Allergic to Pets?: The Breakthrough Guide to Living with the Animals You Love (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Avoid Allergic Outbreaks–Not Animals! Allergic to Pets? addresses the problem that plagues allergic animal lovers everywhere: how to live with a pet you love when you (or a family member) are allergic to it.

Sensitivity to animals is one of the most frequently diagnosed allergies–yet until now, allergic animal lovers have been faced with only two choices: give up their beloved pets or live with the suffering. Finally help is here! Allergic to Pets? is the first book to provide effective advice for cohabiting with cats, dogs, small furry pets, birds, and even horses. Renowned pet expert Shirlee Kalstone explains:

• What causes an allergic reaction and how to ward off the worst of it
• How to care for your hairy, furry, and feathered pets (and their environments) to minimize allergens
• A room-by-room guide to allergen-proofing your home
• When to get professional assistance: medicines for the sufferer as well as nontoxic allergen-reducing products formulated specifically for animals
And much more!

Allergic to Pets? is an indispensable resource for animal-loving allergy sufferers everywhere, packed with much-needed advice, explanations, and helpful tips.

About the Author

Shirlee Kalstone is an internationally recognized expert on pets for over twenty years, and has published numerous books on pet health care, first aid, grooming, behavior problems and housebreaking, including including How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days (nearly 400,000 copies in print!).

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (January 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553383671
• ISBN-13: 978-0553383676
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,878 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful for anybody with pets, not just those with allergies, June 22, 2006

By	R. Kelly Wagner "[e-mail]" (MD, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

While the main thrust of this book is to help people who don't own pets because of their allergies become able to cope with having pets in the house, it serves other purposes as well. Many of the tips in here are "common sense" that isn't so common, that will help keep your house cleaner and reduce the amount of dust, mold, and other allergens, not just animal dander, so that everyone breathes easier. And many of the tips will also reduce the perfectly normal odor of most pets, so that some people who don't like pets because "they smell" or "they're too dirty" may be able to be convinced to allow a pet in the house, if the cleaning ideas in this book are followed.

One of the things I like best about this book is that it's divided into sections: first, how to deal with the everyday pets, cats and dogs. But then, a whole separate section on rabbits (which includes lots of information about general rabbit care and habits, as well). One tip worth the entire price of the book, for example: using the bumpy grooming gloves, instead of brushes, which both protects your skin and cleans hair and dander off your pet rabbit.

And then one about birds. There's a list of which species of pet birds are "dustier" than others, so that one can choose a less-dusty species, or, if one chooses, say, a cockatiel, which is a very dusty bird although one of the most common pet birds, one can then be prepared ahead of time with the right kind of cage and supplies for the cockatiel, not just whatever the pet store automatically pushes.

Another chapter deals with the pocket rodents, from hamsters through guinea pigs to chinchillas. Again, there's reasonably accurate (although brief) general care information about these pets, and specific tips for each species.

There are also sections for ferrets and horses, and a big section on allergy-proofing your house in general. There's information about when to see a doctor and what medical treatments are available for allergies and asthma. There's also an extensive list of websites related to pets and allergies. Overall, this is a book that even pet owners without allergies could use, and even people whose allergies are to things other than pets, as well.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Red eyes and sneezy like me?, February 20, 2006

By	Sneezy (Florida) - See all my reviews

For years I have suffered with red eyes and lots of sneezing. My only professional advice had been 'get rid of your cat'. I saw this book, bought it and must say that in a matter of just a few weeks I have far fewer symptoms. This book explains in simple terms just what should be done to live much more comfortably with your pet. If you're serious about wanting to reduce your pet allergy problems . . . this is the book to get.

Sneezy

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference, May 12, 2006

By	K. Johnson (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is fantasitc. The level of detail is deep covering not only a clinical description of what makes us allergic to our pets, but specifically how to live with dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and even horses. I've been asthmatic all my life and I found the "how to allergy proof your home" section, one of the best references on the subject I've read.

I can finally get my daughter her kitty she's been pestering me for years. With the help of this book, I now know exactly what to do so I don't kill myself in the process.