Just about everyone has heard something about allergies to pets. Unfortunately, many of those sweet, lovable, huggable, and kissable "family members," including "man's best friend," are all too often one of the causes of the miseries of perennial allergic rhinitis, the so-called allergic nose. It has been estimated that as much as 10 percent of the population is at risk of developing pet allergies and that between 15 percent and 30 percent of all allergy-prone individuals may be allergic to cats and dogs. Considering that more than 100 million pet dogs and cats are in more than half of the homes in the United States, the problem of pet allergies is not a small one. And these figures do not include the countless guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, rats, rabbits, and birds that are also kept as pets both at home and in schools.

Since our pets obviously mean so much to us, the issue of possible allergies to them is often an emotionally charged one for many allergy sufferers. And while these allergies technically have much in common with respiratory allergies to dust, molds, and mites, the unwillingness of many loyal pet owners to part with Fido or Samantha despite the misery of their symptoms makes allergies to pets worthy of discussion on its own.