Pets, especially those with fur or feathers can be a cause of allergy. Dogs and cats are most commonly found in the home and are the most commonly implicated in allergy. Although most animals can cause allergy, including hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and even reptiles such as iguanas have also been described as allergic.
Most of the time, when we talk about animal allergy we are referring to animals that are indoors, but in some cases this may not be the case, as in the case of horses. Not only those people who have a pet at home will be affected. Some professionals such as veterinarians may also be affected.
Symptoms of allergy to pets
In a patient with an allergy to an animal, the removal of the animal from the home will not produce an immediate improvement since the animal allergens capable of producing allergic disease will continue to be present in the home for a few months.
The symptoms they can cause are mainly clinical rhinoconjunctivitis (nasal stuffiness, sneezing, itchy nose and eyes, conjunctival redness, mucus), asthma (respiratory distress, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing) and in some cases even skin symptoms such as itching or hives (wheals) especially on contact.
In some patients what we call the bird-egg syndrome has been described in which some patients sensitized to some birds may also be sensitized to egg ingestion, although this syndrome affects few patients.
Allergens that cause allergy to animals
When a person is allergic to an animal, it is not to the animal as a whole but to some of its proteins that can be found in different locations of the animal. Animals can produce allergy through dander, urine, saliva and serum. Most of the allergens responsible for allergic discomfort are found in dander.
Not all patients are allergic to all animal proteins. In general the allergy is independent of the sex of the animal, but some proteins specific to male dogs can be found, so if that person only had an allergy to these proteins, females of the same species would not cause symptoms, but this only happens in rare cases.
Can I live with my pet if I have allergies?
As for treatment, as in any branch of medicine, the best treatment is prevention. And in the case of patients allergic to animals, exposure to the animal should be avoided, especially in the home.
This is not always possible, mainly due to emotional factors. Various medications are available to control the symptoms of animal allergy. In mild cases the symptoms can be controlled with medication, but in severe cases the treatment should be to remove the animal from the home.
The patient allergic to an animal should also be considered when visiting a house where there are animals to which he/she is allergic. In these cases, if it can be foreseen with sufficient time, the patient should be treated with a preventive medication before contact with the animal.