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  Playing with pets could make you less allergic
Updated 28 August 2002, 10.35
Cats and dogs
Having a pet dog or cat when you're little could stop you getting ill in later years, scientists have worked out.

They say if you spend your time after school rolling around with a dog or stroking a cat you're less likely to become allergic to them.

  Vote for your fave. Is it cats or dogs?

Until now lots of people thought that if you play with pets you can catch germs from them and that's what makes you allergic.

Dogs
Don't be sad! Doctors say it's good to play with kids
But US doctors have found that some kids' bodies learn how to fight bugs and germs if they play with pets lots.

Millions of kids in the UK suffer from asthma and other allergic conditions such as eczema, which have been linked to the fur of household pets.

Medicine from dirt

Doctors are now trying to find out if they can make a special kind of medicine from dirt that could also stop kids developing allergies.

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