Allergen immunotherapy and getting a pet
Question:
8/24/2017
Have there been any studies on patients who are allergic to dogs (or cats) and who do not live with the relevant pet who get allergen desensitization then get that pet? Can the allergen desensitization help prevent or minimize the allergic symptoms?
Answer:
I performed a literature review. The articles that I found dated back to the 1970s and 1980s. The presence of cats in the home varied among these studies. A Swedish study in which there were no cats or furry pets in the home found a decrease in bronchial reactivity. Other studies in which there were a mix of cats in the home did not find this reduction to occur. Unfortunately, I could not find any data that addresses your question of acquiring a pet after a course allergen immunotherapy.
Jacqueline A. Pongracic, MD, FAAAAI