The Health Benefits of Pet Ownership
- petcommunitycenter
- Aug 3, 2021
- 2 min read
Close your eyes and think about your pet for a moment. Whether it’s your favorite childhood pet or the one sitting right next to you, think about being with them and how that makes you feel.
It’s safe to assume that thinking about your pet makes you feel positively. It may even make you smile or laugh out loud. Why is that? Because your pet is someone who you love and have an emotional bond with.
While you probably already knew that your bond with your pet makes you happy, did you know that there are many legitimate health benefits to being a pet owner?
Studies show that the bond between pets and humans helps to:
1. Decrease blood pressure
+ By lowering your blood pressure, you improve your heart health, decrease your chance of a stroke, and protect your kidneys.
2. Decrease levels of cortisol
+ Cortisol is a stress-related hormone that manages how your body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. High levels of cortisol can cause anxiety, depression, headaches, trouble sleeping, weight gain, and more.
3. Decrease cholesterol
+ Low levels of cholesterol reduce your risk of a heart attack.
4. Decrease triglyceride levels
+ High triglycerides may contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls, which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart disease.
5. Decrease feelings of loneliness
It’s amazing how may health benefits pet ownership has. But, our pets aren’t doctors, so how is this possible?
Our pets accomplish these health benefits by:
1. Increasing our opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities
2. Increasing our opportunities for socialization
3. Providing unconditional love and companionship
4. Providing a sense of responsibility to care for them
Since 2008, News in Health (NIH) and Mars Corporation have partnered to research how animals benefit our health, which animals have an impact on our health, and who can benefit from interactions with animals.
Dr. Layla Esposito, who oversees NIH’s Human-Animal Interaction Research Program, says, “There’s not one answer about how a pet can help somebody with a specific condition. Is your goal to increase physical activity? Then you might benefit from owning a dog. You have to walk a dog several times a day and you’re going to increase physical activity. If your goal is reducing stress, sometimes watching fish swim can result in a feeling of calmness. So there’s no one type fits all.”
However, there is one thing that all pets have in common. They all need our help to stay happy and healthy too. Visit our Vaccine Clinic’s page here to learn more about what vaccines and preventive medications your pet needs on a regular basis. For questions, please call us at (615) 512-5001.
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Interestingly, this conversation about well-being and lifestyle improvements ties into a bigger picture of financial and personal security. Many entrepreneurs are looking for ways to improve their quality of life and business prospects simultaneously. For my connections in Pakistan looking to expand their horizons, achieving this kind of lifestyle balance often starts with a major business decision, such as learning How to register company in UAE from Pakistan to tap into a market that values both innovation and work-life balance.
"This is a great point about the emotional benefits. One aspect people often overlook is the logistical side of keeping our pets healthy, especially when it comes to their diet. For those who prefer a raw or fresh food diet for their animals, maintaining the cold chain is crucial. If you are buying in bulk or transporting supplies for a rescue shelter, you need reliable storage. It is a lot like the food industry in that sense; sometimes you need the same level of precaution, which is why using a refrigerated truck rental in UAE is actually a fantastic solution for moving large quantities of pet food safely during the hotter months."
Actually, I think Dr. Layla Esposito's point about tailoring pet ownership to specific goals is quite insightful. Maybe I should get a dog so I can exercise more instead of just playing piano game Magic Tiles 3 all day?
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Pet ownership offers incredible health benefits, from reducing stress and anxiety to lowering blood pressure and boosting overall happiness. The emotional support pets provide can be just as healing as traditional treatments. In today’s fast-paced world, that companionship can make a real difference in mental and physical well-being. Just like how surgical suppliers in Dubai provide essential tools for medical care, pets offer natural support for everyday wellness. A happy home often starts with a wagging tail or a gentle purr.