Dogs And Pets Provide Health Benefits

 Do dogs provide health benefits? Believe it or not they do! Did you know that owning a dog and pet ownership in general, can help a person in many ways? Owning a pet can improve your mental wellness, reduce your visits to the doctor, improve your cardiovascular health and allow for faster recovery time from surgery as well as higher survival rates. Recent research suggests that dogs may be able to detect cancer on a person's breath! Lets' explore these amazing health benefits of pet ownership:

It has been proven that dog owners have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than non-dog owners. These factors, in turn, reduce the chance of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, just stroking a pet has long been known to reduce blood pressure. Furthermore, a study from the New York State University concluded that these benefits continue even without the pet being present!

Hospital studies have shown that senior citizens and recent post-op patients respond better to treatment and recover faster while in contact with dogs and other therapy animals. Did you know that dog owners have a greater chance to survive a serious illness than non-dog owners? In fact, a study revealed that a pet affected a person's survival rate even more than the presence or company of family members or friends!

Studies conducted at Cambridge and UCLA concluded that there is a direct correlation between pet ownership and improved overall health, which leads to fewer visits to the doctor. The Journal of American Geriatrics Society notes that pet ownership has a positive effect on a senior's physical and emotional well being. Additionally, a Medicare study of elderly patients also shows that people who own a dog have fewer doctor visits than patients who do not.

Pet owners have better emotional health and mental wellness than people who do not own a pet. Pets offer unconditional love and affection and their presence alone helps reduce loneliness. For people who are isolated, disabled or handicapped, a pet offers friendship and can even add a element of safety to their lives. Dogs are used as a form of therapy in hospices, nursing homes and as companions for the disabled and blind. In fact, there are studies that prove that people with a major illness fight the stress of having the illness better by having a dog as a pet.

There is new research that suggests that dogs may be able to detect certain types of cancer. Researchers at the Pine Street Foundation in San Anselmo, California and the Polish Academy of Sciences exposed dogs to breath samples from breast and lung cancer patients and samples from healthy people. They claim that the dogs were able to detect cancer with astonishing results and accuracy. The dogs were able to identify 99% of lung cancer breath samples (which included early stage cancer patients) as well as 88% of breast cancer samples. The study, which has been met with skepticism, will be released early in 2006 and published in the March edition of the Journal for Integrative Cancer Therapies. Experts agree that this holds promise, but must be evaluated and researched further.

As you can see pet ownership or having a dog comes with many benefits for an individual. Owning a pet encourages social interaction, reduces stress levels, boosts self-confidence and self-esteem and encourages exercise. Having a pet is a great investment, not only in the joy and pleasure that the animal brings into your life, but the many health benefits that come with the territory!

About the author:

Robert Benson operates http://www.ezshoppinghere.com a website devoted to helping shoppers find unique gift ideas in unique places. We carry Pet Supplies, Home Decor, Digital Cameras, Three Stooges Collectibles & other fine merchandise.

 Robert Benson

More Articles 

Aromatherapy for Pets - Liz Santher
Pets can enjoy the therapeutic effects of aromatherapy as much as humans can. Aside from possibly eliminating bad odors and giving your pet a pleasant perfume, essential oils also serve many practical functions such as boosting your pet's immune...

Is RecoveryPets.Com All That Its Cracked Up To Be? - Thaddeus Collins
Many pet owners will say no to this question, but that is only until their pet is lost, and it is found five miles down the road by a total stranger that has no idea how to contact the pet owner. So the next day on their way to work they decide to...

Things You Didn't Know About Your Pets - Hak Ty
Pets are truly amazing. Not just for the reasons they make us feel as we adopt them and make us part of our families, but for so many reasons we aren’t really even aware of. These loveable animals we think we know, just how well do we really know...

Helping your pets cope with the stress caused by loud noise. - Mariangie Gonzalez
Which is the noisiest species of all? Nope, not the lions, or the elephants, or the geese… it’s us, humans. Our voices were not enough, we started making music and creating musical instruments to help us being louder. This Holiday season will not...

Foxtails & Pets - Contra Costa County Dog Raisers Inc
Foxtail seeds are relatively small, so detecting them once they enter a dog's body can be difficult. Veterinarians usually rely on telltale symptoms. Foxtail seeds in the ears, nose, eyes, and under the skin are very serious and can ultimately...

Pigs as Pets - Mark Haakonsen
Mention the word pig, and most peoples' first thoughts are of dirty creatures that bacon comes from. However, in reality, pigs are quite the opposite, they are very smart and very clean animals that make a great pet. Pigs have been kept...

Moving With Pets - Kyle Thomas Haley
If you’re a pet owner and are planning to move to a new home, remember that moving can be even more stressful for your animals than it is for you. But there are several things you can do to make it easier on your dog or cat. Start your packing...

Top 5 Best Gifts For Your Pets - Christine Arbor
Most individuals or families view their pets as a member of the family as well. That said there is no reason why they should not be included in birthdays, Christmas or any other holiday for that matter. It's a special day for them as well and it...

Flea Control For Pets - Niall Kennedy
Flea control can be a very hard thing to do especially if you live in areas where fleas are largely populated. Weather has a lot to do with fleas and trying to keep them outdoors and off of your pets can be very challenging. You can try many...

Pets get diabetes too - Nick Carmichael
Just like humans pets can suffer from diabetes mellitus too. By a simple blood test, called fructosamine, thay can be diagnosed, and then under the care of your veterinary surgeon, often treated succesfully. Fructosamines are stable complexes of...

Dietary Intolerance in Pets - John Burns BVMS MRCVS
Dietary Intolerance Adverse reactions to ingredients in the diet may well be one of the commonest yet least recognised causes of ill-health in pets and humans. In theory, any dietary ingredient can cause an intolerance. In practice,...

Are Your Pets Covered By Health Insurance? - Elizabeth Newberry
When you think about purchasing health insurance, you probably only think about your children, your spouse, and yourself. You either buy into the health insurance package offered by your employer or your spouse’s employer, or you seek an individual...