Pet Therapy
Research has shown that heart attack victims
who have pets live longer. Even watching a tank full of tropical fish may lower blood pressure, at least temporarily. A study
of 92 patients hospitalized in coronary care units for angina or heart attack found that those who owned pets were more likely
to be alive a year later than those who did not. The study found that only 6 percent of patients who owned pets died within
one year compared with 28 percent of those who did not own pets.
The therapeutic use of pets as companions has
gained increasing attention in recent years for a wide variety of patients -people with AIDS or cancer, the elderly, and the
mentally ill. Unlike people, with whom our interactions may be quite complex and unpredictable, animals provide a constant
source of comfort and focus for attention. Animals bring out our nurturing instinct. They also make us feel safe and unconditionally
accepted. We can just be ourselves around our pets.
Research has shown that pet ownership can:
Reduce stress-induced symptoms.
In a study people undergoing oral surgery
spent a few minutes watching tropical fish in an aquarium. The relaxation level was measured by their blood pressure, muscle
tension, and behavior. It was found that the subjects who watched the fish was much more relaxed than those who did not watch
the fish prior to the surgery. People who watched the fish was as calm as another group that had been hypnotized before the
surgery. Other researchers have found that:
Petting a dog has been shown to lower
blood pressure.
Bringing a pet into a nursing home or hospital can boost peoples' moods and enhance their
social interaction.
Requires Less Medical Care
A study conducted at UCLA found that dog owners
required much less medical care for stress-induced aches and pains than non-dog owners.
Add years to your life
In a study conducted at City Hospital in New
York, it was found that heart patients who owned the pets were significantly more likely to be alive a year after they were
discharged from the hospital than those who didn't own pets. The presence of a pet was found to give higher boost to the survival
rate than having a spouse or friends.
We should point out in this connection that pets
can be a source of stress to some people. They may worry who will take care of their pets when they die. In most cases, however,
the need to take care of the pets give a reason for living to many terminally ill patients, prolonging their life span.
What Type of Pet?
It is surprising that it does not matter what
the pet is to get the therapeutic benefit. It could be a dog, a cat, parakeet, a gold fish or anything else. The only thing
which matters is that the animal is of interest to you.
However, it is important that the pet you have
selected fit your temperament, living space and lifestyle. Otherwise it will be additional source of stress. So, look over
the pet and see whether the chemistry is compatible before you decide to adopt one.
How?
It is possible that people who own pets may have
different personality traits than those who do not. Research has found that complex, varied, and interesting daily activity
is the strongest social predictor of longevity. Pet ownership may affect people physiologically through the soothing and relaxing
effect of touch. And speechless communication with a pet, or simply watching a cat or fish, may produce a relaxation response
with little demand on the patient.
Pet owners often feel needed and responsible,
which may stimulate the survival incentive. They feel they need to survive to take care of their pets. (Many cancer patients
with pets have lived longer because they felt that their pets need them!) Stroking a dog, watching a kitten tumble, or observing
the hypnotic explorations of fish can be an antidote to a foul mood or a frazzling day.
Pets such as dogs and cats provide unconditional,
nonjudgmental love and affection. And pets can shift our narrow focus beyond ourselves, helping us to feel connected
to a larger world.
Related Topics:
Healthy Reasons to Have a Pet
Here are the health reasons to have a pet
as reported by Delta Society that performs research into the importance of animals to the lives and well being of humans.
Seniors who own dogs go to the doctor less
than those who do not.
In a study of 100 Medicare patients, even the
most highly stressed dog owners in the study has 21 percent fewer physician's contacts than non-dog owners. (Siegel, 1990).
Pet owners have lower blood pressure. (Friedman,
1983, Anderson 1992).
A recent study, from the State University of
New York at Buffalo, looked at male and female stockbrokers already taking medication to control high blood pressure. Researchers
say those with a pet nearby during stressful encounters experienced half the increase in blood pressure as those who did not
own a pet.
Lead author, Dr. Karen Allen, calls the results
"dramatic and significant." She says while medication can lower blood pressure, it cannot relieve stress and that can force
blood pressure back up. The research team says it chose a dog or cat for each stockbroker at the beginning of the study and
soon the study participants became very attached to their pets. Six months later, Allen says, many of the stockbrokers in
the medication-only control group went out and got themselves a pet.
Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol
levels than non-owners (Anderson, 1992).
Companionship of pets (particularly dogs) helps children in families
adjust better to the serious illness and death of a parent (Raveis, 1993).
Pet owners feel less afraid
of being a victim of crime when walking with a dog or sharing a residence with a dog. (Serpel, 1990).
Pet
owners have fewer minor health problems (Friedmann, 1990, Serpel, 1990).
Pet owners have better psychological
well-being (Serpel, 1990).
Contact with pets develops nurturing behavior in children who may grow to be
more nurturing adults (Melson, 1990).
Pet owners have a higher on-year survival rates following coronary
heart disease (Friedman, 1980).
Medication costs dropped from an average of $3.80 per patient per day
to just $1.18 per patient per day in new nursing home facilities in New York, Missouri and Texas that have animals and plants
as an integral part of the environment. (Montague, 1995).
Pet owners have better physical health due to
exercise with their pets. (Serpel, 1990).
Having a pet may decrease heart attack mortality by 3%. This
translates into 30,000 lives saved annually (Friedman, 1980).
Dogs are preventive and therapeutic measures
against everyday stress (Allen, 1991).
Pets decrease feeling of loneliness and isolation (Kidd, 1994).
Children exposed to humane education programs display enhanced empathy for humans compared with children
not exposed to such programs. (Ascione, 1992).
Positive self-esteem of children is enhanced by owning
a pet. (Bergensen, 1989).
Children's cognitive development can be enhanced by owning a pet. (Poresky,
1988).
70% of families surveyed reported an increase in family happiness and fun subsequent to pet acquisition.
(Cain, 1985).
The presence of a dog during a child's physical examine decreases their stress. (Nadgengast,
1997, Baun, 1998).
Children owning pets are more involved in activities such as sports, hobbies, clubs
or chores. (Melson, 1990)
Next Topic:
The Benefits We Experience When Pets (Animals)
Are Beside Us
Pet Therapy works by providing proximity
to animals to those who can benefit by it. What are the benefits we accrue when animals are brought near us? Delta Society
suggests the following benefits of having pets beside us or living with pets.
We Develop More Empathy
Studies report that children who live in homes
in which a pet is considered a member of the family are more empathetic than children in homes without pets.
This could be due to a variety of reasons:
Children see animals as peers. They can identify
better with animals than human beings. Animal psychology is very simple. With animals, what you see is what you get. Humans
are not as direct. We need to develop talent to read and interpret “body language.” Children can read an animal's
body language.
As children get older, their ability to
empathize with animals will carry over into their experiences with people.
We Develop An Outward Focus
Individuals who have mental illness or low self-esteem
focus on themselves. Animals can help them focus on their environment. Rather than thinking and talking about themselves and
their problems, they watch and talk to and about the animals.
Nurturing
Nurturing skills are learned. Most of learn this
from our parents. Those who do not learn these skills from their parents can learn by taking care of their pets. By being
taught to take care of an animal, the children can develop these skills. Psychologically, when a person nurtures, his/her
need to be nurtured is being fulfilled.
Rapport
Animals can open a channel of emotionally
safe, non-threatening communication between client and therapist.
In therapy settings, animals help present an
air of emotional safety. If a therapist has an animal in his/her office, s/he "can't be all bad." The animal's presence may
open a path through the person's initial resistance. Children are especially likely to project their feelings and experiences
onto an animal.
Acceptance
Animals have a way of accepting without qualification.
They don't care how a person looks or what they say. (Have you ever heard of your dog deciding to go to your neighbors because
he or she feels it is better out there?) An animal's acceptance is nonjudgmental, forgiving, and uncomplicated by the psychological
games people often play. They accept you the way you are.
Entertainment
The presence of an animal provides a much needed
entertainment to those watching it. Even people who don't like animals often enjoy watching their antics and reactions. Especially
in long-term care facilities, it seems everyone is entertained by animal visits in some way.
Socialization
Studies have shown that when dogs and cats come
to visit a care facility, there is more laughter and interaction among residents than during any other "therapy" or entertainment
time. In an inpatient setting, the presence of animals encourages socialization. Staff members have reported that it is easier
to talk to residents during and after animal visits. Family members often come during the animal visits and some have reported
that it is an especially comfortable and pleasant time to come.
Mental Stimulation
Mental stimulation occurs because of increased
communication with other people, recalled memories, and the entertainment provided by the animals. In situations that are
depressing or institutional, the presence of the animals serves to brighten the atmosphere, increasing amusement, laughter,
and play. These positive distractions may help to decrease people's feelings of isolation or alienation.
Physical Contact, Touch
It is well established that touch is very important
for the nourishment of our mind and spirit. Infants who are not touched do not develop healthy relationships with other people
and often fail to thrive and grow physically. For some people, touch from another person is not acceptable, but the warm,
furry touch of a dog or cat is. In hospitals, where most touch is painful or invasive, the touch of an animal is safe, non-threatening,
and pleasant. There are a number of programs for people who have been physically or sexually abused in which staff and volunteers
are not allowed to touch the clients. In cases like these, having an animal to hold, hug, and touch can make a world of difference
to people who would otherwise have no positive, appropriate physical contact.
Physiological Benefits
Many people are able to relax when animals are
present. Tests have shown that the decrease in heart rate and blood pressure can be dramatic. Even watching fish swim in an
aquarium can be very calming.
Additional Benefits
Some people feel spiritual fulfillment or a sense
of oneness with life and nature when they are with their pets. This is hard to define or explain. Some well-known authors
have described their relationships with animals and nature as part of their sustaining life energy and/or part of their communion
and relationship with God.
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John
