Holly Frisby, DVM
Veterinary Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.

Although many pet owners will say their pets make them feel better, there are still some skeptics. Now, research studies have shown that pets do have a very positive impact on various aspects of our health.

Increase longevity after heart attacks

Dog ownership increases the odds for survival in persons who have had a heart attack from 1 in 15 to 1 in 87. Pet ownership also has increased the percent of people who survived at least one year after hospitalization for heart problems. Only 6% of nonpet owners survived versus 28% of persons with pets. Pet ownership may be only one of several variables that influenced this improved survival, but even a 2-3% difference is significant. In addition, pets may actually lessen the risk of heart attacks.

Lower cholesterol and triglycerides

Persons with pets have been found to have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels when compared to people who did not have pets, even when matched for weight, diet and smoking habits.

Decrease blood pressure and reduce stress

Dogs have been shown to reduce blood pressure in a number of populations. Studies in women undergoing stress tests, have demonstrated the presence of a dog had more effect on lowering blood pressure than the presence of friends. Similarly, children who had a dog present during their physical examination showed lower heart rate, blood pressure and behavioral distress than when the dog was not present.

Stockbrokers who had dogs or cats in their offices when they had to carry out stressful tasks had smaller increases in blood pressure than those who did not have a pet present.

Increase physical activity and functioning

People who own pets often have better physical health due to the need to exercise and care for their pets.

Reduce medical appointments & minor health problems

The use of prescription drugs and the overall cost of caring for patients in nursing homes dropped in those facilities where companion animals became part of the therapy. A study also found that for persons living at home, those with pets had fewer medical appointments and minor health problems.

Predict seizures

Some persons who have periodic seizures have reported that their dogs can sense the onset of a seizure before they can. Now it has been found that dogs can be specially trained to recognize some type of change prior to a seizure, and signal the owner of the imminent seizure. This gives the owner sufficient time to prepare, such as moving away from a hot stove. These dogs are called 'seizure-alert' or 'seizure-response' dogs, and can be trained to signal their owners from 15 to 45 minutes prior to a seizure.

Control 'freezing' in Parkinson's Disease

In addition to the tremors and stiffness that Parkinson's patients experience, they also face a problem called 'freezing'. Their feet freeze in place while the rest of their body keeps moving, causing the person to fall. As a result, some people with Parkinson’s may tend to become sedentary, reluctant to move and reclusive.

Parkinson’s helper dogs have been trained to identify when a person with Parkinson’s is 'freezing'. If the dog touches the person’s foot, it breaks the freeze and the person can continue walking. Medical experts really do not know how or why this works. In addition to breaking the 'freeze', the dogs are taught to prevent their partners from falling by counterbalancing and helping them regain their footing. If the person would fall, the dog can help the person up.

Diagnose cancer

It may sound stranger than fiction, but a dog in Florida, named George, has been reported to be able to detect a particular smell given off by certain skin tumors called malignant melanomas. George can sniff out this cancer with close to 100% accuracy. This is not an ideal way to diagnose cancer, and I don’t think Howard Young is going to go out and hire a dog, but it is interesting and demonstrates the dog’s incredible sense of smell.

Alert to hypoglycemia

Their are also animals who alert their owners to episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which allows the owner to correct the level before serious symptoms develop.

References

Barker, SB; Dawson, KS. The effects of animal-assisted therapy on anxiety ratings of hospitalized psychiatric patients. Psychiatric Services. 1998; 49(6): 797-801.

Duncan, SL. APIC State-of-the-Art Report: The implications of service animals in health care settings. American Journal of Infection Control. 2000; 28:170-180.

Kongable, LG; Buckwalter, KC; Stolley, JM. The effects of pet therapy on the social behavior of insitutionalized Alzheimer's clients. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing. 1989; Aug: 3(4):191-198.

Lamb, L; Dziegielewski, S; Leon, A. Pet-human bonding: Results of a survey on health and well-being. The Social Work Student. 1998; 1: at http://www.uclan.ac.uk/facs/health/socwork/swonweb/journal/issue1/pethum.htm.

McElroy, SC. Animals as Teachers and Healers. Balantine Books. New York, NY; 1997.

Nagengast, SL; Baun, MM; Megel, M; Leibowitz, JM. The effects of the presence of a companion animal on physiological arousal and behavioral distress in children during a physical examination. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 1997; Dec:12(6):323-330.

Raina, P; Waltner-Toews, D; Bonnett, B; Woodward, D; Abernathy, T. Influence of companion animals on the physical and psychological health of older people; an analysis of a one-year longitudinal study. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 1999; Mar:47(3):323-329.

Serpell, J. In the Company of Animals. Basil Blackwell Inc. New York, NY; 1986.

Strong,V; Brown, SW; Walker, R. Seizure-alert dogs -- fact or fiction? Seizure. 1999; Feb:8(1):62-65. 

Psychological - Emotional & Social Benefits
Holly Frisby, DVM
Veterinary Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.

In addition to medical benefits, assisting with daily activities and working with us, animals can help us emotionally, psychologically, and socially. They help us:

Adjust to serious illness and death

Children often turn to their pet for comfort if a friend or family member dies or leaves the family. Grieving adults who did not have a close source of human support were also found to have less depression if they had a pet.

Be less anxious and feel more safe

Pet owners tend to feel less afraid of being a victim of crime when walking with a dog or having a dog in the home.

Relax and reduce everyday stress

Pets can help us relax and focus our attention away from our problems and worries. We don’t even need physical contact to appreciate this. Watching fish in an aquarium, or the activity of birds can be very soothing. Of course many of us with dogs and cats find ourselves absent-mindedly petting them, which is relaxing for both us and the pet.

Have physical contact

This ability to have something to touch and pet is very important. More and more studies show how important touch is to our physical and emotional health.

Lift our mood

Pets decrease our feelings of loneliness and isolation by providing companionship to all generations. Certainly for residents of nursing homes this is true, but it is also true for the staff and volunteers there as well.

Residents of nursing homes are more apt to smile, talk, reach out to people and objects, be attentive and alert, and experience a greater sense of well-being and less depression if animals are present in the facility.

Feel less lonely

Pets can help ease the sense of loneliness or isolation we feel.

Have something to care for

Everyone needs to feel needed and have something to care for. Many elderly citizens or persons living alone will tell you their pet gives them a reason for living.

Keep active

Having a pet can help us remain more active. We may not only get more exercise from walking a dog, but we also increase our activity through feeding, grooming and otherwise caring for our pet.

Have consistency

Pets provide some consistency to our lives. Caring for a pet can significantly affect our routine and gives us something to do and look forward to each day. People may come and go, but our pets are pretty much with us day in and day out.

Have more and better social interactions

Families surveyed before and after they got a pet reported feeling happier after adding a pet to the family.

A study in a Veteran’s Hospital showed that the residents had more verbal interactions with each other when a dog was present in the room than when there was no dog present. Dogs were also shown to increase socialization among persons with Alzheimer’s disease in a Special Care Unit of a nursing home.

Residents in long-term care facilities were more likely to attend activity sessions when an animal was going to be present.

Summary

Pets can greatly influence how we feel about ourselves and life in general. They are teachers and healers of extraordinary talent.

References

Allen, KM; Blascovich, J; Tomaka, J; Kelsey, RM. Presence of human friends and pet dogs as moderators of autonomic responses to stress in women. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1991; Oct:61(4):582-589.

Anderson, WP; Reid, CM; Jennings, GL. Pet ownership and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Medical Journal Australia. 1992; 157:298-301.

Barker, SB; Dawson, KS. The effects of animal-assisted therapy on anxiety ratings of hospitalized psychiatric patients. Psychiatric Services. 1998; 49(6): 797-801.

Beck, A; Katcher, A. Between Pets and People. Purdue University Press. West Lafayette, IN; 1996.

Fick, KM. The influence of an animal on social interactions of nursing home residents in group settings. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 1993; Jun: 47(6):529-534.

Kongable, LG; Buckwalter, KC; Stolley, JM. The effects of pet therapy on the social behavior of insitutionalized Alzheimer's clients. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing. 1989; Aug: 3(4):191-198.

Lamb, L; Dziegielewski, S; Leon, A. Pet-human bonding: Results of a survey on health and well-being. The Social Work Student. 1998; 1: at http://www.uclan.ac.uk/facs/health/socwork/swonweb/journal/issue1/pethum.htm.

McElroy, SC. Animals as Teachers and Healers. Balantine Books. New York, NY; 1997.

Raina, P; Waltner-Toews, D; Bonnett, B; Woodward, D; Abernathy, T. Influence of companion animals on the physical and psychological health of older people; an analysis of a one-year longitudinal study. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 1999; Mar: 47(3):323-329.

Serpell, J. In the Company of Animals. Basil Blackwell Inc. New York, NY; 1986.