Do you know how hedgehogs are for children with allergies? I do not want the younger son to have another reaction like he did with rabbits. Please advise if you know of a good pet for my son to have that does not have allergies, that will not affect our son with allergies. Thanks so much. We have a dog and there is no problem there, however we were looking to add a small pet for them. -- Natalie, Minnesota

We test for cats, dogs, horses, cattle and feathers in our basic allergy skin testing. If a person is specifically concerned about animals not in our basic screen, we sometimes send off a RAST test to those animals.

What I've seen is that the more animals a person tests positive to, the more likelihood they will be allergic to other pets as well.

I'd recommend making a list of a few animals you are considering providing for your children, and asking your allergist if she can provide testing before you purchase them. This is safer than discovering the child has allergies to the pet after it becomes a beloved member of the family.

A real-life test would be to find a friend with a similar pet as the one you are interested in purchasing. If your child can visit the pet repeatedly without any allergy symptoms, chances are it is a good choice. To confirm by a real-life test as well as medical allergy testing gives even greater assurance.

I tell our patients that even if their child tests negative to the pet they are planning to purchase, allergies can develop at any time. People who already have animal allergies seem to be more likely to develop allergies to other animals as well. However, many with pet allergies are able to enjoy other types of pets for years without developing allergies to that pet.

Reptiles such as snakes and lizards are often recommended. Fish are another choice that is generally considered "safe" for allergy sufferers.

I vote for the fish myself, but if your family likes reptiles, go for it! Otherwise, consider testing to pets you are interested in. Hopefully you'll come across a winner that your whole family can relate to.

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