For decades now, researchers have observed that children who grow up with dogs in their household are less likely to suffer from a range of diseases such as asthma, obesity, allergies, and acne. This may come as a surprise to many, especially those who would be repulsed at dog licking their face. But recent evidence supports the idea that getting a puppy is beneficial for a baby’s health.

Researchers have attributed this link to the ‘Hygiene Hypothesis’; an idea proposed by the epidemiologist David Strachan in 1989. Dr. Strachan observed that children who grew up with more siblings were less likely to develop hay fever than children with no or few brothers and sisters. He reasoned that inevitable contact with older siblings promoted increased exposure to environmental bacteria. As the immune system develops during childhood years, it’s important that our specialized white blood cells interact with the bacteria they were evolved to attack; otherwise, they may attack our own cells, resulting in a range of allergic diseases like asthma.

The asthma epidemic

Asthma is a chronic disease of the air passages of the lungs that affects approximately 235 million people worldwide. Its prevalence is associated with a modern, urban lifestyle typically found in developed countries. Scientists think it’s likely that due to vast improvements in sanitation, clean water, and other public health initiatives, reduced exposure to microorganisms is partially responsible for the 300% rise in asthma since the 1950s. Although the case has grown strong for the hygiene hypothesis, the link has been very difficult to prove experimentally.

Research at the University of Alberta

In 2013, Dr. Anita Kozyrsky of the University of Alberta decided to examine the microbiological content of 24 fecal samples collected from 4-month-old infants over the course of a year. 15/24 of these babies lived with at least one dog or cat. Dr. Kozyrsky’s team discovered infants living with a pet had a higher diversity of microbes in their gut - otherwise called the microbiota. As proposed by the hygiene hypothesis, a diverse microbiota that develops alongside our immune system leads to healthy interactions and decreased allergies. Our furry friends act as microbial transfers into our home, bringing a range of bacteria that we maybe never had interacted with inside our households.

Dr. Kozryskyj recently expanded her original study, examining 746 infants this time, with over half of the participants living with a pet. The team discovered that babies from pet-owning households had higher levels of 2 particular types of bacteria, Ruminococcus and Oscillospira which are linked to a lower risk of allergy and obesity. By having a pet during the early years of childhood when the immune system is developing, it is possible to reduce these chronic illnesses that are turning into epidemics around the world.

The future of microbiome sequencing is entering an exciting new phase, and so with new studies of the microbiomes of dogs, cats, birds on the horizon we are likely to discover unexpected and exciting ways that our pets directly affect our health and well-being.

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