asthma attacks caused by them.


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## Pmama

Just wanted to give an update in case any future researchers like myself come across this thread. When surfing the Internet it is very difficult to find any first hand accounts of being allergic to vizslas yet there are many references out there of them being good for allergy sufferers. 

We finally took the trip out to the breeder. While it was disappointing, it was also very clarifying. We met five beautiful vizslas from age 2 to 10. They each had different personalities but were all very fun, loving, and playful. Over the hour we were there our daughter exhibited some of the worst allergy symptoms we've seen. She first started sneezing, then didn't feel good, and finally started breaking out in hives on her face. 

The biggest shock of it all was that when we left I had hives up and down my arm. I have never had that reaction to any dog. Vizslas are very loving and very heavy lickers. In my case I believe I reacted to the saliva. So, from a family who is just now discovering what we thought was mild allergies......No, vizslas are not good for allergy sufferers.


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## mswhipple

Oh, that's such a shame. You are going to have to miss out on having and loving the best breed of dog on the planet! Kudos to you for doing your research, though.


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## Mischa

I'm sorry to hear that Pmama.

If I were in your shoes, I'd look into a poodle, or poodle mix like I mentioned above. I have never met one I didn't like!  Some people consider them to be a designer breed, but imo, they were bred to be excellent family companions, and that is what they are. 

There is an outdoor store near us that has a poodle-lab mix as their mascot. She's such a friendly dog. Very calm now in her old age, but I'm sure she would have been just as wiley as a V when she was a pup.

Viszlas play really well with them, and that makes them good in my books... ;D


I hope to hear that you end up with a pup sometime in the near future.


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## INDRAJM

If you are looking for a bigger dog, check out the Standard Poodle. They are wonderful dogs and great family dogs. Just make sure you find a reptuable breeder.


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## Lincolns Parents

Portuguese water dog is a good alternative as well..... good luck and good for you in doing all your research. ;D


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## VictoriaW

Oh dear, I am so sorry. But -- I am so glad that you figured this out before adding a precious pup to your family.

A friend had a similarly disastrous visit to a breeder that left her husband's eyes swollen nearly shut. They have now settled on an Australian Labradoodle (different from a lab/poodle cross).

Good luck to you and your family--


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