Powerful Pals: Pets & Your Health

Pet owners love their animals and definitely feel loved back, but did you know that the benefits you get from Fido go far beyond friendship? You’re getting some significant boosts to your health too.

Allergy Aid
For decades it was thought that kids growing up with pets were more likely to develop animal allergies and suffer from other allergy issues. Now we now it is just the opposite. Kids exposed to animals with fur (cats, dogs, horses, etc.) from an early age are more likely to stave off future allergies as well as conditions like asthma. It has even been proven that pets in the house can strengthen children’s immune systems.

Heart Healthy
Owning a pet can cause you to live a more active lifestyle, especially if you own a dog that requires daily walking or a pet that demands physical play. This can help you keep your weight down and thus, keep your heart in better shape. Pets have also been shown to lower their owners’ blood pressure and cholesterol (especially in men), which also contributes to heart health and the prevention of heart disease and stroke. And it’s not just dogs; one recent study reported that cat owners are 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack and are 40 percent less likely to have a stroke.

Calm & Collected
Pets also provide mental health benefits. The unconditional love pets give and the positive power that has cannot be over emphasized. It promotes a an overall sense of well being and can quickly improve our mood. Stroking and playing with pets has been proven to lessen stress and anxiety, since, like any enjoyable activity, it raises levels of serotonin and dopamine, the chemicals in the brain that have pleasurable and calming properties. People suffering from chronic diseases or pain have a reduced risk of depression when they have a pet.

Kind to Kids
Pets can markedly improve the emotional development of children, particularly those with developmental disorders such as autism.