Pets as Medicine

Pets Help to Improve Overall Health

We all know that proper diet and exercise greatly benefit our health and, now, there’s evidence to suggest pets help improve various aspects of our health as well.

Pets Are Good For Our Hearts

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pets help decrease blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels and our feelings of loneliness.

In fact, pets have an even greater effect on the elderly; studies show older pet-owning citizens have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than non-owners, which help reduce their risk for heart disease and decrease their number of visits to the doctor.

Pets Help Reduce Stress

The very presence of a fuzzy, four-legged animal has been known to compose an overly-stressed person. According to a past “Healthy Pets, Healthy People” report by the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association, 70 percent of respondents said that when they are stressed or worried, playing with or confiding in a pet helps them calm down.

Pets Help Reduce Depression

The Merck Veterinary Manual, a veterinary and health professional reference guide, reports that pets motivate their owners to get out and do things they might not normally do, such as walking their dog or increasing their social interaction in general. These activities alone help ward off depression.

Pets Are Emotional Lifesavers

As humans, we encounter many changes in life: the beginning or end of friendships or romantic relationships, a new job, moving to a new city, a bad haircut or any number of situations we deal with on a day-to-day basis. Having a pet’s unconditional love and companionship during these events offers us a sense of security, worth and a daily comfort that some people just can’t find anywhere else.