Is having a pet healthy?

Does spending quality time with your pet promote good health or could it be undermining your health entirely? Today I will be going over the interesting topic of pets and health. Because what is more important then bringing health and knowledge to people and their lovely companions?

The first thing I am going over is the good followed by the bad, then it's up to you to decide whether or not owning a pet is right for you.

#1 A few studies have shown an decrease in heart disease and lower blood pressure in people who regularly walk their pets. Some people with serious abnormal heart rhythms and Heart attack survivors who own dogs seem to live longer than some people with the same heart problems who don't own pets.

#2 Studies say that babes raised with pets may be less likely to get allergies and asthma. Starting early is the key, before the baby is 6 months of age seems to be the best and most ideal time. Another study has found that babes whom live with a dog or cat at home have fewer colds and ear infections then babes that come from pet free homes.

#3 Owning a pet may help with stress levels, petting your fluffy friend feels good and can help your body release a relaxation hormone. It also soothes your pet, says Alan Beck, ScD, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University.

#4 Some say that people with pets are happier and more trusting even less lonely then those who don;t own a pet. perhaps even visiting the doctor less frequently for minor injures. One reason for that may be that your pet gives you a sense of belonging and meaning, McConnell says. " You feel like you have greater control of your life."

#5 Pets , dogs particularly, can often help you connect with people. Wheelchair users say that other people make more eye contact with them more often then when they are not with their four legged friends and they often get asked if they can help when they're with their dogs.

#6 A recent study found the famous "puppy dog eyes" glare triggers an amazing 300% increase in oxytocin levels, the "love hormone" involved in maternal bonding. Offering comfort and companionship, so we can't help but love them.

Pets can bring a lot of feelings and emotion and can even help us to become better human-beings. These are just some of many benefits as you can see, now off to the bad side of owning a pet cause sadly there are a few. While owning a pet can benefit are health in many ways they can also have the potential to cause the spread infection and cause human illness.

#1 Hopefully most of us have had the chance to hear of Campylobacter. One of the most common causes of diarrhea in the US, estimated to affect more than 1.3 million people annually. Campylobacteriosis - can cause Diarrhea, infection with cramping, abdominal pain and fever within 2-5 days of exposure to the bacteria. Most cases are caused by exposure to contaminated food it can commonly be caught through stool of an infected pet- including dogs and cats.

Many will confuse this with food poisoning due to the similar symptoms. An infection with Campylobacter is rarely life-threatening, though individuals such as, young children and the elderly are most likely to contract the illness.

#2 Roundworm, whipworm, hookworm and tapeworm. Need I say more? well I am going to for health purposes so be warned. Dipylidium caninum the most common tapeworm in both cats and dogs. The hookworm parasite can be shed in the feces of animals, and humans contract it by coming into contact with infected feces or contaminated soil and sand where such feces have been. So even if there is no feces to be seen you could still come in to contact with the worms without even knowing. Children very easily contract the worms from just playing outside, sadly some times you may not know in till its to late.

A Hookworm infection in a human most commonly causes a skin condition by the name of cutaneous larva migrans. The larvae can enter through the skin. People can easily contact Roundworms through swallowing Dirt or sand, this parasite may cause blindness in one eye and or fever, abdominal pain, fatigue and even coughing because of damage done to various organs. More often then not people that are infected with it do not develop any symptoms or become sick in-till the worm has caused some serious damage.

#3 Reptiles - Snakes, Turtles and Lizards ect, are all carriers of a bacteria called Salmonella. 12-72 hours of being infected people may experience fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea can that last around 4-8 days. While most people may fully recover without any help what so ever, well others may need to seek treatment at a local hospital.

#4 Rabies, sad to say that this is something to worry about but rabies is one of the most severe diseases that we humans can contract from cats and dogs. A study from the MNT found the disease kills around 59,000 people worldwide yearly. So please if you suspect your pet may have been bitten by a rabid animal, then you must take them to a veterinarian for immediately care, even if they have been vaccinated.

#5 Parrot fever. All birds can be carriers of parrot fever, it is bacterial disease that can is caught by inhaling birds urine and feces. So breathing around birds secretions can be dangerous if you are not wearing proper gear. Symptoms will normally appear at about 10 days after exposure. This may or may not include nausea, fever and diarrhea, vomiting, shortness of breath, chest pain and fatigue. Some very bad cases have been known to cause inflammation of the liver, brain and other internal organs.

Sadly these are just a few of consequences of owning pets. Fortunately as long as the pet owner keeps their pet clean and their pets feces picked up then the dangers that the parasites and diseases present wouldn't be able to spread so easily thus making life safer for other humans and other pets alike.

So is owning a pet healthy? Well I suppose it depends on your lifestyle, also what pet you have chosen as your companion.
Whether or not it is truly healthy to own a pet is really up to the person and their own health habits, after all you are the only one in control of both your and pets health in the end of the day.

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