Blog
17/05/2009
Pets as Therapy
Pets as Therapy ( PAT dogs and cats), is a charity which provides therapeutic visits to hospitals, care homes, special needs schools and even prisons by volunteers with their own friendly, “temperament tested” dogs and cats. Animals can often warm someone’s heart, even when someone is depressed and uncommunicative and a human can’t get through to them.
Clinical Psychologists use PAT dogs to help children overcome really serious animal phobias.
Pets are good for your heart!
An American study found that dog owners with high blood pressure responded better to stress than non-dog owners! Their blood pressure didn’t go up so much. Pet owners were also found to have lower levels of cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels in.
Owning a cat could reduce your heart attack risk by nearly one third, according to researchers at a Minnesota Stroke Institute. Following a heart attach, dog owners were 8% more likely to be alive one year later than those without a canine companion!
Less medication and visits to the doctor
An American study showed that people who have pets make fewer visits to the doctor. They are also less likely to take medication for heart issues and sleeping problems than non-pet owners.
A healthier immune system.
Petting a dog for 18 minutes your body will produce more secretory immunoglobulin A, (sIgA). (sIgA), helps the body protect itself from foreign invaders.
Allergies in Children
Children exposed to pets in the first years of life have been found to have a lower risk of developing allergic responses such as eczema and asthma. Do check with your doctor before getting a pet though if you are prone to allergies (15% of us are allergic to animals). I was unable to live with furry animals for 20 years and am now much better. Various treatments helped, including desensitisation and taking homeopathic medicine containing dog and cat fur. You can now buy various products to reduce the allergens on your animals’s fur too. Do get in touch if you need more information.
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