Love That Dog - household pets and allergy symptoms

Pediatrics for Parents, July, 1999

One of the easiest ways to lessen allergy symptoms is also one of the toughest -- getting rid of pets. A recent nationwide survey found that 44% of households with a member allergic to pets kept the family dog or cat. They did this knowing that exposure to the animal may cause a flare-up of the sufferer's symptoms.

Three-quarters of these families had never even considered giving their beloved pet away. Almost 20% hadn't even taken any steps to lessen the allergy sufferers exposure to the animal.

Hospital Medicine, 7/99, p. 16.