Pet Goddess

There’s no shortage of good news  about the effect of pets on human health. Many articles present  pet ownership as a key to heart health, social support, and long  life; and many people do get a pet—or urge their aging parents  to get one—for the health benefits.

In one study in 2003,  researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo found  that married couples who owned pets had a lower heart rate and blood pressure—whether at rest or when undergoing stressful  tests—than those without pets.

Last May 2004 at a seminar in Portugal,  the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Surgeons emphasized the many health benefits of pet ownership. But they also alluded to some negatives.
We can look at both sides of the question in this article.

The health benefits of pet ownership  are manifest for people who like animals, and most of us do—at  least friendly, clean, nonthreatening animals. Dogs and cats are  generally more affectionate and entertaining as pets than, say,  fish or birds or ferrets, though many delight in those animals,  too.

A dog is generally the most responsive pet, and walking a  dog provides exercise benefits at both ends of the leash. (City  people have been known to walk their cats, but it’s not as good a workout.)

Dogs and cats promote human contact—you communicate with other pet owners. Boy-meets-girl-via-dog is a  film cliché.

Besides that, a pet gives you something  to care for and thus provides some structure for your life—you  have to set out the food, visit the vet, clean the cage, empty  the litter, and so on.

A pet often takes center stage at family  gatherings, easing tensions and/or providing an immediate conversational  outlet. And, of course, dogs can be trained for useful work—aiding  the visually impaired, for example. Even the most pampered cat  can help rid your home of mice.

Pets also have a calming effect on most  people. Nursing homes now arrange for pets to visit residents,  and some facilities keep pets on the premises.

Even the government  approves of pets—the National Institutes of Health conducted  a workshop almost 20 years ago on the health benefits of pets and  pet-facilitated therapy (PFT). Conclusion: these benefits exist, particularly for the elderly.

Continued in The Power of Pawsitive Thinking Part

Posted April 29, 2008 Comments(0)

Other links between health and pet ownership

Another community-based study looked at home environments of elderly people with and without dogs (Dembicki & Anderson, 1996). In this cross-sectional, observational study, it was found that dog owners walked significantly longer than non-owners.

In addition, increased walking was associated with significantly lower serum triglycerides among elderly pet owners.

The authors of this study are social services professionals, and suggest that in the context of adult development and aging, pet ownership could be another aid to living that should be encouraged and assisted by local service programs.

Siegel (1990) investigated physician use among elderly individuals with and without pets, and found that individuals who owned pets and were experiencing stressful life events, reported significantly fewer contacts with doctors than those without pets.

Participants in this study reported that their pets, especially dogs, helped them in times of stress.

Continued in Companion Animals and Elderly People-the health benefits  Part 6

Posted April 24, 2008 Comments(0)

The Eden experiment-long term implications

Thomas’ emphasis on environmental change in the Eden experiment is an excellent model for future investigations involving elderly people and companion animals.

With a small research grant and creative thinking it was possible to simulate a home-like environment and document its effects. This approach makes eminently more sense than repeatedly trying to demonstrate that the presence of a pet changes one small behavior in a nursing home resident’s life.

Following a pattern similar to that of Thomas, Cookman (1996) suggests that attachments of elderly people to things, places, pets, and ideas in their environment are important sources of security, belonging, and self-identity, and overall quality of life. There is motivation to take care of oneself if there is no quality of life, so clearly the pets offer motivation for the elderly to stay fit and active.

Other community-based Studies

Despite the gto wing body of evidence linking pet ownership with better health for older people, seniors who live in rented housing are often prohibited from having companion animals.

In order to make a credible case for a change in rental policies, it is necessary to conduct research that increases our understanding of the potential benefits and nature of relationships between elderly individuals and their pets (and can often allow the cost of the pet to be covered due to it being healthful in nature).

The environment of socially isolated elderly women living in their own homes was the focus of a physiology study (Allen, Gross, & Izzo, 1997) in which resting blood pressures were explored over a six-month period.

Relative to their counterparts without pets, pet owners had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures.

In addition, elderly pet owners with few (human) social contacts had blood pressures comparable to those of young women.

Participants had cats or dogs and, although no species-related differences were found, attachment to the pet was a very important factor.

The notable finding here is that, although increases in blood pressure are a normal part of aging, social support provided by people and/or pets can moderate age-related increases and help avoid stroke.

Continues in Companion Animals and Elderly People-the health benefits Part 5

Posted April 21, 2008 Comments(0)

Although it is difficult to carry out scientific studies about the effects of pets on residents of nursing homes, a recent innovative effort by Thomas (1994) demonstrates it is possible.

As medical director of a nursing home, Thomas decided to create a totally new environment for residents. He envisioned home-like surroundings with companion animals, flower and vegetable gardens, visiting school children, and on-site day care for younger children.

He committed himself and his staff to the eradication of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom, and built a humane environment he calls the Eden Alternative. Nearly 100 birds (parakeets, lovebirds, finches, and canaries) live in residents’ rooms.

Two dogs and four cats roam freely throughout the living quarters and interact with residents all day. Outdoors there are rabbits and chickens, and Thomas has learned that the more diverse and complex a human habitat becomes, the greater the potential for meaningful (and stimulating) interaction.

In order to test the effectiveness of the new environment, Thomas compared residents in his nursing home with a control group, i.e., residents in a nearby nursing home who were similar in age and cultural background.

Over a two-year period he documented dramatic reductions among the Eden group in the use of psychotropic drugs for mind and mood altering. Such reductions are in marked contrast to high national and regional levels of use in United States nursing homes.

Another part of the evaluation of the intervention involved a focus on mortality rate in the two nursing homes. During the first 18 months following arrival of the animals, plants, and children, there were 15% fewer deaths in the Eden group, relative to the control

group. As the study progressed, this percentage increased. Residents of both homes had equal levels of function, so people in the Eden group did not just live longer because they were healthier.

Instead, Thomas suggests that the difference in death rates is related to the fundamental human need for a reason to live, and a quality of life.

As a scientist Thomas cannot say with certainty that a patient would not have lived without pets, but as a clinician he has observed that the patient’s commitment to taking care of the animals engendered an intense need to keep living.

Continues in Companion Animals and Elderly People-the health benefits  Part 4

Posted April 18, 2008 Comments(0)

Another investigation  on the effect of companion animals on the health of older people (Hendy, 1987) explored the effects of visits by pets and/or people.

It found that although individuals responded well to pets alone and to pets with people, interactions with people alone were associated with the greatest number of positive resident behaviors.

More recently, a similar study found in favor of one on one time between human and pet boosted mental health significantly, with participants feeling the could open up more when they had the dog on their own.

Despite their findings that pets alone cannot change some realities of nursing homes, studies of this type make important contributions to our understanding of the circumstances and environments in which pets can be beneficial.

Such results emphasize the importance of examining multiple social factors in designing nursing home environments, or residential environments for older people, and can contribute to improved research designs in future studies.

Continues in Companion Animals and Elderly People-the health benefits  Part 3

Posted April 15, 2008 Comments(0)

Although the idea of the therapeutic value of pets for elderly people has widespread appeal and endorsement from the media, there have been few scientific investigations that actually link the presence of companion animals to changes in physical or mental health status.

In a 1984 review paper, authors Beck and Katcher (1984) concluded that most studies had either no impact,  or demonstrated only small health gains.

Designing and conducting scientifically valid intervention research about the possible influence of pets on elderly people who live in nursing homes is exceptionally difficult.

In contrast, a study looking at physiological responses of healthy young people is far easier to carry out, and does not have the ethical concerns inherent in giving something to one group of elderly people but not to another.

Perhaps as a consequence of this difficulty, over the past decade a shift in research approach appears to have occurred. Investigators have begun to place increased focus on understanding how pets may contribute indirectly to health by being part of a positive nursing home environment, rather than on how pets can be independently related to improved health.

One such study (Winkler, Fairnie, Gericevich, & Long, 1989) looked at the impact of a resident dog on social interactions among and between residents and staff of a nursing home and found that the introduction of a resident pet acted as a catalyst for social interaction. The increased social behavior, however, was short-lived and disappeared within three months.

Fick (1993) also explored social interactions, but only among nursing home residents in a group occupational therapy setting.
In this study the presence of the dog had a positive effect as an adjunct to another therapy and was associated with a significant difference in verbal interactions.

Continues in Companion Animals and Elderly People-the health benefits  Part 2

Posted April 13, 2008 Comments(0)

Animals and emotional health

It is clearly in the realm of emotional health that pets can apparently impart the most benefits for their owners. In one study, Drs Sandra Barker and Kathryn Dawson examined the use of dogs as therapy for patients suffering from mental disorders.

They concluded that dog-assisted therapy, in which dogs related to the patients in therapy sessions, significantly lowered anxiety levels in patients with a variety of psychiatric problems, such as psychosis (including such diseases of the elderly as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia).

In fact, the reduction in anxiety was twice as great as with recreational therapy. Traditional recreational therapy, such as art and music, only lowered anxiety levels for patients suffering from mood disorders.

The authors stated that using dogs for therapy seems to be one of the most cost-effective methods of helping people with mental disorders.

Other health benefits of pets
A recent report represents a curious pet-related phenomenon that may have possibly useful consequences. It describes how dogs have detected certain undiagnosed skin cancers, and enabled physicians to treat patients before the cancers have spread.

They conclude that this ability should be investigated and research carried out to see if dogs can detect other difficult to diagnose diseases.

Stil other dogs can work as service dogs to help the deaf or visually impaired, or to  predict when a person is going to have an epileptic seizure, and go get help.

I saw one of these dogs in action one time at a very crowded convention. The seizure was so bad, the woman eneded  up in the hospital for 2 days afterwards. One can only think how bad things might have been had the dog not alerted us in advance.

Conclusion

Research points out that having a pet, especially a dog, is one of the keys to good health. It is no wonder that humans in different cultures throughout human history have always had pets. So, indeed, it seems that a owning a pet can help good health prevail, particularly for the elderly.

Even more exciting is the possibility that dogs will soon be used to help diagnose certain diseases. Certainly, more research on the use of pets in medicine should be undertaken to see what measureable improvements to human health can be demonstrated.
And of course, we need to keep in mind how essential we are to the dog’s well-being.

Related Books
 Creature Comfort : Animals That Heal by Bernie Graham

Companion Animals in Human Health (Paperback)
by Cindy C. Wilson (Editor), Dennis C. Turner (Editor)

The Healing Power Of Pets: Harnessing The Amazing Ability Of Pets To Make And Keep People Happy And Healthy

1080 words

Posted March 27, 2008 Comments(0)

Pets and human health-the evidence:

The beneficial effect of pets on general health has often been observed, but it is only recently that proper research has been carried out to establish such a relationship.

The results of this Japanese study are the most recent of several convincing reports.

Some of these have been summarized in an article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Here are just a fewo f the ig

Pets and health:
An Australian study of 8,000 people showed that pet owners had significantly lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels than people who didn’t have pets.
People who had a heart attack (myocardial infarction) and had a dog were shown to have a 1-year survival rate six times higher than those people who didn’t have a dog.

• An English study showed that people who acquired a pet had a significant decrease in minor health problems within a month of getting the animal. For those who got a dog, the improvement proved to be sustained.

• In the United States, research has shown that, among Medicare patients, those who had pets (especially dogs) visit doctors much less often than those who don’t have pets.

• Other studies showed that the presence of animals, especially dogs, reduced the anxiety of people facing stressful situations, such as dental surgery.

The article quotes the conclusion of two researchers, Alan Beck and Marshall Meyers, who stated unequivocally that “preserving the bond between people and animals, like encouraging good nutrition and exercise, appears to be in the best interests of those concerned with public health”.

Continued in Can owning a pet improve your health? Part 2 

Posted March 24, 2008 Comments(0)

Human beings have had pets as companions since the evolution of our species. Companion animals have been used for thousands of years for specific purposes, such as hunting or herding.  But it also seems obvious that people seem to enjoy the companionship and loving comfort they provide.

In 2001, three Japanese scientists conducted a study to analyze the effects of the companionship of pets on the ability of a group of older people to live full lives (using a scoring system called Instrumental Activity of Daily Living, or IADL), and on their general health.

How the study was carried out

The scientists randomly selected 400 people living at home aged 65 and older in the small village of Satomi in Japan. These people were asked to fill out a questionnaire to determine if they could carry out the seven activities that comprise the IADL and if they had a pet. If someone couldn’t carry out all of these daily activities, he or she was classified as having an IADL disability.

Using these data and a statistical procedure called logistic regression analysis, the scientists examined the relationship between having or not having a pet, and having a disability compared with general well-being.

The results
85% of those receiving the questionnaire responded.
36% of these people never had a pet.
37% had a pet at the time of the questionnaire.
Presumably, 27% had a pet in the past, but not at the time of the questionnaire.

The people who had dogs had 47% less IADL disabilities (a 0.53 odds ratio) than those who never had a pet.
Those people who considered that their pets were their “best friend” had 52% less disabilities (0.48 odds ratio) than those who never had a pet.

The odds ratios tended to decrease in direct proportion to length of time the person had a pet.

In other words, dogs significantly helped older people to lead healthy lives and the longer a person had a pet, the better.

Continued in Can owning a pet improve your health? Part 2

Posted March 21, 2008 Comments(0)