Studies show that just 15 minutes with a dog, cat, or another service animal can increase brain activity and serotonin levels in seniors. Serotonin is known as “the feel-good hormone” and plays a crucial role in bodily function as well as our experiences of positive emotions.
They Make You Healthier
Studies show that dog-owning seniors have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol than their petless peers. Having a dog also reduces the risk of heart attack — and boosts your chances of long-term survival if you have one.
Research has shown that pet ownership can provide important forms of social and emotional support for older adults that can reduce distress, loneliness and improve overall quality of life.
There are several key ways seniors can benefit from sharing their homes with dogs. Dogs keep you fit. One study found older adults with dogs were more active, ate better and had better blood sugar levels than people without dogs. Dogs help create structure in your life.
There are many health benefits of owning a pet. They can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship.
The healing power of pets and hormonal responses
According to the aforementioned study in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, touching a pet not only helps to lower blood pressure, but it also boosts our output of oxytocin, a happiness hormone that promotes feelings of trust and relaxation.
Dog owners, in particular, tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels — most likely due to all those dog walks. One study found that dog owners did more walking and physical activity than non-dog owners, and they were 54% more likely to get the recommended level of physical activity.
Pets, especially dogs and cats, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health. Caring for an animal can help children grow up more secure and active. Pets also provide valuable companionship for older adults.
A years-long survey of 20,000 adults found that pet owners scored higher on cognitive tests at a time when decline often starts to set in. Pet lovers, take note: Owning a furry friend might actually protect your brain from the impacts of aging.
The emotional benefits of having a pet can translate into physiological ones as well. "When you feel securely attached to this living being, there are biological brain effects that reduce stress response, so it may affect your breathing rate or blood pressure or oxygen consumption or anxiety level," says Dr.
“Studies show that dogs reduce stress, anxiety and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and improve your all-around health.
Research has shown that simply petting a dog lowers the stress hormone cortisol , while the social interaction between people and their dogs actually increases levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin (the same hormone that bonds mothers to babies).
“Dogs are sensitive to their surroundings and will usually alert their owners to a disturbance by barking, which may be enough to scare away potential intruders.”
Licking is a natural and instinctive behaviour to dogs. For them it's a way of grooming, bonding, and expressing themselves. Your dog may lick you to say they love you, to get your attention, to help soothe themselves if they're stressed, to show empathy or because you taste good to them!
Dogs are helpful, loyal, and comforting and bring us an abundance of joy and happiness. Dogs need love just as much as humans do and they both provide it to each other in different ways that complement one another beautifully.
Some research even suggests that people with dogs are less likely to experience an increased heart rate or blood pressure elevations in times of stress, and that both are more likely to return to normal levels quickly. This reduces the overall levels of stress on the body and helps the heart stay healthy.
Is It True If a Dog Licks Your Wound, It Heals Faster? No. This is an old wives' tale and a misunderstanding of the properties of a dog's salvia. While a dog's saliva does contain some antiseptic properties, these are often minor compared to the potential bacteria that may be introduced.
Dogs were exalted in history as a kind of physician who had a talent for healing all kinds of ailments. Psychologically, dogs have been helping heal wounds of the mind and soul since the day they became man's best friend. Dogs as therapy friends are renowned for their natural ability to make you feel good.