Yahoo! News -- There is evidence that allergy to common indoor pets, particularly cats and dogs, is closely associated with symptomatic asthma in the United States. Because the presence of pets in a home is a potentially modifiable factor, it is important to consider how much asthma morbidity and health care cost might be alleviated by the removal of pets from the homes of all persons with pet-allergic asthma. The percentage of pet-associated excess asthma morbidity was estimated as a proportion of all asthma-related health care costs for the United States, which totals $15.6 billion. The total cost of excess asthma attributable to indoor pet dander is estimated to be $0.5 to $1 Billion. Therapy for severe pet induced asthma can cost as much as $3,000 per month. The challenge to reduce cost requires that all individuals with asthma should be evaluated for allergic sensitivity to their indoor pets and those allergic, convinced to keep their pet outside of their home.
