It’s our Parade! Again! This time: Help dealing with allergies to dogs
By Gina Spadafori
February 8, 2009
Dr. Becker and I have an article in this morning’s Parade magazine, on how to minimize allergies to dogs — whether you’re thinking of getting one (hmmmm, wonder why all the interest in that subject recently?) or already have one:
The bad news has to be addressed first: There is no such thing as a dog that doesn’t shed and isn’t capable of producing wheezes and sneezes. On that point, top allergists and veterinary dermatologists agree.
“Most allergists feel that cross-breeding to produce a possible ‘hypoallergenic’ dog has not been successful, so all dogs should be considered allergenic,” says Dr. Rohit Katial, an allergist and associate professor of medicine at Denver’s National Jewish Health, one of the world’s top hospitals for the care of allergies and asthma.
Dr. Katial says that many people incorrectly believe a dog’s fur is the source of allergies, leading to the widely held view that dogs with certain kinds of fur—or no fur at all—are hypoallergenic.
I love it when we write for Parade. The articles are light and short, but we can still pack them with expert information and know that we’ll be reaching a lot of people with a few hundred words. Maybe even one particular family …
Update: Now that I think of it: The article I wrote for this month’s Consumer Digest on where to get a pet, paired with this Parade article, would pretty much cover everything the first family needs to know about getting a dog! You’re welcome, Mr. President!
We don’t need help. We are not invalids. We don’t have limited mental capacity.
Comment by Bo — February 8, 2009 @ 9:22 am
Great article.
Don’t get too famous, or you will not have enough time for this blog!
Comment by Colorado Transplant — February 8, 2009 @ 9:29 am
No worries there. I love blogging. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — February 8, 2009 @ 10:27 am
LOVED the column in ‘Parade’, and read sections of it aloud on my radio program this morning.
I get it a lot (our doodle dog doesn’t shed) but now I’ll have a photocopied article to hand out instead of spending valuable class time myth-busting.
Thanks, Gina and Marty!
Comment by Jill M. — February 9, 2009 @ 10:27 am
Thank Jill! We sure enjoyed writing it, and hope it helps a lot of people.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — February 9, 2009 @ 10:41 am
Excellent article Gina and Marty! Will the Consumer Digest article be available online or do we need to pick up a printed copy? Keep up the good work!
Comment by Jason Merrihew — February 9, 2009 @ 12:03 pm
Printed copy only. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — February 9, 2009 @ 12:23 pm