It’s been known for some time that early exposure to a furry companion can reduce the risk of childhood allergies and asthma. To find out why, researchers treated mice with dust from two homes: one with a canine resident and one that was pet-free.
Turns out that the rodents that were sprinkled with dog-imbued dust mounted a less aggressive immune response against a common allergen, cockroach protein.
Probing a little deeper, the researchers found that the dog-dust mice had bacteria in their gut not found in the other mice, including a ton of one species of lactobacillus. Exposing other mice to that bug alone warded off an allergic response, and even protected them from infection with a respiratory virus.
So go tell Fido know that he’s a good boy. Because even if he doesn’t fetch your slippers, he’s likely contributing to your good health.
—Karen Hopkin
