Pet Allergies: What Are The Causes And What To Do

[LoShiNi]

Let’s say you came to visit your friends, and they adopted a cute kitty or a fluffy puppy. Of course, your heart melts immediately, and you go pet them.

But after a while, you start experiencing following symptoms:

- skin reactions;

- red eyes;

- itchiness;

- stuffy or runny nose;

- sneezing and coughing.

What does it mean?

Probably, you are allergic to pets. It is recommended to check with your doctor. He/she can run RAST test to narrow down your allergy triggers.

Why does it hit you?

It can be in your genes, you’ve inherited it from your parents. Or you haven’t been around pets for a long time before. Some studies show that children who had pets since the first years of their lives can develop resistance to such allergies.


What causes it?

Not only fur, as many people might think. Allergens are hidden in pet’s dander, saliva, and urine. Dust mites that love living in fur can also provoke our bodies’ negative reaction.

As for the birds, some special feather powders for cockatoos and corellas can cause allergies too.

In the course of an animal’s shedding, a condition similar to an allergic reaction to the respiratory tract may arise. But if you remember to clean up frequently and keep the right level of humidity at home, it will ease the situation. Some people also can be allergic not to the pets themselves, but to their food: hay for chinchillas, cockroaches or crickets for other animals, etc.

What’s more, there are different kinds of allergic reactions. Sometimes, the first contact with an animal is not going to trigger any reactions. So it’s better to spend more time with an animal (in a room rather than on the street) to make sure you are not allergic.