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Dealing with dogs / pets

Question
Without doubt this is a frequently asked question, however I am not sure about this: is it advisable to avoid dealing with dogs? Which kind of pets are advisable for CF-patients anyhow?
Answer
This question is not really easy to answer, because theoretically one can be allergic to many animals – however, fortunately, there are some kind of animals whom only very few people and only very few CF patients are allergic to. Dogs, for example, belong to this category of animals – many CF patients have a dog and do not have any problems – a dog has for sure also a positive influence on his owner. Cats, however, are a high-potential allergen source, therefore I would not recommend to have any kind of cats as a CF patient. Similarly, guineapigs and rabbits, if they live in the apartment, are not advisable; fish, however, does not cause any allergy (except probably the food), but as fish are hold in an aquarium, we have to take into account that this could be a reservoir for Pseudomonas and Aspergillus. Therefore we would advise to avoid installing an aquarium in the appartment of a CF patient if it is possible. Before getting an animal, especially a dog (which will then stay in the family for a long time), I would advise to spend a few hours with intensive contact with the dog of the breed of interest. If one does not recognize any symptoms, this test is better than an allergy test, which does not include all the breeds. In addition: a short hair dog is more advisable then a long hair dog.
Yours sincerely,
Prof. Dr. J. Bargon
12.12.2007