Pet Ownership and Health BenefitsHealth benefitsPets have the ability to stimulate their caregivers, in particular the elderly, giving people someone to take care of, someone to exercise with, and someone to help them heal from a physically or psychologically troubled past.[9] Having a pet may help people achieve health goals, such as lowered blood pressure, or mental goals, such as decreased stress.[10] There appears to be strong evidence that having a pet can help a person lead a longer, healthier life. In a study of 92 people hospitalized for coronary ailments, within a year, 11 of the 29 without pets had died, but only 3 of the 52 who had pets.[9] A recent study concluded that owning a pet can reduce the risk of a heart attack by 2% and that pets are better than medication in reducing blood pressure.[11] Pets in long-term care institutionsEven pet owners residing in a long-term care facility, such as a hospice or nursing home, experience health benefits from pets. Pets for nursing homes are chosen based on the size of the pet, the amount of care that the breed needs, and the population and size of the care institution.[9] Appropriate pets go through a screening process and, if it is a dog, additional training programs to become a therapy dog.[12] Different pets require varying amounts of attention and care; for example, cats have lower maintenance requirements than dogs.[13] Health risksHealth risks that are associated with pets include:
Pets and allergiesSome people with allergies can have adverse reactions to animal dander and fur or feathers. Some people with asthma can have attacks triggered by these. However, research supports that people who have been exposed to dogs and cats as pets from an early age may develop an immunoresistance to these allergens.[1] References
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia Encyclopedia article "Pet" |
