Am I Allergic to My Dog? Signs, Testing and What Helps
- Dog allergy comes from proteins in saliva, dander and urine, not from the fur itself.
- A lick or a scratch from a dog can leave red, itchy skin or hives.
- No dog breed is truly allergen free, including poodles and Labradoodles.
- About 20 to 30% of dog allergic people react to Can f 5, a protein from male dogs that neutering largely reduces.
- Allergy testing is worth doing even when the dog seems the obvious cause, since pollen and dust in a dog's coat can cause the same symptoms. Skin prick results usually show within 15 to 20 minutes.
If you sneeze, get itchy eyes or break out in hives around your dog, and feel better when you're away, you may be allergic to your dog. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) calls allergy testing the best way to find out, and it matters because pollen and dust carried in on a dog's coat can cause the same symptoms. Being allergic to dogs is common. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) says about 10% of Americans show allergic sensitization to dogs.
When to get care right away
Dog allergen can trigger asthma, and the AAFA says an asthma episode can begin within 15 to 30 minutes of breathing in an allergen. If you have chest tightness, wheezing or trouble breathing around a dog and your rescue inhaler isn't helping, get emergency care. Call 911 for swelling of the throat or tongue, or trouble swallowing.
Dog allergy symptoms in humans
Most dog allergy symptoms look like hay fever. The AAFA lists a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, postnasal drip and itchy, red, watery eyes, swelling around the eyes, and some people experience coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath. Chest tightness is on the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) list too, and our article on allergies and chest tightness explains when that points to allergic asthma.
Skin can react too. A lick or a scratch from a dog can leave red, itchy skin or raised hives, according to both the AAFA and the ACAAI.
People have different levels of sensitivity to pet allergens, the AAFA says, and with low allergen levels, symptoms may not show up until after several days of contact. That slow start can make it harder to connect symptoms to a new dog.
How to tell if you're allergic to your dog
There's no reliable online quiz, but a few patterns make a dog allergy more likely:
- Symptoms ease when you're away from the dog. Feeling better on a trip and worse once you're home is a hint.
- They flare after close contact. Cuddling, grooming or letting the dog sleep on your bed brings them on.
- Your skin reacts where the dog touched you. Hives on the arm the dog licked are hard to blame on pollen.
- They don't let up. The ACAAI notes that a pet allergy can contribute to constant symptoms, since exposure can happen at work, school, day care or other indoor places, even where no pet is present.
Even when all four fit, the ACAAI says it's a good idea to be tested, since other exposures may be responsible. One example it gives: dust and pollen in a dog's coat can cause the symptoms, and then the allergy is to the dust or pollen, not the dog.
Why dogs cause allergies (it isn't the fur)
Dog allergy isn't caused by hair. It's caused by proteins in a dog's dander (dead skin flakes), saliva and urine, the AAFA says. The AAAAI adds the oil from a dog's skin glands and names six of these proteins, Can f 1 through Can f 6. Fur matters because it collects dander and can also carry dust mites, mold and pollen.
Dog allergen spreads. The ACAAI says levels are higher in rooms where a dog is allowed, and that keeping a dog in one room won't keep its allergen in that room. A national survey of U.S. homes found Can f 1 in every home sampled, even though a dog or cat had lived in only about half of them in the previous six months.
Are hypoallergenic dogs real?
Not in the way the label suggests. The AAAAI says no dog is truly allergen free. Breeds often promoted as hypoallergenic, such as poodles, Bichon Frisés and Maltese, have no consistent evidence of producing less allergen, and some had equal or even higher Can f 1 levels than other breeds. Even homes with Labradoodles had allergen levels similar to homes with other dogs. The ACAAI cites a 2011 study with the same finding for homes with "hypoallergenic" dogs.
What can differ is the individual dog. The AAAAI says about 20% to 30% of dog allergic people react to Can f 5, a male specific protein from the prostate, found in unneutered males. Neutering largely reduces it. Someone allergic only to Can f 5 may tolerate a female or a neutered male, which is one reason some people react to one dog and not another. If you're thinking about a new dog, the AAFA suggests fostering one first to see how you do.
How to test for a dog allergy
An allergist can confirm a dog allergy with a skin test or a blood test. The ACAAI describes the skin prick test: a small amount of dog allergen extract goes on the skin, the skin is pricked so it seeps in, and results typically show within 15 to 20 minutes. The AAFA lists a blood test as the other option. Our skin test vs. blood test guide covers the differences.
The AAAAI says testing can now point to the specific dog proteins you react to, such as Can f 1 or Can f 5. That detail helps an allergist tailor advice about living with a dog. A dog allergy diagnosis doesn't necessarily mean giving up your dog, the AAAAI adds.
What helps if you live with a dog
If you keep your dog, the goal is less allergen, not zero:
- Keep the dog out of the bedroom. The AAFA recommends keeping the dog and its bedding out of sleeping areas and the bedroom door closed.
- Run a HEPA air cleaner. The AAFA suggests at least four hours a day, especially where people sleep.
- Vacuum weekly with a HEPA vacuum. The AAFA says to vacuum carpets and fabric furniture weekly and to consider hard flooring over carpet. Throw rugs washed weekly in hot water are another option it lists.
- Bathe the dog often, and expect it to wear off. The AAAAI says washing at least twice a week can temporarily reduce allergen, and that Can f 1 returns to its starting level within two to three days of a bath. The AAFA suggests a weekly wash.
- Wash up after contact. Wash your hands after touching the dog, and change clothes and shower after time with it. Ask someone without a pet allergy to do the brushing, outdoors.
- Cover the couch. The AAFA suggests keeping pets off fabric furniture, or using slipcovers or blankets you can wash weekly in hot water. A blanket over your dog's favorite nap spots catches dander and goes straight in the wash.
Allergy medicine can ease day to day symptoms. The ACAAI lists steroid nasal sprays and antihistamine pills for the nose, antihistamine eye drops for the eyes, and asthma inhalers (inhaled corticosteroids or bronchodilators) for chest symptoms. The AAFA notes your doctor may suggest taking medicine before you'll be around animals.
Longer term options for dog allergy
Medicine eases symptoms. Immunotherapy works differently. It gives your body gradually increasing doses of allergen so your immune system tolerates it better.
Allergy shots (SCIT) are the standard option, and the AAFA says that if other treatments and steps aren't working, they can be very effective. The AAAAI describes a build up phase of shots about once or twice a week that may take four to six months, then maintenance shots typically every two to four weeks for three to five years.
Allergy tablets (SLIT) aren't available for dogs in the U.S. The FDA's list of allergy tablets has four products, and none is for dog allergy.
ILIT (intralymphatic immunotherapy) is the shortest course and, for some people, a faster alternative to allergy shots. An allergist injects FDA approved allergen extract into a lymph node in the groin (just below the waist, near the hip), using ultrasound to guide the needle. Giving the extract this way is off label. A typical treatment course is three injections spread over about two months. If a practice offers ILIT for dog allergy, ask how many dog allergic patients they've treated and how those patients were doing a year later.
Our comparison of allergy shots, allergy drops and ILIT lays the three side by side, and the Pet Allergy Treatment guide covers cats and dogs together. If you have a cat as well, how long cat allergy symptoms last explains why cat allergen lingers even longer.
When you want to talk with an allergist who offers the shorter treatment course, find an allergist or allergy clinic offering ILIT near you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The AAFA says allergies can develop at any point and can change over time, so a dog you lived with happily for years can start causing symptoms. A sudden change is worth an allergy test, since the ACAAI notes that symptoms blamed on a pet may actually come from other exposures, such as pollen or dust.
It happens. The AAAAI says about 20 to 30% of dog allergic people are sensitive to Can f 5, a male specific protein from the prostate that's found in unneutered male dogs. People allergic only to Can f 5 may have symptoms only around unneutered males, and neutering largely reduces it. Testing can show whether you react to Can f 5, Can f 1 or other dog proteins, which tells you which group you're in.
It can be either, or both. The ACAAI points out that pollen and dust caught in a dog's coat can cause symptoms, and in that case the allergy is to the pollen, not the dog. That's why it recommends allergy testing even when the dog seems like the obvious cause. Wiping your dog down after it's been outside, as the AAFA suggests, helps with both.
It depends on how much allergen stays around you, and pet allergen lingers. The AAFA says pet allergens can cause symptoms up to 6 months after the animal is gone (cat allergen especially), and that dusting or vacuuming can stir settled allergen back into the air. After time with a dog, the AAFA suggests changing your clothes and showering.
Medicine and cleaning ease symptoms. Immunotherapy is the treatment aimed at the allergy itself. The AAFA describes allergy shots as doses that increase over time to help your immune system tolerate the allergen better, and says that if other treatments and steps aren't working, they can be very effective. Results vary from person to person, so nobody can promise the allergy will disappear. An allergist can tell you whether immunotherapy fits your dog allergy, and Find a Provider on OpenAirAllergyNetwork.com lists allergists and allergy clinics near you.
The ACAAI explains that allergy shots build tolerance over time through gradually increasing doses of an allergen, given under an allergist's care. Before starting, a skin or blood test confirms which dog proteins you react to.
For quick relief, allergy medicine works fastest. To change the allergy itself, allergy shots usually run three to five years of maintenance after a build up phase, per the AAAAI. ILIT (intralymphatic immunotherapy) is a much shorter course, typically three injections over about two months, though its research on dog allergy is limited. To ask an allergist whether it fits you, use Find a Provider on OpenAirAllergyNetwork.com to locate an allergist who offers it.
