Dust mite information site for people with asthma, rhinitis or eczema.

Dogs suffer from mite allergy too

Dermatitis in dogs can be caused by specialized allergens from house dust mites.

Dogs can have an allergic reaction to the enzymes found in mite droppings which are there to degrade chitin. Chitin comes from the outer part of arthropods and from the cell walls of fungi. Both dead insects and fungi are an important part of the mite’s extensive diet. For dogs, scientists have named the guilty allergens as Der f 15 and Der f 18. For humans, similar ‘chitin-busting allergens’ called Der p15 and Der p18, can also cause allergy. To guard your dog against mite-related dermatitis, you should keep all resting places mite free. Hot wash the blanket that your pets sleep on regularly.

Similar pages

1. 2003 – Dogs can suffer from eczema because of house dust mite exposure
2. 2006 – Dog dermatitis can be caused by allergens from house dust mites
3. 2006 – Mite allergen activity can also be found in pathogenic micro-organisms
4. What doctors found in house dust mite droppings – a review
5. Doctors need improvement in allergy education – globally

The chitinase allergens Der p 15 and Der p18 from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.
O’Neil SE, Heinrich TK, Hales BJ, Hazell LA, Holt DC, Fischer K, Thomas WR, Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 2006, 36, 331-339T