Article: Kids with allergies can have pets, too

Recently, I was showing a youngster some photos of bears that a friend of mine had taken. The boy was fascinated and lingered over each picture. But within a short time, he began to sneeze, and his eyes reddened and watered.

"Have your cats been anywhere near these pictures?" his mother asked.

I thought for a moment. My cats had not walked or sat on the photos, but the cats sometimes lie on the desk where I had spread out the pictures. The child was reacting third-hand to an allergen.

Allergies to animals usually are caused by dander, the normal dead cells that are sloughed of the skin's surface, or by saliva or urine. Some people are allergic to fungal sores on bird feathers, though ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!