Allergic to Your Dog or Cat? These OTC Allergy Medications Can Help
Key takeaways:
Many people experience allergies from pets, and it may be difficult to avoid potential allergens that cause symptoms.
Over-the-counter medications like antihistamines and decongestants can help quickly relieve symptom from cats and dogs. Nasal corticosteroids may take longer to kick in.
It’s helpful to also consider preventative measures to lower your exposure to pet allergens. Vacuuming regularly and limiting your pet to certain areas of your home are two ideas.
It’s likely that you own a pet or know someone — such as a friend, coworker, or neighbor — who does. If you’re allergic to pets, it can be very difficult to avoid what causes your allergies.
Pet hair itself doesn’t directly cause allergies, but it often carries the substances that do. This includes dander (dead skin cells), saliva, and pet urine. Plus, pet hair often carries allergens from the environment, including mold, pollen, and dust. In addition to directly touching a pet — most commonly cats and dogs — you may come into contact with pet hair that’s shed on clothing and other surfaces.
Common allergic reactions from pets can include symptoms of allergic rhinitis — sneezing and runny or itchy nose — and allergic conjunctivitis, or itchy, red, and watery eyes. In many cases, over the counter (OTC) allergy medications can help prevent and manage these symptoms. But not all OTC allergy medications are created equally, so it’s important to keep a few tips in mind.
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What types of OTC medications are there for dog and cat allergies?
Many OTC medications can treat symptoms from cat- or dog-related allergies. The right dog allergy medicine or cat allergy medicine for you will depend on your symptoms and how often you experience them. Nasal corticosteroids, antihistamines, and decongestants are all potential options for relief.
OTC allergy medications are available by themselves and as combination products. Before you purchase any product, it’s important to read the package label to see which ingredients are contained in the product.
Nasal corticosteroids
Corticosteroids work by lowering inflammation (swelling) that can be caused by an allergic reaction. These medications work by acting like a hormone called cortisol that’s naturally produced by your body. Many corticosteroids are available, but corticosteroid nasal sprays can be used to help treat allergy symptoms.
OTC corticosteroid nasal sprays include:
Budesonide (Rhinocort)
Fluticasone (Flonase)
Triamcinolone (Nasacort)
Mometasone (Nasonex)
These medications are considered first-choice medications for pet allergies. They can be used when you have symptoms that affect your nose, such as sneezing, itchy, or runny nose.
Antihistamines
Histamine is a chemical that’s released when your body encounters an allergen, or a substance that it doesn’t recognize. This often causes allergy symptoms like runny nose, teary eyes, and itching. Antihistamines are a group of medications that work by blocking histamine to help relieve allergy symptoms.
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is an example of an older, first-generation antihistamine. First-generation antihistamines cause drowsiness and are often in medications used for sleep. Other side effects can include:
Second- and third-generation antihistamines include loratadine (Claritin), cetirizine (Zyrtec) and fexofenadine (Allegra). The main difference between these medications and first-generation antihistamines is that they’re newer and cause less drowsiness. They help relieve mild allergy symptoms like runny nose, teary eyes, and itching. They are often recommended over first-generation antihistamines.
More recently, an OTC antihistamine nasal spray also became available. It’s called Astepro (azelastine); it was previously only available with a prescription. It can help relieve nasal symptoms associated with allergies — dog and cat allergies included.
Decongestants
During an allergic reaction, your body may signal your blood vessels to open up. This allows substances like white blood cells to come in and fight what it believes to be harmful to your body. As a result, blood vessels in your nose can swell and cause a stuffy nose.
Decongestants like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and phenylephrine (Sudafed PE) work by causing blood vessels to shrink, which can lessen nasal congestion symptoms. Decongestants are available as nasal sprays and as oral tablets and capsules.
Decongestants can help clear your sinuses and relieve a stuffy nose, but they shouldn’t be used for long periods of time. In fact, decongestant nasal sprays, like oxymetazoline (Afrin), can make your congestion worse if used for more than 3 days. Oral decongestants have a 7-day limit.
Decongestants aren’t used to prevent allergy symptoms and can cause side effects such as high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat. These medications should be avoided if you have medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart problems.
In some states, pseudoephedrine may require a prescription or may be available for purchase behind a pharmacy counter. There are also federal limits about how much pseudoephedrine you can purchase at one time.
How long does it take OTC allergy medications to manage symptoms?
Antihistamines and decongestants can start to relieve allergy symptoms within 15 to 30 minutes. You can take an antihistamine as needed for symptomatic relief or every day for allergy prevention. However, decongestants should only be taken as needed for short-term use.
On the other hand, corticosteroid nasal sprays may take several days to a couple weeks until they reach their maximum effect. They’re another preventative option.
If you’re experiencing consistent pet allergies, you can also consider seeing an allergist. They can help you decide the best treatment strategy for you.
Can you take pet allergy medications every day?
Yes — but only some of them.
Corticosteroid nasal sprays may take up to a couple of weeks before they reach their maximum effect. So, it’s recommended to use them daily to manage your symptoms over time. These medications may be a good option if you encounter pet allergens and a bothersome stuffy nose often.
Antihistamines can be taken daily to treat mild symptoms like itching, sneezing, and runny nose. If you’re taking an antihistamine regularly, it’s recommended to select a newer generation antihistamine to help avoid drowsiness.
Decongestants are different. They should only be taken as needed. Nasal decongestants should only be used for up to 3 days at a time, while oral decongestants should only be used for up to 7 days at a time.
Keep in mind: Although there are no major safety risks associated with taking corticosteroids and antihistamines together, studies have found that combining them doesn’t provide a greater benefit.
Can you cure allergies to cats or dogs?
There is no known cure for cat or dog allergies. But, there has been research looking at the potential benefits of immunotherapy — when people are exposed to small amounts of pet allergens to help lessen long-term symptoms.
This type of immunotherapy is sometimes called an allergy shot. It aims to gradually improve your allergy symptoms by desensitizing your body to the allergen(s) that don’t agree with your immune system.
If OTC medications and other management options aren’t cutting it, you could ask your allergist if allergy shots are an option for you. Allergy shots are initially administered every 1 to 2 weeks at their office or clinic. After you reach your target dose, you’ll likely continue to receive doses once every 4 weeks. Depending on your response, you may receive these under-the-skin injections for months to years.
What are the best alternatives for managing pet allergies?
It may not be a surprise, but the best alternative for managing pet allergies is to prevent symptoms by avoiding exposure to pets.
Understandably, this isn’t always realistic. Cats, dogs, and other animals can improve our lives in many ways. So, you can try to minimize exposure in other ways. Preventative measures like these may lessen — or even eliminate — the need for OTC medications:
Limit the pet to certain rooms
Keep pets off of furniture and carpets
Wash your hands after you touch the pet
Vacuum regularly to remove pet hair
Invest in aHEPA air filterto help prevent dust and dander from sticking to surfaces like furniture and carpet
While there are certain dog breeds that have been said to be less likely to cause allergies, there’s no evidence of an allergy-free dog or cat. This is because pet allergens can be found just about anywhere, including in their fur, skin, and saliva. Even shorter fur can still carry dust and pollen.
The bottom line
OTC medications are often recommended as dog allergy medicines and cat allergy medicines. Antihistamines are an option for people who are exposed to allergens frequently or know they will come in contact with a pet. Corticosteroid nasal sprays can be used for regular pet exposure, but they may take longer to cause a full effect. Decongestants are an option for short-term relief — they should not be used for more than 3 to 7 days or if you have certain medical conditions.
Before starting any new OTC medication, it’s recommended to speak to your pharmacist or other healthcare provider to make sure the medication is safe and appropriate for you to use.
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References
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