Allergies to animals

Animal allergies often are a respiratory allergy and rarely a skin allergy. Animal allergies produce symptoms of:

• Hay fever (allergic rhinitis), such as itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; runny, stuffy, or itchy nose; headache and fatigue; dark circles under the eyes; and postnasal drip.
• Wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. These symptoms may mean a person has an allergic asthma condition.

When allergies are worse around pets, symptoms may be caused by your pet's dead skin (dander), urine, dried saliva, or hair.

• Keep the pet outside of the house or at least out of the bedroom.
• Consider finding your pet a new home if your symptoms are severe.