Suffering from a pet allergy can be heartbreaking. You know that if you suffer extreme pet allergies that you might have to give up your pet (and no one wants to give up their pets when they have grown attached to them.) If you think that you have a pet allergy, then you need to act fast. The longer your pet stays in your home, the more allergens he or she will distribute across your home.

Pets cause allergies mostly because of their dander. Contrary to popular belief, pet fur is not the number one cause of pet allergies. In fact, it is the pet's skin. When a pet sheds its fur (which happens as frequently as humans shed their hair) the fur takes small pieces of pet skin with it. Just like human skin flakes off during the course of a day, so does pet skin. Therefore, your pet not only has hair floating in the air of your home, but he or she also has dead skin on that hair that is affecting your allergies.

In order to counteract your pet allergy, the first thing you need to do is to determine how bad the allergy is. You may want to visit an allergy specialist for a special allergy test. Your allergist will determine whether or not you have other allergies as well.

Next, your allergist will recommend a course of action to help you get through your pet allergies. In some cases, the allergist will encourage you to remove the pet from your home. In other cases, you will only need to invest in some allergy medicine, such as a monthly shot or a daily allergy pill.

Having pets can be a very enriching and fulfilling addition to any home. However, as soon as you start to feel ill or uncomfortable because of the presence of your pet, you need to take action. After all, your health should be a priority so that you can better care for your pet.