Animals are a particularly common trigger of allergy including asthma and this can occur at any age, even sometimes occurring out of the blue.
You can be allergic to more than one animal, or just one, but the fur or hair of an animal isn’t what causes the allergy. Usually, it’s caused by proteins found in an animal’s flakes of skin (dander), saliva, urine or even fine particles from bird feathers known as ‘feather dust’. If you develop an allergy to these proteins, it causes the release a chemical called histamine from your immune system. Symptoms can include red, itchy and watery eyes and nose; sneezing; coughing; tickly or sore throat; itchy skin; and, most serious of all, difficulty breathing. For many people with allergic asthma, this release of histamine can make asthma symptoms worse.
To establish if you have an allergy to an animal, an allergy skin prick test should be used. This will identify all the allergens to which you have developed an allergy, and will help you avoid and make adjustments that will minimise the risk of continuous exposure to the cause of your allergy.