Symptoms

• Pet allergens often cause people to develop inflamed nasal passages and airways, according to the Mayo Clinic. They can develop symptoms such as a cough, runny nose, a stuffy or itchy nose, an itchy throat, watery eyes, patches on their skin, facial pain, and/or swelling under their eyes. Some people will also sneeze frequently. Symptoms of pet allergies often persist until they are treated, according to the Surrey Allergy Clinic. People often have different reactions to pet allergens, as some people will only sneeze occasionally and others will develop asthma.
  
  People who develop asthma because of allergens from dogs often have problems breathing, experience tightness in their chest, make wheezing sounds when they breathe, cough regularly, have shortness of breath, have sleeping problems and/or have asthma attacks. Often people who have asthma as children develop pet allergies later in their life, according to Netdoctor. Individuals who have family members with pet allergies and/or are regularly exposed to cigarette smoke are at an increased risk for developing allergies. Along with asthma, people who are allergic to dogs often suffer from other allergy-related conditions, including hay fever, chronic sinusitis and eczema. Illnesses that people develop in conjunction with or as a result of pet allergies can cause some of the same symptoms as pet allergies, including skin rashes, a stuffed nose and/or coughing.
  
  

Tests

• People can find out if they are allergic to dogs by getting tested by a doctor and/or an allergist. A doctor can often get a preliminary indication of whether a patient is allergic to dogs by looking at the lining of his nose. If his nasal lining has become swollen or is discolored, there is a good chance that he is allergic to pet allergens, according to the Mayo Clinic.
  
  Doctors and allergists often use the allergy skin test, or allergen-specific antibody test, to find out if a person is allergic to pet dander and/or other allergens. During the test, drops with pet allergens are placed on a patient's skin for about 15 minutes to examine whether she has a reaction to the allergens, according to Lab Tests Online. Some people experience side effects, such as itching, redness and hives, as a result of the test, but they usually go away within a half hour, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. When an allergy skin test cannot be performed on a patient, often because of a preexisting skin condition, a doctor will perform a blood test. During this test, the physician draws blood from a patient and sends it to a laboratory to be examined for antibodies to pet allergens.