1. Look for Year-Round Symptoms
People who have seasonal respiratory allergies will only have symptoms at certain times of the year, when allergens like pollen are present in the air. People with pet allergies will only exhibit symptoms when they're exposed to the allergen. If you have a pet in the home and experience congestion, sneezing, coughing, post-nasal drip, wheezing or itching all the time, it may be a sign of an allergy to your pet. The only way to know for sure is to remove your pet from the home for several weeks to a month and see whether your symptoms go away. Removing your pet for less time than that won't tell you anything, as the pet's dander will still be present in the house long after the pet is gone, and dander is a primary source of pet allergies.
2. Symptoms Come On Quickly
Some allergies, such as food allergies, may take hours or days after exposure to the allergen before they manifest. If you have a pet allergy, you'll start to exhibit symptoms within minutes of coming into contact with an animal. If you don't already have a pet in your house, pay attention when you visit someone who does have a pet. If your eyes get watery or you start sneezing or itching shortly after you arrive, then it's very likely you are allergic to the pet. An allergic reaction to one animal doesn't mean that you're allergic to every kind of pet. Some people are allergic to dogs but not cats, or cats but not dogs. Other people are allergic to birds, but not pets with fur. You'll need to expose yourself to a variety of pet types until you find out which ones cause your symptoms.
3. Go to the Allergist
In order to find out for sure if your allergic symptoms are due to pets or some other cause, you'll need to visit an allergist. The allergist will run a series of tests on you to determine what's causing your symptoms. The most common type of allergy test is a skin prick test, where you'll be lightly stuck with a needle containing a tiny amount of an allergen. If your skin reacts to the allergen, then you have an allergy to that substance. Less commonly, blood tests may be done. Your tests will be able to tell you what kind of pets you're allergic to, and whether you're allergic to pet skin, saliva or both.
