Healing power of pets

Amazing Healing Power of Pets Bernie S. Siegel, MD


Pets -- cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, birds, etc. -- are good for our health. Pet owners make fewer doctor visits, have shorter hospital stays and take less medication than people who don't own pets. Pets even help prevent and relieve the following medical conditions...
Cardiovascular disease. A researcher at Brooklyn College in New York studied 369 people who had suffered heart attacks. Dog owners were eight times more likely to survive for one year after a heart attack than those who didn't have dogs -- and it wasn't because they were walking their dogs and exercising more. Increased survival rates were based on owning a dog, not on any other physical, psychological or social factors.
High blood pressure. In another study, half of a group of stockbrokers with high blood pressure were instructed to get a cat or dog. Six months later, both groups pretended to have a brief discussion with an angry client who had lost a lot of money in the stock market. On average, those with pets experienced only half the rise in blood pressure as those without pets.
Arthritis. At the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at University of MissouriColumbia, pets such as dogs are recommended to help patients increase their daily movement -- one of the best ways to manage the disease and minimize disability.
Cancer. At the Mayo Clinic, an oncologist tells many of his new patients to acquire a pet to reduce the devastating emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis.

In one study, Alzheimer's patients at a resident facility ate more and gained weight after aquariums were installed. In another study, patients at a facility had fewer behavioral problems one month after a dog became a resident.

Mind/body connection Petting an animal is soothing to mind, body and spirit. You become focused on loving and being loved. This increases levels of the mood-improving brain chemical serotonin. Interacting with a pet even increases oxytocin, a hormone generated in high levels during pregnancy and lactation. Dozens of animal studies link higher levels of oxytocin with lower blood pressure, lower cortisol (a hormone associated with stress), positive social interaction, increased pain tolerance and faster wound healing.
Pets can even lengthen life. In a study of nursing homes, when pets were part of the program, mortality rates were 25% lower than at facilities that didn't include pets. Dogs also encourage us to exercise. If there's one thing on which every doctor agrees, it's that exercise is good for you. And because pets are such great icebreakers, you're more likely to meet and talk with other people. That extra sociability is beneficial, too.