Already since about 100 thousand years ago, when people started with domestication, we have been aware of positive effects of living together with animals. And this doesn’t concern only healing methods. Already the very presence of our pets helps us to improve our mental and physical health. Let us have a look, how this happens.
Zootherapy is a type of healing treatment that uses the presence of an animal. It works on the naturalness and workings of nature, through which we can influence many human physical and mental ailments. Yes, even the presence of an animal itself provokes the feeling of calm and safety in a human, it decreases the level of stress and tension and there’s even evidence of it lowering the blood pressure. To put it simply, an animal supports both the physical and mental state of a human.
This happens, because mutual interaction of a dog and a human causes biochemical changes. For example, it causes an increase in concentration of phenethylamine, which improves attention, lowers tiredness and incites activity; or also of endorphins, which help stabilise the immunity system; and of dopamine – a neurotransmitter, which plays an important part in information processing within the cognitive functions of the brain and apart from other things, it also brings the feelings of happiness. All these substances also soothe and alleviate pain.
Stroking, but even just a presence of a dog, lowers blood pressure, along with heart and respiratory rate. It stabilises blood circulation and pulse. This is assisted by another factor: care for an animal. Because of the necessary walks, the owner is regularly active, which is beneficial both for the dog and for themselves. In elderly people, caring for a dog can raise motivation not only to take care of the dog, but to take care of themselves as well.
When you are cuddling with a dog, muscles relax and the breathing deepens. Allegedly, a dog may even boost your appetite, or to the contrary, it can help you lose weight, but it also can help in cases of alcohol or nicotine use.
Keeping animals is even recommended by some as a prevention against certain diseases, since it boosts immunity, supposedly against flu infections and colds. When you’re ill, even the feeling that someone “needs you” helps and it can lead to a faster recovery. Some studies even argue, that children born into a family with an animal have a lower risk of developing an allergy or asthma. In addition, if a child is taking care of a dog, such care teaches them to fulfil their duties, it leads them to responsibility and in this way, it strengthens their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Apart from the presence of a dog and the care for it, even its saliva is beneficial for our health. According to the researchers from a university in Arizona, bacteria which live in the gastrointestinal tract of dogs have the same effect on a human as probiotics, that is, they positively affect human health by improving the balance of their intestinal microflora.
In the current, busy times filled with stress and tension, a dog seems to be the right “medicine” and “therapist”. Of course, that even our four-legged darlings can make us proper mad and the right person needs to find the right dog. However, every pet owner will hopefully agree with me, that getting a dog has enriched their life, maybe even improved the quality of it in some way, whether in the physical or mental respect.
How about you, do you feel a change before and after getting a dog? Are you aware of how it affects your health?
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