Why take our Dog Allergy Test?
Dogs are among the most popular pets. All across the world, people choose to live with these four-legged friends – but unfortunately, they regularly trigger pet hair allergy symptoms.
If you are interested in getting a dog, you should ideally check beforehand whether you are allergic to dog hair. Even if you already live with a dog, allergies can reemerge. Get to the bottom of any allergy symptoms so that you can do something about them. Untreated pet hair allergies that continuously trigger symptoms can increase the risk of allergic asthma.
How does the dog allergy test work?
To do the Dog Hair Allergy Test, take a few drops of blood from your fingertip with a lancet. You then send the sample on the dried blood spot card provided via a return envelope to our partner medical laboratory.
The laboratory will analyse your blood to see how high the number of IgE antibodies for canine epithelium is. Epithelia are cells in the upper layer of the skin that contain dog allergens.
Please note that the most meaningful results will only be obtained if you have had regular contact with the allergen in the two weeks or so prior to sampling. Some medications, for example antihistamines, can also influence the result.
What does the results report tell me?
The results indicate whether you are sensitised to dog dander and to what degree. Sensitisation is when your immune system overreacts when it encounters an allergen such as dog hair epithelium.
This does not automatically mean that you have an allergy. However, if you have additional symptoms when you are in a room with these animals, you probably have a dog hair allergy.
How long does the analysis take in the laboratory?
Once your sample has arrived at the laboratory, it will be analyzed there by specialists. How long the analysis takes depends on the exact measuring method and the processes in the laboratory.
If the sample is sent on the correct days (Sunday to Tuesday), this makes it easier for the laboratory to adhere to the times.
For the Dog Allergy Test, the laboratory analysis is usually completed within 5 working days after the sample is received in the laboratory.
Which recommendations will I receive?
If you are allergic to dog dander, there may be some specific breeds or individual animals that trigger fewer allergy symptoms. The results report will give you more advice on how to deal with a dog hair allergy. For example, if you suffer from allergies, your first priority should be to avoid dog hair in your bedroom.
What happens when you have a dog allergy?
With an allergy, your immune system reacts to substances that are actually harmless that enter your body. This immune reaction then leads to typical allergy symptoms, such as sniffling, an itchy throat and skin rashes.
In the case of dog hair allergy, the substance responsible is dog’s epithelium – these are cells in the top layer of a dog’s skin. These allergens spread very quickly when dog hair is dispersed in the air and also on clothing.
How can you diagnose a dog hair allergy?
Dog hair allergy is considered a respiratory allergy. It therefore mainly affects the respiratory tract. As a rule, reactions are immediate. You will experience symptoms shortly after inhaling dog hair or getting it on your skin.
Typical symptoms of dog hair allergy include sneezing, runny nose and itchy throat; red, itchy and watery eyes; and swelling and redness of the skin. In the long term, an allergy to dog dander can develop into allergic asthma.
How do you treat a dog hair allergy?
Antihistamine tablets can suppress allergic reactions. But you should only use them for a short time. These medicines are therefore only a solution to take occassionally when you spend time around dogs.
Dog hair allergy can only be treated by hyposensitisation (specific immunotherapy). Doctors administer the allergen several times over a period of two to three years. Immunotherapy is not always successful. If successful, your immune system gets used to dog hair. The animal hair then causes very few, if any, allergic symptoms.
Who should NOT take the Dog Allergy Test?
The Dog Hair Allergy Test is not or only partially suitable for certain groups of people:
People with infectious diseases, like hepatitis and HIV, may not use the dog allergy test.
People with haemophilia should not take the test.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should only take the Dog Hair Allergy Test under medical supervision. The given reference ranges and recommendations do not apply to people in this group; consult your medical professional for advice concerning your test results.
The dog allergy test is not intended for children under 18 years of age.
The test is not intended for diagnosing illnesses or disease. For example, if you suffer from extreme physical pain, consult a doctor.
Why are children under 18 not allowed to take the test?
Our tests are not suitable for underage children and adolescents under the age of 18. Under 18s cannot activate the tests online and therefore cannot receive a test result. We ask that you do not administer the tests to your children either.
Children and adolescents need much closer supervision and counselling regarding medical tests and their interpretation. Testing with lancets and chemicals is not without risk and would need to be closely supervised by guardians. In addition, the reference values we give are always based on adult data. In the case of children, the risk of misinterpreting the results would be very high.
We want to fulfil our responsibility as a provider of medical products and ensure that children and adolescents are not unsettled by measurement results that are difficult for them to interpret. Since we cannot control whether the minors' legal guardians actually consent to the test being carried out and supervise them, we exclude tests for under 18s altogether.
If you are under 18 and have purchased a test, please contact our customer support.
Why does it take up to a week for the sample to reach the lab?
Please bear in mind that your results will not be analyzed in the UK but in Germany. For that reason, it can take up to a week for the sample to arrive at the lab. This does not affect the stability of the samples, as the method we are using is optimized for long transports.
Initially, your sample is sent to our collection center in the UK. From there, it is shipped to our central sample sorting facility in Germany, which then distributes samples to our partner laboratories. Once your sample is analyzed there, you will receive a notification and can access your result online.
Please check your mailbox regularly. We will notify you as soon as your sample is sent, arrives, or is analyzed.
Why does the test have an expiration date?
The cerascreen® test kits are CE-marked medical devices, which in turn include other certified medical components such as lancets, patches, and alcohol swabs used in blood tests.
Like most medical devices, these components have an expiration date to ensure that they remain safe and effective. Many of our sample carriers – such as dried blood cards or sample tubes – are chemically treated to keep your sample stable and analyzable in our laboratory. Over time, environmental factors can affect this treatment and compromise accuracy.
Our sterile, single-use lancets also carry an expiration date to guarantee sterility and safe use up to that time.
