5 Reasons why Pets are Good for your Health

Aside from companionship, spending time with a dog or cat can affect your mood, health, and well-being in a positive way. In the modern era, our lifestyles can, at times, be non-stop. Sometimes we need to disconnect. Our pets are stress-fighters in a way. They help us unwind.

By taking the time out to take your dog for a walk, or play with your cat, you’re subconsciously disconnecting from the world around you. We’ll go into this a bit more below as we uncover 5 reasons why pets are good for your health.

Keeping Active

Your four-legged friends can help improve your cardiovascular health. According to an NIH funded study, which investigated more than 2000 adults, dog owners who regularly walked their dogs were more physically active and less likely to be obese than those who didn’t own or walk a dog.

The same study found that elderly people who walk their dogs regularly, walk faster than their counterparts who don’t own a dog and that they’re also more mobile at home.

Stress reliever

Spending time with your pet can have a calming effect on you and can help decrease our cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that our bodies release when we experience stress. According to Rebecca A. Johnson, director of the Research Centre for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, “A powerful neurochemical, oxytocin, is released when we look at our companion animal, which brings feelings of joy.”.

She has also researched the effects of animals on veterans with PTSD and claims to have witnessed the remarkable influence animals can have on people. “One veteran couldn’t leave his home without his wife until we placed a dog with him and in less than a week he was able to go around his town”.

Less risk of allergies

Contrary to what was previously believed, having a furry friend in your household whilst growing up may have helped you develop an immunity to allergens. According to James E. Gern, MD, a paediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, kids that grew up exposed to furred animals have less risk of developing allergies and even asthma.

In a recent study, Gern concluded that if an infant was exposed to a dog in its first year of living, they were less likely to have pet allergies as opposed to those who didn’t.

Heart health

An ever-expanding body of evidence suggests that owning a pet may improve your heart health. According to Harvard Health, petting a dog or cat lowers your blood pressure. Studies also suggest that owning a pet may lower your cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart failure – this goes hand in hand with being active and experiencing joy on a regular basis.

Research published in Scientific reports found that people who lived alone with a dog had a 33% reduced risk of death, and an 11% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, than people who lived alone without a dog.

Social skills

A recent study by Harvard health shows that pets can help create human-to-human friendships. By taking your dog to a public park, you tend to engage with other dog owners, which promotes social interactions.

Pets also offer comfort and social interaction to people with brain deteriorating disease. There are canine caregiver programs available for people who struggle with Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown that animal companions can reduce behavioural issues for those suffering from dementia. Many assisted living facilities even keep resident pets to help stimulate their patients.

They also enhance social skills in children living with autism. Many animal-assisted therapy programs for ASD have even started to include animals such as dolphins and horses to develop social skills in people with autism spectrum disorder.

There’s more to owning a pet than you may have thought, they benefit us in so many ways, so it’s only sensible to look after them and give them the lives they deserve. Adding PetproBio to your pet’s food will better their digestion, ensure a healthy, glossy coat, increase immunity and resistance, and increase metabolic efficiency.

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