which pet?

[ddaisy99]

My youngest wants a pet and I dont know if its a good idea as he has a mild dermatitis. He wants a cat or dog but I am worried that their fur will irritate his skin.

[lozzylou]

my boys are 2 and 3 and have a rabbit and a parrot. the parrot is great as he will talk to the boys and will copy them. they are easy to maintain and are great pets to have to liven a household up. i would recommend one to anyone. my boys feed ours off there hand. ours wont sit on your arm or nothing due to past problems but if you have them as babies you can train them from babies

[hau kola]

What about a poodle or a goldfish?

[imajenarry]

how bout a hamster or gerbil. they are good fun for young children. we used to have terrapins at junior school that were quite popular and no pet hair.

[imajenarry]

sorry just realised you said youngest not young.

[Buenchico]

'Dermatitis' is a very general term. While it can refer to allergy-related symptoms ('allergic contact dermatitis') it's far more likely that a child will have a form of eczema (e.g. infantile atopic eczema). Such conditions are not affected by contact with pet hairs, so you're not restricted in your choice of pets.

Speak to your doctor first (to confirm that there really is no problem) and then (as long as your family lifestyle permits it) get a dog. While I love cats, youngsters find them extremely frustrating because they don't openly return the love that you show them. Dogs, on the other hand, love their owners even more than their owners love them and kids naturally bond with them.

Chris

[ddaisy99]

many thanks, I will speak to his doctor and if its ok will start lookn for a dog.