By Brenda Lyttle –
As soon as you enter your home, stressed out after a hard day’s work, your pet dog pounds over to you and welcomes you, barking and licking you, demanding to be petted or taken out for a walk! Did you notice how that welcome soothed you? You forget your troubles and your blues just vanish. You get ready to take him out for a walk and meet many people you have come to know since you started walking the dog.
According to a study, pets not only give their owners social exposure but also ensure their good health, help them evade depressive thoughts and ease out stress.
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How Do Pets Ease Stress?
When you are feeling stressed and your dog comes to you, licking your hand or just looking at you, wagging his tail, you can feel the stress drain out of you. When you look into their soulful eyes, you can see love for you, unconditional love.
You may forget him at times, or take out your anger on him, but he still jumps over in excitement as soon as you come home, and forgets everything that you did to him. This is the kind of love that only a pet can give you. Just playing with him, walking him or petting him will improve your mood.
How Do Pets Improve Depression?
According to psychologists, having a pet eases loneliness and the depression that arises out of it. The unconditional love that they give, particularly dogs, improve the depression. You no longer feel alone and unloved.
Also, having a dog is a big responsibility. You cannot wallow in self-pity or brood about your own troubles. You will have to forget your troubles and take care of your dog. You have to feed him on time, bathe him, even if he doesn’t want it, take him to the vet regularly and walk him at least twice a day.
When you take him to the vet or walk him, you will get to know other pet owners and will make friends with other pet owners. This social contact with other people and taking care of another life will help you to come out of your state of depression, which improves your general health.
How Do Pets Improve Health?
As your body ages, a number of medical problems arise. You are not able to sleep well and your visits to your doctor increase. Subsequently, you start feeling depressed with the state of your health.
Recent findings show that –
- Dog owners have good health as compared to others who do not own any dogs. They sleep well and take fewer days off due to sickness.
- They are more social and that keeps them cheerful and less prone to depression.
- Petting dogs is soothing and improves cardiovascular system. It has been observed that people with high blood pressure and blood fat and owning a dog show a marked improvement in their health.
All said and done, you have to be a dog lover first. If you don’t love pets or are too depressed, then having a pet will only enhance your problems. You have to first be able to take care of yourself to be able to take care of your dog. Having a dog won’t benefit you then.
But if you are a dog lover, then take a look at the host of benefits. You will have to walk the dog and if you are obese, then you may even end up losing a lot of weight. You will be more active and have more friends.
Brenda Lyttle is a dog lover and a health and fitness freak. She insists on keeping yourself active to accelerate the production of human growth hormone in your body, which otherwise depletes with age. And having a dog at home is a great way to get started. She recommends easydogsupplies.com to buy dog supplies at discounted prices.
1 thought on “How Can Interaction with Pets Improve Overall Health?”
Having volunteered for The Arizona Humane Society, I implore people to know ‘why’ they want to have a pet. It’s not fair to have a pet ‘just because’ the people around you have them or you think you should have one. What happens when you move? I’ll tell you what happens. Dogs, cats, rabbits, kittens, puppies, etc. are left behind or are taken to an animal shelter. It’s heartbreaking.
While it’s true that pets can improve overall health, they can also add to your stress. There’s the stress of providing them with healthcare, food, shelter, and love. If you work long hours, you need to find a doggie daycare or hire a pet sitter who can walk your dog and feed it. If your pet gets sick, you need to earn enough income to be able to take them to the veterinarian and pay for surgery when needed (pet insurance may be a good idea). Pet expenses add up. Plus, you may be too tired from working all day to pay attention to a pet.
Please make sure you truly want a pet before getting one. Of course, I recommend visiting your local animal shelter and adopting a pet that’s suited for you. If you have children, make sure they understand that a cat or dog is a living being just like them. Ear and tail pulling is a no-no.