Pets and the Allergic Child

Can These Two Safely Coexist?

By Lisa B. Samalonis

While adding a family pet can bring a lot of good experiences to a family, it can also bring allergies. An estimated 10 percent of the population may be allergic to animals, and about 25 percent of individuals with asthma have pet allergies, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI).

While as many as 70 percent of U.S. households have a dog or cat, according to ACAAI, families should consider the potential for allergies before choosing a pet.

"Last June, my family of five decided to get a dog," says Susan Held, a mom from Cooksville, Md. "We decided to adopt a shelter dog. The application/interview process to adopt a pet is rigorous. Many of the questions the shelters and rescues ask prospective families have to do with whether you have children, whether you babysit or have child visitors frequently and whether any of these children have pet allergies."

Held notes that she was told that allergies, especially among children, are one of the top reasons cited when pets are relinquished to shelters. "Allergies are an important topic that should be considered before the pet joins the family, not after an allergy develops," she says. "Pet stores and many breeders do not ask about the possibilities of allergies, and many good intentioned families do not think of it until it's too late, and their adorable puppy or kitten ends up at animal control."

After much research and meeting adoptable dogs, the Held family found a dog. "Tara is some sort of mixed breed, maybe a Lab and a Plott hound, and we love her to pieces," she says.

Family pets provide many benefits, such as companionship, security and a sense of comfort. However, people with allergies should be cautious in deciding what type of pet they can safely bring into their home.

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