Background
While many people are familiar with allergies to the family dog or cat, other animals including rodents, fowl, and large farm animals, can trigger allergy symptoms as well. To uncover the source of an animal allergy, you may test for an animal's dander (small skin flakes), hair, feathers, or secretions/excretions. Interestingly, most allergies to dogs, cats, and horses are caused by hypersensitivity to proteins found in the animal's saliva and dander, while allergies to rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs are caused by hypersensitivity to proteins in the animal's urine.
Incidence and Prevalence
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 15-30% of all people with allergies have an allergy to dogs, cats, or other animals. The leading causes of pet allergies are cats, with roughly 10 million people in the United States exhibiting an allergy to cats.
Cause and Risk Factors
Pet allergies are caused by an immune system response to proteins present in the animal saliva, dander, or urine. Allergies to dogs, cats, and other animals tend to run in families. In most cases, animal allergies are inherited and result from a genetic hypersensitivity to these proteins. Allergy to animals may take up to two years.
While most drug allergies merely cause minor irritations such as skin rashes and hives, other symptoms occasionally develop, and life-threatening acute allergic reactions involving the whole body (anaphylaxis) can occur. Serum sickness is a delayed type of drug allergy that occurs a week or more after exposure to a medication or vaccine.
Animal allergens, which are carried through the air, are sticky and collect on surfaces (e.g., bedding, clothing, furniture). Petting, grooming, animal activity, vacuuming, and dusting increase the amount of allergens that are released into the air. Animal allergens can remain on surfaces and in the air for months.
List of Allergens
E001 Cat Hair/Dander (Std.)
E002 Dog Epithelium
E003 Horse Dander
E004 Cow Dander
E005 Dog Dander
E006 Guinea Pig Epithelium
E007 Pigeon Droppings
E021 Bovine Serum
E023 Pigeon Serum
E024 Canary Serum
E025 Chicken Serum
E026 Parrot Serum
E062 Camel
E070 Goose Feathers
E071 Mouse Epithelium
E072 Mouse Urine
E073 Rat Epithelium
E074 Rat Urine
E075 Rat Serum
E076 Mouse Serum
E077 Budgerigar Droppings
E078 Budgerigar Feathers
E079 Budgerigar Serum
E080 Goat Epithelium
E081 Sheep Epithelium
E082 Rabbit Epithelium
E083 Pig Epithelium
E084 Golden Hamster Epithelium
E085 Chicken Feathers
E086 Duck Feathers
E087 Rat Epithelium / Protein
E088 Mouse Epith./ Protein
E089 Turkey Feathers
E090 Rat Droppings
E092 Mouse Droppings
E094 Goose Droppings
E095 Duck Down
E097 Duck Droppings
E098 Parrot Droppings
E099 Canary Droppings
E100 Chicken Droppings
E201 Canary Feathers
E203 Mink Epithelium
E205 Horse Serum
E208 Chinchilla
E209 Gerbil Hair
E210 Fox
E213 Parrot Feathers
E214 Finch Feathers
E215 Pigeon Feathers
E216 Deer Hair / Dander
E217 Ferret
E221 Hare
E222 Human Hair
E223 Llama
E224 Angora
E225 Lovebird Feathers
