Allergen Specific IgE Rabbit Hair (dander) blood Biomarker Testing
It measures IgE antibodies to rabbit hair/dander to support allergy evaluation, with ordering and clear next steps through Vitals Vault and Quest labs.
With Vitals Vault, you have access to a comprehensive range of biomarker tests.
If you get a runny nose, itchy eyes, coughing, wheezing, or hives around rabbits, it can be hard to tell whether you are reacting to rabbit dander, hay or bedding, dust mites, or something else in the environment.
An Allergen Specific IgE Rabbit Hair test looks for IgE antibodies in your blood that recognize rabbit hair/dander proteins. It does not prove you will have symptoms every time you are exposed, but it can help connect your history of reactions with an immune signal.
This test is most useful when you and your clinician are trying to confirm a suspected rabbit allergy, plan exposure reduction, or decide whether broader allergy testing is needed.
Do I need an Allergen Specific IgE Rabbit Hair test?
You may want this test if your symptoms reliably flare with rabbit exposure, such as sneezing, congestion, post-nasal drip, itchy or watery eyes, cough, chest tightness, wheezing, or a rash after handling a rabbit or being in a home where rabbits live.
It can also be helpful if you have asthma or chronic rhinitis and you are trying to identify triggers that are easy to miss, especially if symptoms occur indoors or in settings like classrooms, veterinary clinics, shelters, or homes where rabbit dander can linger.
Consider testing if you are deciding whether it is safe to adopt a rabbit, if a child has recurring symptoms around a pet, or if you have had more serious reactions and want objective data to guide an avoidance plan.
Your result should be interpreted alongside your symptoms and exposure history. Allergy blood tests support clinician-directed care and do not replace medical evaluation for severe reactions or breathing problems.
This is a CLIA-laboratory allergen-specific IgE blood test; results support allergy evaluation but are not a standalone diagnosis.
Lab testing
Order labs to measure Allergen Specific IgE Rabbit Hair
from $88.34 at Quest Diagnostics
About 1 week
Schedule online — results typically within a week
Clear next steps
Guidance included, with follow-up care available
HSA / FSA
Eligible for pre-tax health spending accounts
Get this test with Vitals Vault
Vitals Vault lets you order allergen-specific IgE testing without needing to coordinate a separate lab requisition visit. You complete checkout, then visit a local Quest draw site for a standard blood sample.
When results are ready, you can use PocketMD to translate the number into plain language and to map practical next steps, such as whether you should add related inhalant allergens (like other animal danders, dust mites, or grasses) or repeat testing after a meaningful change in exposure.
If your symptoms are persistent or you have asthma, PocketMD can also help you prepare focused questions for your clinician, including how to align your lab result with spirometry, medication response, and your home or workplace triggers.
- Order online and draw at a local Quest location
- PocketMD helps you interpret results in context and plan follow-ups
- Easy reordering for trend tracking when exposure changes
Key benefits of Allergen Specific IgE Rabbit Hair testing
- Helps confirm whether rabbit exposure is a likely trigger when symptoms are consistent but the cause is unclear.
- Distinguishes a rabbit-specific IgE signal from non-allergic irritation or infections that can mimic allergies.
- Supports practical decisions about adopting a rabbit, changing pet-care routines, or modifying work exposures.
- Guides whether broader inhalant allergy testing is worth doing instead of guessing at triggers.
- Helps explain asthma or rhinitis flares that happen indoors where rabbit dander can persist on fabrics.
- Provides a baseline you can compare over time if you reduce exposure or your symptoms change.
- Pairs well with PocketMD guidance so you can translate a lab number into an actionable next-step plan.
What is Allergen Specific IgE Rabbit Hair?
Allergen-specific IgE is a type of antibody your immune system can make when it becomes sensitized to a particular allergen. In this test, the lab measures IgE antibodies that bind to rabbit hair/dander proteins (often referred to as “rabbit epithelium/dander” in clinical language).
A positive result means your immune system recognizes rabbit allergens, which is called sensitization. Sensitization increases the likelihood of allergy symptoms with exposure, but it is not the same thing as clinical allergy. Some people have detectable IgE and minimal symptoms, while others have strong symptoms even with relatively modest IgE levels.
Rabbit allergen exposure can come from direct contact with a rabbit, airborne dander in the home, or indirect transfer on clothing and fabrics. Because symptoms can overlap with reactions to hay, bedding, dust, or other pets, a rabbit-specific IgE result is most meaningful when it matches your real-world pattern of symptoms.
IgE blood testing vs skin testing
Specific IgE is measured from a blood sample and does not require stopping antihistamines. Skin prick testing can be faster and sometimes more sensitive for certain allergens, but it requires an in-office visit and may not be ideal if you have extensive eczema, dermatographism, or a history of severe reactions. Your clinician may use either approach, or both, depending on your situation.
Why “rabbit hair” can still reflect dander exposure
Even when the test name says “rabbit hair,” the immune targets are typically proteins associated with rabbit skin cells, saliva, and dander that can coat hair and become airborne. That is why symptoms often occur without direct hair contact, such as being in a room where rabbits live.
What do my Allergen Specific IgE Rabbit Hair results mean?
Low or undetectable rabbit-specific IgE
A low result means the lab did not detect meaningful IgE antibodies to rabbit allergens at the time of testing. This makes an IgE-mediated rabbit allergy less likely, but it does not fully rule it out, especially if your exposure has been limited recently or your symptoms are intermittent. If you still have clear rabbit-linked symptoms, your clinician may consider testing for other triggers (hay, dust mites, other animal danders) or using a different testing approach.
In-range results (interpretation depends on the lab’s classes)
Many labs report allergen-specific IgE as a number with “classes” (for example, from low-level sensitization to higher levels). There is no single “optimal” value the way there is for nutrients; instead, the key question is whether the result fits your symptom pattern. A borderline or low-positive result can still matter if you reliably react around rabbits, while a moderate result may be clinically irrelevant if you have no symptoms with exposure.
High rabbit-specific IgE
A high result suggests stronger sensitization to rabbit allergens and increases the likelihood that rabbit exposure is contributing to your symptoms. It does not predict reaction severity with certainty, but it can support more confident avoidance steps and a broader evaluation for co-existing allergic triggers. If you have asthma, high sensitization can be especially important to discuss with your clinician because ongoing exposure may worsen control.
Factors that influence rabbit-specific IgE results
Your result is influenced by your overall allergic tendency (atopy), recent and ongoing exposure to rabbits, and whether you are sensitized to multiple indoor allergens at the same time. Cross-reactivity can occur when proteins from different animals share similar structures, which can sometimes produce positive results that do not match symptoms. Timing matters too: IgE levels can shift over months, so retesting is usually most useful after a sustained change in exposure or if your symptoms meaningfully change.
What’s included
- Allergen Specific Ige Rabbit Hair*
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to fast for a rabbit-specific IgE blood test?
Fasting is not required for allergen-specific IgE testing. You can usually eat and drink normally unless you are combining this with other labs that require fasting.
Can antihistamines affect rabbit IgE blood test results?
Antihistamines do not typically change allergen-specific IgE blood test results, because the test measures antibodies in your blood rather than skin reactivity. However, steroids and certain immune-modulating treatments can affect allergy symptoms and, over time, may influence immune markers, so it is still worth telling your clinician what you take.
What is the difference between rabbit allergy and hay or bedding allergy?
Rabbit allergy is usually driven by proteins from rabbit dander/skin cells and sometimes saliva, while hay or bedding reactions may be due to grass pollens, molds, or dust mites living in stored hay or bedding. If you only react when cleaning cages or handling hay, you may need additional testing beyond rabbit-specific IgE to find the real trigger.
If my rabbit IgE is positive, does that mean I will have severe reactions?
Not necessarily. A positive result indicates sensitization, which increases the chance of symptoms, but it does not reliably predict severity. Your past reactions, asthma status, and how much exposure you get are often more important for assessing risk than the number alone.
How soon after getting a rabbit should I test?
If you are already having symptoms with exposure, testing can be done at any time. If you are trying to detect new sensitization, it may take weeks to months for IgE to become clearly detectable, so your clinician may recommend waiting and retesting if symptoms evolve.
When should I retest rabbit-specific IgE?
Retesting is most useful after a sustained change in exposure, such as rehoming a rabbit, moving, or changing your work environment, or if your symptoms significantly worsen or improve. Many people wait several months so the result has time to reflect the new exposure pattern.
Should I also test total IgE or other animal danders?
Often, yes. Total IgE can provide context about your overall allergic tendency, and testing other common indoor allergens (cat, dog, dust mites, molds) can help explain symptoms that do not line up perfectly with rabbit exposure. The most helpful add-ons depend on where your symptoms occur and what you are exposed to.