As pet ownership has increased, the prevalence of animal sensitization continues to increase. Cat and dog allergens are everywhere and can be found in homes, classrooms, workspaces and other areas where pets have never been as people often carry pet allergens on their clothing.
A pet allergy can be stressful to manage and may trigger allergy symptoms like sneezing, wheezing, red or itchy eyes, nasal congestion, rashes and swelling. More serious cases can trigger breathing difficulties and asthma attacks that can result in an emergency room visit.
90% of people with a pet allergy are sensitized to multiple pet extracts. The risk for and severity of respiratory diseases increase with the number of pet allergen components to which a person is sensitized.
Testing at the component level provides a clearer picture of a person’s allergic sensitization—to help determine the risk, severity and predict disease development—and can help identify whether the patient’s symptoms are caused by singular species or cross-reactive sensitization.
An IgE blood test can help assess predictive risk to pet allergens and inform allergy management plans for your
patients.1-5
The pet allergen reflex provides a clearer picture of a person’s allergic sensitization pattern at the component level and can help enhance your management strategies.
Contact a Labcorp representative to learn more about how we can help meet your allergy testing needs
If you’ve noticed the following symptoms after being around a dog, cat, or horse, you may have an animal allergy.10
Sneezing
Runny or stuffy nose
Facial pain (from nasal congestion)
Coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing
Watery, red or itchy eyes
Skin rash or hives
It can feel overwhelming to try to avoid all possible triggers of your allergy symptoms. Before you consider rehoming or avoiding animals, you should understand which pet(s) may be contributing to your allergy symptoms. For example, some people are allergic to male dogs but not female dogs. Or if there may be other triggers such as mold, grass or pollens that are contributing to your symptoms.
Your primary care provider can help create a personalized allergy action plan that improves your quality of life.
Animal allergies can be complex—and not all animal allergies are alike.
The first step is to schedule an appointment with your primary care provider and ask if blood-based allergen-specific IgE testing can help provide answers. This allergy test is:
Appropriate for anyone (age 3 months and older)
Not affected by prescription or over-the-counter medications
Along with a medical exam and discussion with your provider, the results of a pet allergy blood test
can help your primary care provider or specialist:
Control your allergy symptoms
Determine which type of animal may be causing your symptoms
Identify if other allergens are contributing to your symptoms
Determine how to best manage allergy triggers
Prescribe medication, such as antihistamines, decongestants and/or immunotherapy
A blood-based Dog and Cat Allergy Test can measure your sensitivity to common allergens like dog and cat dander, urine and saliva. Purchase your test directly and share your results with your healthcare provider.
