What Treatment Options Are Available for Pet Allergies?

North Texas pet allergy treatments.
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Living with allergies often creates difficult choices between keeping a pet or finding relief from symptoms. Fortunately, there are pet allergy treatment options that can help patients in North Texas manage their reactions and share their space comfortably with animals. If you’re struggling with pet allergy symptoms, the following approaches can help reduce discomfort.

Best Pet Allergy Treatments for Long-Term Relief

Pet allergies are caused by an immune system response to proteins in a pet’s fur, skin, saliva and urine. While people often connect “pet allergy” with cats or dogs, a person might be allergic to a pet of any type.

Pet Allergy Prevention

For those who are allergic, contact with a pet can cause various symptoms including sneezing, itching, a runny nose, hives and shortness of breath. If you have experienced these symptoms, it’s vital that you visit an allergist for comprehensive testing and treatment. However, you can also take some initial preventive steps to stay safe. Start by vacuuming carpets and rugs, use an air purifier in your home, make sure pets are brushed and bathed—and keep them away from bedrooms and off furniture.

Allergy Testing

When you visit an allergist’s office, they will need to perform tests to diagnose the allergy. Allergy testing is important, as it allows your allergist to precisely identify the allergens responsible for triggering reactions, and then develop a personalized treatment plan. Skin prick testing will probably be used to check for a suspected pet allergy. Expect quick results from this test, usually in less than an hour. Alternatively, blood testing may be used for those not suited for skin testing, including patients with a skin condition or who are taking certain medications.

Allergy Shots

Allergy shots are a type of desensitization treatment where you receive regular injections containing small amounts of the allergen that triggers your pet allergy symptoms. Over several months, these shots help your immune system become less sensitive to the allergen. Successful treatment can significantly reduce or eliminate allergy symptoms.

Patients will need to attend regular appointments at their allergist’s office during the build-up phase. This period typically lasts for 3–6 months and involves weekly injections. Patients then enter the maintenance phase – a series of monthly injections for approximately 3–5 years.

Sublingual Immunotherapy

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is a convenient alternative to allergy shots that allows patients to manage their allergies at home. Patients take small doses of pet allergen drops, self-administered under the tongue. The drops must be used daily, as inconsistent use can reduce effectiveness.

Patients visit their allergist’s office for their initial dose to ensure there is no adverse reaction. After that the therapy continues at home, with periodic clinic visits to monitor progress. The convenience of at-home administration makes this innovative allergy treatment an increasingly popular choice for North Texas patients with pet allergies.

Patient-Centered Treatment for Pet Allergies in North Texas

TexasAllergyMD provides innovative allergy testing and treatment for pet allergies. Visit our allergy treatment centers in McKinney/Prosper and Southlake for help managing an allergy. Call (469) 375-1525 or request an appointment today.

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