Do all dogs and cats cause the same degree of reactions or are there differences?
Some dogs and cats shed fewer allergens into the home environment than others, but there’s no way to tell which ones they are. Those with soft, curly or silky hair and no undercoats to shed seem to cause fewer allergy problems than those with double coats (thick outercoats and soft undercoats). The latter tend to shed excessive amounts of hair – contaminated with allergens – throughout the home, especially during heavy shedding seasons in late spring and early fall. What we do know is that allergen production is controlled by hormones. Male animals produce more allergens than females and when males are neutered, the amount of allergen produced decreases within a month.
