Have you ever felt better, after spending time petting your dog or cat? The scientific, medical and veterinary communities, can now validate and quantify many of the healing properties our canine and feline companions offer us.
It is commonly known that blood pressure can lower after stroking your pet’s fur, but there’s so many other ways in which our pets positively affect our health.
When you interact with your pet, neurochemicals, the brain chemicals such as dopamine’s, beta-endorphins and phenylethylamines are released into your bloodstream. These chemicals give you the feelings of calmness, security, happiness, and love. (By the way, phenylethyalamine is an active ingredient in chocolate – no wonder we get so happy eating it.)
People with pets recover quicker after major surgery, heart attacks and illnesses than people without pets.
Heart attack patients with pets have eight times greater chance of being alive one year after an attack.
Senior citizens with pets have lower rates of cancer.
In addition to pets being able to reduce blood pressure by up to 10 points, chronic pain can also lessen within moments, of petting your dog or cat. Because of this, some doctors have been known to prescribe, “Dog” or “cat.” for their patients.
Resources for Raising Your Paws Podcast, episode 7.
Here is the link to find the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) position on puppy socialization and vaccinations.
https://web.archive.org/web/20130325162025/http://avsabonline.org/resources/position-statements.
Here is the article by Dr. Anderson about his belief that Puppy Vaccination and Early Socialization Should go together.
http://www.trainyourdogmonth.com/members/handouts/APDT_TYDMRKLetter.pdf.
We’d love to hear from you about our new blog postings and or the podcast. Please leave comments here or write me at susan@raisingyourpaws.com.
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