Benefits of pets to our health: I once knew a chartered accountant who worked in the insolvency area. He was in the business of wrapping up misery, dreams, and the ultimate failure of businesses to succeed. He was not a popular man. However, he once said to me, “you know Mike, no matter how hard a day I’ve had, when I get home from the office, I know that I am unconditionally loved, cause from the moment I opened the front door, my dog can’t wait to smother me with affection”. Pets are a bit like that, they love unconditionally. It’s little surprise that we are now recognising their true value to our health and wellbeing.
In fact, for nearly 25 years, research has shown that living with pets provides certain health benefits. Pets help lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety. They boost our immunity. They can even help you get dates.
Pets can be Allergy Fighters
“The old thinking was that if your family had a pet, the children were more likely to become allergic to the pet. And if you came from an allergy-prone family, pets should be avoided,” says researcher James E. Gern, MD, a paediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
However, a growing number of studies have suggested that kids growing up in a home with “furred animals” — whether it’s a pet cat or dog, or on a farm and exposed to large animals — will have less risk of allergies and asthma, he tells us.
In his recent study, Gern analysed the blood of babies immediately after birth and one year later. He was looking for evidence of an allergic reaction, immunity changes, and for reactions to bacteria in the environment.
If a dog lived in the home, infants were less likely to show evidence of pet allergies — 19% vs. 33%. They also were less likely to have eczema, a common allergy condition that causes red patches and itching. In addition, they had higher levels of some immune system chemicals — a sign of stronger immune system activation.
“Dogs are dirty animals, and this suggests that babies who have greater exposure to dirt and allergens have a stronger immune system,” Gern says.
Doggy Date Magnets
Dogs are great for making love connections. Forget Internet matchmaking — a dog is a natural conversation starter.
This especially helps ease people out of social isolation or shyness, Nadine Kaslow, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, tells us.
“People ask about breed, they watch the dog’s tricks,” Kaslow says. “Sometimes the conversation stays at the ‘dog level,’ sometimes it becomes a real social interchange.”
Benefits of Pets – Dogs for the Aged
“Studies have shown that Alzheimer’s patients have fewer anxious outbursts if there is an animal in the home,” says Lynette Hart, PhD, associate professor at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
“Their caregivers also feel less burdened when there is a pet, particularly if it is a cat, which generally requires less care than a dog,” says Hart.
Walking a dog or just caring for a pet — for elderly people who are able — can provide exercise and companionship. One insurance company, Midland Life Insurance Company of Columbus, Ohio, asks clients over age 75 if they have a pet as part of their medical screening — which often helps tip the scales in their favour.
Having a Pet is Good for Mind and Soul
Pet owners with AIDS are far less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. “The benefit is especially pronounced when people are strongly attached to their pets,” says researcher Judith Siegel, PhD.
In one study, stockbrokers with high blood pressure who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did people without pets.
People in stress mode get into a “state of dis-ease,” in which harmful chemicals like cortisol and norepinephrine can negatively affect the immune system, says Blair Justice, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health and author of Who Gets Sick: How Beliefs, Moods, and Thoughts Affect Your Health.
Studies show a link between these chemicals and plaque build-up in arteries, the red flag for heart disease, says Justice.
Like any enjoyable activity, playing with a dog can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine — nerve transmitters that are known to have pleasurable and calming properties, he tells us.
“People take drugs like heroin and cocaine to raise serotonin and dopamine, but the healthy way to do it is to pat your dog, or hug your spouse, watch sunsets, or get around something beautiful in nature,” says Justice, who recently hiked the Colorado Rockies with his wife and two dogs.
Pets can be Good for the Heart
Heart attack patients who have pets survive longer than those without, according to several studies. Male pet owners have less sign of heart disease – lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels — than non-owners, researchers say.
Physical health benefits of having a pet
Research has shown that owning a pet can have a number of physical health benefits:
- Increased cardiovascular health (lower blood pressure, lower triglycerides and in men, lower cholesterol)
- Increased physical activity. Dogs especially help us get out and enjoy the outdoors while getting some regular exercise. They are great motivators and personal trainers, never wanting to miss a training session no matter the weather.
- Fewer visits to the doctor
- Children who have pets are less likely to miss days of school due to illness
The joy of having a pet isn’t new to most Australians; we have one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world. In fact, our pets are such positive influences on our lives that one study found that Australian ownership of cats and dogs saved approximately $3.86 billion in health expenditure over one year.
Psychological benefits of having a pet
Research has shown that owning a pet can have a number of psychological benefits
- A study of school children showed that pet owners were more popular but also seemed more empathetic.
- Those who have pets including children or adolescents have been shown to have higher self-esteem. Teenagers who own pets have a more positive outlook on life and report less loneliness, restlessness, despair, and boredom.
- Pet owners report less depression and appear to cope with grief, stress, and loss better than non-pet owners.
- Pets enhance social connectedness and social skills and are great conversation starters!
- Pets are also great caregivers. They keep us company when we’re sick or feeling down. They can make us feel safe while we’re home alone and they keep an eye on the house while we’re out.
All in all it’s not bad having a dog’s life.
