The Health of Animal Lovers

Copyright (c) 2011 Robert Trimvuller

Often, when we discuss pets and health, we are
discussing veterinary medicine, or the general
well-being of animals. However, the truth is
that owning a pet can have several important
results, both good and bad, for the effects of
their owners.

The task of having to walk a dog, for instance,
can encourage you to get regular exercise. Of
course, this is assuming you have chosen an
active breed such as a golden retriever as
opposed to, say, an English bulldog, which is of
a breed that tends to be relatively sedentary. It
can also serve as an incentive for sedentary
children to get a little regular exercise.
General pet care and playing with a pet can also
serve as light exercise.

The sheer companionship offered by a pet also
has very real anti aging health benefits.
Staving off loneliness, depression, and stress
is not only good for psychological health. It
can also improve your cardiovascular health,
digestion, nervous system, sleeping habits, etc.
The demands of modern life sadly tend to lead to
excessive stress, which leaves the body more
vulnerable to many ailments pertaining to the
above functions, and more. In some cases, the
simple act of stroking a pet can actually drop
your blood pressure. The companionship of a pet
might help you to maintain a calm, cheerful
outlook on life. Furthermore, owning a pet can
also be about joining a community of other
animal lovers. You may meet like-minded people
at clinics, parks, etc—thus giving you a
chance to boost your social life.

Pets can also offer health benefits to people in
particular age groups. For example, caring for a
pet can help aging people maintain a more
independent, active lifestyle. As for children,
growing up around a pet can (in some, but not
all cases) actually lead to them having stronger
immune systems and resistance to allergies, since
an overly clean, pet-free environment can
discourage a young immune system from building
up strong defences. Children with conditions
such as autism can also become calmer and
develop better social skills if they take part
in pet care.

Then again, pets can be a health hazard,
especially if one cannot or does not clean up
for them properly. Unswept hair or fur—or
even feathers—can clog up and irritate
respiratory systems. Asthmatics should probably
consider short-haired pets, or even reptiles and
fish. Waste (i.e. urine and excrement) can also
serve as a breeding ground for harmful
microorganisms. This problem can be especially
difficult to avoid if your home is carpeted.
Thus, your ability to clean up after a pet
should be an important factor when it comes to
actually choosing an animal. This should
definitely be a factor if you are thinking about
giving a pet as a gift to someone who is elderly,
sickly, or differently-abled.

Of course, there is also the matter of ailments
that can be passed from pets to humans. Rabies
is probably the first ailment that comes to
mind. However, scabies can also be passed from
pets to humans, especially if the dog and person
in question frequently share space, such as a bed
or a couch.

Lastly, despite the fact that the bond between a
pet and its owner can be very warm and strong, do
not use a pet as a substitute for human
companionship. It sometimes happens that people
who own animals decide to keep their pets as
their sole company, shunning human contact. This
attitude is excessive and self-defeating. As
therapeutic as the company of a pet can be, it
cannot relate to you the same way as another
person can—an important thing to remember
for our psychological and emotional health.

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