Here’s yet another reason why dogs are arguably the most amazing pets: According to a new study, they may help protect babies from developing asthma. Cats, however, do not have this superpower.
Researchers from the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada, came to this conclusion by analyzing dust samples from the homes of 1,050 3- to 4-month-old babies. The samples were then tested for allergens including Can f1, which is shed from a dog’s saliva and skin, and Fel d1, shed from a cat’s saliva and skin.
Five years later, these same children were tested for asthma, lung strength and whether they were genetically at risk for asthma or allergies. Higher levels of Can f1 in the dust were associated not only with a 48% reduction in the risk of these kids developing asthma compared to other children, but the allergen also improved their lung function. Can f1 even protected the children who had a greater genetic risk for worse lung function.
But as for the cat allergen Fel d1, the researchers found no similar protective effect.
How exactly does this dog allergen help prevent asthma? Dr. Jacob McCoy, the researcher presenting the study results this week at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Amsterdam, said in a news release that he doesn’t have an answer.
“However, we do know that once a person becomes sensitive to dog allergens, they can make asthma symptoms worse,” he added. “This suggests that early exposure to dog allergens could prevent sensitization, perhaps by altering the nasal microbiome—the mixture of microbes living inside the nose—or by some effect on the immune system.”
Asthma is “the most common long-term condition among children and young people and is also one of the main reasons for children being admitted to hospital for emergency treatment,” Dr. Erol Gaillard, chair of the ERS’s expert group on pediatric asthma and allergy, who was not involved in the study, said in the news release. “Although there are good treatments that can reduce or stop asthma symptoms, we also want to reduce risk factors to try to prevent asthma.”
In 2022, 13.5% of Americans had been diagnosed with asthma, according to the American Lung Association. This was a 48% increase from the 9.1% of Americans in 1999. In 2018, 2.2 million children with asthma missed over 7.9 million school days.
While this research is great news for families with dogs, Dr. Gaillard noted that more studies are needed about this link and how living with pets affects childrens’ lungs.