Your Pet and Your Health
From the September, 2008, issue of the HealthyPetNet newsletter:
Your Pet and Your Health
Many of us agree that we should do everything within our power to make sure that our companion animals enjoy the best possible health. But did you know that simply by being a part of your life, your dog or cat could actually help you to be not only happier but healthier, too?
Of course you did. It’s all part of the privilege (and fun!) of being a pet parent. What you may not know is that there’s plenty of science to back it up. A wealth of knowledge regarding the health benefits associated with having companion animals has been accumulated over the last two decades, including numerous research studies in the U.S. and abroad.
A study published in The British Journal of Health Psychology reports that people who have companion animals tended to be healthier than those who did not. Additionally, when a dog was part of the family, the members had fewer minor ailments, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Although the explanation for these advantages is unclear, researchers speculated that all benefits could be accounted for by reduced levels of stress, possibly due to increased physical activity and levels of social interaction.
