Saturday, July 10, 2010

Pet Therapy - Benefits

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 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, animals provide a constant source of comfort and focus for attention. Animals bring out our nurturing instinct and 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
*Petting a dog has been shown to lower blood pressure
*Boosts peoples' moods and enhance their social interaction
*Add years to your life.

Our pets love us unconditionally and they reap the same benefits of a long and cherished life.

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