Symptoms
A highly allergic person may experience symptoms within minutes of inhaling or contacting pet dander. Someone with a minor pet allergy may not realize it because symptoms emerge days later. The wide-ranging symptoms of pet allergies include:
Causes
Exposure to animal saliva and urine can sometimes cause allergic reactions, but pet dander is the most common source of pet allergies. Your immune system believes it needs to fight the offending allergen and overreacts, causing the unpleasant symptoms.
Diagnosis & Treatment Options
If you are concerned about a possible pet allergy, schedule an appointment with Greater Austin Allergy. Our comprehensive diagnostic approach includes a medical history, physical examination, and allergy testing.
If you are found to have a pet allergy, ideally you will remove pets from your home and reduce or eliminate contact with pets in other places. If, however, you cannot imagine a pet-free life, we will help you come up with a medication plan to manage your symptoms. Many patients also respond well to immunotherapy (allergy shots), which builds up tolerance to specific allergens. Patients who go the allergy shot route frequently receive a personalized, tailored Cluster Immunotherapy plan from our doctors, which provides faster results than traditional immunotherapy.
Pet Allergy Facts
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Source: www.mayoclinic.org
“Hypoallergenic” cats and dogs may shed less fur than other breeds, but no breed is truly hypoallergenic.
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Source: www.aafa.org
In the United States, as many as three in ten people with allergies have allergic reactions to cats and dogs.
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Source: www.aafa.org
Cat allergies are about twice as common as dog allergies.
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Source: www.mayoclinic.org
Being exposed to pets at an early age may help you avoid pet allergies.