Health Benefits of Owning a Pet Beyond Being a Companion
Owning a pet has become a common feature in many households today. People embrace the companionship of domesticated animals, which typically includes dogs, cats, rabbits, and various other furry creatures. Some even consider hens as pets, though this classification can be a bit perplexing. In this post, we'll delve into some intriguing facts about dogs that you might not be aware of.
Humans have shared their lives with animals for thousands of years, with the practice of animal domestication dating back as far as 30,000 BC. The origins of the relationship between humans and dogs remain somewhat mysterious, whether wolves found humans or humans discovered gray wolves is still a subject of debate. Nonetheless, it's clear that dogs are descendants of wolves, and over time, they have evolved to coexist and communicate with humans. In the process of this evolution, dogs have developed new facial muscles that endear them to humans, often resulting in those irresistible puppy dog eyes.
Dogs have been able to do a lot of things, and humans have been able to use dogs for a lot of things ranging from training them to be aggressive, obedient, and we have been able to use their ability to smell thanks to their large olfactory lobe to our advantage. Dogs are able to sniff anything from drugs at airports and borders, to medical conditions such as cancer, covid-19, diabetes and even depression.
When you bring a dog into your life, you may not initially realize the full spectrum of benefits. The daily routine of walking them, cleaning up after them, and caring for their well-being indirectly contributes to your daily exercise requirements. Research, including a meta-analysis involving 3,837,005 participants, has revealed that dog owners experience a 24% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to non-dog owners. Furthermore, they are 31% less likely to succumb to cardiovascular diseases or strokes. The presence of a pet has also been linked to a reduction in cognitive decline among older adults.
People who have pets experience a momentary reduction in the stress hormone cortisol, also dogs trained to become therapy dogs have been be shown to help students that are stressed out, also they help people suffering from PTSD get clinically measurable improvements. Pet engagement have been shown to help produce the feel good hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, and Oxytocin.
If you are not sociable, then your pet will surely make you sociable as study shows that pet owners are 60% likely to get to know their neighbors and people in their neighborhood compared to non-pet owners. Also, around 40% of pet owners receives one or more types of social support from people they meet through their pet. Children with pets have shown lower level of anxiety and are good with dealing with stress which helps them as they transition to adolescence and adulthood. Also, children who grow up with pets have a modified microbiome which affects their ability to fall ill less often as well as their mental health.
But then Pets are animals, so they carry their own diseases which can be transferred to their owners such toxoplasma gondii which is gotten from cat. Dogs can also transfer rabies to humans, if the bite doesn't put them in the hospital.
The bond between humans and pets goes far beyond the surface of companionship. While everyone cannot have a pet as some people due to allergies or other reasons, this doesn't mean you cannot have a good health life. Just go out every morning for 30 minutes, work out, hang out with friends, maintain proper hygiene, and you are good to go.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31592726/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6499429/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/pets-can-help-their-humans-create-friendships-find-social-support-201505067981
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4414420/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6826447/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-friend-who-keeps-you-young
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5645535/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7752/
I just lost my 3 months old dog 5 days ago, I am still in shock of losing him. He was worth the stress, as there was always a cuddle reward after cleaning his mess. I didn't even know their benefits are so numerous.
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