Allergy to furry animals

Updated: Aug 22, 2022

Pet Allergy - A Major Cause of Allergy Attack

Allergy to furry animals — Pet animals present with many body components that can be a reason for allergy.

Prevalence of Animal Allergies

Do you have pets like a cat, a dog, or a rabbit at your house? What about a hamster or Guinea pig? Do you love rearing horses?

Almost 57% of the people have domestic animals and pets in their houses. Out of the total pet keepers around the world, 33% of them have dogs as their pets. Allergies to dogs and cats have risen 10% to 20% worldwide. Although an increase in fur allergy has been observed in recent years, the growing love for pets has not decreased or even leveled out. Pet animals present with many body components that can be a reason for allergy. This includes dander or fur, saliva, urine, and feces. Quite naturally, since people are fond of keeping pets, the only way out remains to detect the allergy cause and then follow effective health management strategies.

How is the Immune Response Elicited?

Fur allergies horses cats — Studies have shown the major cat allergen Fel d 1 can be frequently found in homes without pets and in public buildings, including schools, day-care centers, and hospitals. Workplaces, cattle farms for horses, and laboratory animal facilities are one of the few exposure places for fur allergies.

People who already have other types of allergies are more prone to getting allergies from fur. Interestingly the type of antigen that causes allergy from furry animals like cats, dogs, horses, and rabbits elicits a similar type of immune response. The mammalian allergens have a specific characterization and have a unique mechanism for the sensitization of the immune response.

Fur is a ubiquitous component of the environment and any sensitivity to this environmental component cannot be reversed. The concentrations of fur released in the air vary from location to location. It may surprise people, but you do not have to be in direct contact with an animal to be exposed to animal allergens. Because of their aerodynamic properties, mammalian allergens like fur easily become airborne, attach to clothes and hair, and can spread between environments. Studies have shown the major cat allergen Fel d 1 can be frequently found in homes without pets and in public buildings, including schools, day-care centers, and hospitals. Workplaces, cattle farms for horses, and laboratory animal facilities are one of the few exposure places for fur allergies. If you have already been exposed to the fur allergen, then there are high chances that you are already sensitized and would suffer from an allergy attack on the second exposure.

The protein antigen that is common in all the mammalian fur is called lipocalin - a protein constituted by almost all the mammalian allergens. This protein family consists of small extracellular entities with almost 15- to 17 amino acids and a molecular weight of 120kDa. When this allergen enters the respiratory tract, the IgE antibodies are triggered in response eliciting an immune response. However, studies have shown an alternating result. Sometimes, an increase in allergen exposure is associated with an increase in allergic symptoms. Other times, the increased exposure actually decreases the sensitivity and decreases the overall symptoms of allergy, so the results are inconsistent so far.

Detection and Prognosis of Allergy from Furry Animals

The diagnosis of allergy and the detection of the causative allergen has always been the main concern of immunologists. In emergency cases of hypersensitivity, there is no time to figure out the causative agent and the focus remains on saving the patient. During routine patient checkups, physicians usually prescribe medications to manage the symptoms while the real cause remains unknown.

It is important to realize that allergies can never be properly treated or prevented until the allergen is detected. This is why accurately identifying an allergen is critical to effectively treating allergies.

Today, there are many allergy detection methods like identifying the protein family in the body which can confirm the sources of allergens. As mentioned above, lipocalin is the main protein family found when the source is animal fur. Other protein families that can be detected are secretoglobin and kallikrein. This will not only improve the diagnosis of the disease but increase the success of the therapy using techniques like component-resolved diagnostics and Allergen-specific Immunotherapy (ASIT).

guinea pig, hamster — More recently, some allergens of small furry pets became available for component-resolved diagnosis of allergy to hamster, rabbit and guinea-pig.

If you have pets in your house and you have the following symptoms, chances are that you have a fur allergy:

Runny and itchy nose
Red, itchy and watery eyes
Skin rashes and hives
Sinus pain and pressure

In more severe sensitivity the symptoms can present signs of asthma and the patient may suffer from non-stop cough, wheezing, tightness in the chest, and shortness of breath.

local allergist, mom child, pediatrics — Consult with your local allergist to discuss if testing may be appropriate. An allergist can offer you the best care suited for your case and will identify the real triggers of your allergies.

What Preventive Measures Should be Taken?

If you love your pet, you cannot simply get rid of it because of a few sneezy episodes, can you? People will put up with minor suffering for someone you love, and pets are definitely worth the love. So yes, you can follow a few tips and tricks to manage your fur allergy without having to kick out your pets!

The doctor might give you anti-allergies anti-histamines) and corticosteroids to manage inflammation.
Sometimes, leukotriene modifiers and decongestants are also prescribed to smoothen and relax the air passageway.
If you can identify the particular pet causing the allergy, try to keep it away from the room you sleep in.
Avoid hugging or kissing your pet animal.
Use HEPA filters in your house so that the air can be constantly cleansed.
Make sure your pets do not use your furniture and bed.
Remove any carpets and rugs to prevent the entrapment of fur.
Consult with your local allergist to discuss if testing may be appropriate. An allergist can offer you the best care suited for your case and will identify the real triggers of your allergies.

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List from NOVEOS product catalog:

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Epidermal & Animal Proteins Last updated June 2022	Allergen Components: Last updated June 2022	Mixes: Last updated June 2022
E001 Cat Dander	E094 rFel d 1, Cat	EX01 Domestic Animal Mix E001, E003, E004, E005
E003 Horse Dander	E101 rCan f 1, Dog
E004 Cow Dander	E102 rCan f 2, Dog
E005 Dog Dander	E220 nFel d 2 Cat Serum Albumin, Cat
E006 Guinea Pig Epithelium	E221 nCan f 3 Dog Serum Albumin, Dog
E070 Goose Feathers	E226 rCan f 5, Dog
E071 Mouse Epithelium	E227 rEqu c 1, Horse
E072 Mouse Urine Proteins	E228 rFel d 4, Cat
E073 Rat Epithelium	E232 rCan f 1, nCan f 3, rCan f 5, Dog
E074 Rat Urine Proteins
E075 Rat Serum Proteins
E076 Mouse Serum Proteins
E082 Rabbit Epithelium
E085 Chicken Feathers
E086 Duck Feathers
E087 Rat Epithelium, Serum and Urine Proteins
E088 Mouse Epithelium, Serum and Urine Proteins
E206 Rabbit Serum Proteins
E211 Rabbit Urine Proteins
E215 Pigeon Feathers
E219 Chicken Serum Proteins

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