At what age can you tell if a baby is allergic to dogs?
Anais Hahn
2025-08-10 04:28:14
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Researchers studied 565 18-year-olds who had been followed from birth. They found that only during the first year of life did exposure to dogs and cats have a major effect on later sensitivity to the animal. We think this is a critical window, said study author Ganesa Wegienka, an epidemiologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Most children with pets in the home during their first year of life had a reduced risk of allergies. Both boys and girls with a cat at home during this time had about half the risk of being sensitized to cats later on in life, and boys with a dog at home during this time had half the risk of being sensitized to dogs later on. Girls with a dog at home during their first year had an increased risk of later being sensitized. But, she added, it now seems that researchers should further study the first year of life.
Tracey Quigley
2025-07-31 11:12:29
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Animal allergies are common in children, especially in those who also have asthma or hay fever. Allergies to dogs and cats are particularly common, with an allergy to cat dander being twice as common as an allergy to dog dander. Comprehensive animal and pet allergy testing can be done to determine which allergens are affecting your child. This is usually done through a blood test and/or skin prick testing. Working out which animal(s) your child is allergic to is an important part of managing and treating their symptoms. If your child has animal allergies, you may notice they have one or more of the following symptoms: A runny or blocked nose, An itchy throat, mouth and nose, Itchy, red or watery eyes, Sneezing and coughing, Redness or hives when licked by an animal.