The Herald-Dispatch |


Fighting Dog Abuse
Check here for information on dog abuse cases, law and rescue group information. Tamara Myers-White also will answer questions or direct you to a link or e-mail of someone with the answers.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Allergies To Pets And How To Deal With It.

Tolerance - that is the key when a pet owner is dealing with the allergies to their pets. They bring us such joy, but also require a lot of maintenance. i.e. vet care, grooming(if required), bathing(smooth coats), ears cleaned out, attention, exercise, and the most important of all - "TIME."

I found out that 15% of our population is allergic to dogs or cats. And, surprisingly, it is estimated 1/3 of Americans that are allergic to cats, have at least one in the household anyway. It just goes to show just how much some people love their pets. I found another study of 341 adults, allergic to cats or dogs, advised by their personal physicians to get rid of their pets, only 1 out of 5 did. And, another shocking fact: 122 of the people got another pet after a previous pet had died.

Pet companionship, as far as I am concerned, far outweighs the drawbacks of pet allergies for quite a few pet owners. I call those people that are willing to be uncomfortable and take medicine for their allergies, and keep their pets, true animal lovers. They put the animal before themselves to give an animal a safe home and love. Contrary to popular belief, there are no "non-allergenic" breed of dog or cat. Shockingly, even the hairless breeds of both species can be highly allergenic.

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