Pet Owners Live Long and Healthy Lives
My-Dog.info > Getting a Dog or Puppy
Owning a pet helps people live longer and healthier lives.The
benefits and value of the human-animal bond are very important to
human health and well-being.
"Veterinary medicine is as much about human health as it
is about animal health care. As veterinarians, we see the
positive health benefits of pet ownership every day," says
Dr. Bernhard Pukay, small animal practitioner in Ottawa, Ontario.
People depend on their pets for physical, emotional and
psychological strength. Statistics show that pet owners are
healthier and happier than people who live without pets. The
comforting presence of pets helps lower blood pressure and reduce
the risk of heart attack. Pets make excellent exercise partners
as well.
Pets also contribute to good mental health. They give their
owners a feeling of security and a sense of being needed. They
help them forget their troubles and they provide valuable
companionship. Pets who are nurtured and loved return that love.
The psychological bond between humans and animals is
especially beneficial to people experiencing life changes, senior
citizens, and terminally ill patients. In Canada, humane
societies, veterinarians and veterinary students have set up pet
visitation programs in which volunteers from the community bring
companion animals to visit nursing and retirement homes and
hospitals. The presence of animals in these institutional
settings causes patients to become more alert, to smile and talk
more, to reach out to people, and to experience more symptoms of
overall well-being.
"Humans have a very real need for the type of
companionship that only animals can provide," says Dr.
Pukay. "This becomes immediately obvious when you see how
attitudes change and faces light up with smiles when puppies or
kittens are introduced into seniors residences and
hospitals."
Pets keep their owners in shape - physically, mentally and
psychologically. It is the pet owner's responsibility to return
the favour. To build a better human-animal bond and improve the
quality of your pet's life, see your veterinarian regularly.
Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca
|
 |
|
|
Save big on quality brand name pet meds and other pet supplies!
Pet Shed is the premier source for discount pet supplies on the Internet. Heartgard heartworm, Frontline Plus flea control, Advantage flea control, Revolution flea & heartworm, and many other pet medications.
|
