Pet remedies
RAGHAV MODI
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Did you know that having animals around is a very effective stress buster?
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There are several types of stress in one’s daily life. Some occur through the hectic pace of life, unrealistic expectations, chronic tension in family situations or relationships, work etc. Stress leads to innumerable disorders like exhaustion, depression, insomnia, migraines, ulcers, colitis, high blood pressure, asthma, allergies, alcoholism, heart disease and divorce.
Several remedies have been used to reduce stress like change in dietary habits, reflexology or exercise but an effective, but not well known, one is Animal Assisted Therapy.
What it involves
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) involves an animal with specific characteristics becoming a fundamental part of a person’s treatment. Among various animals, dogs are most commonly used for pet therapy because they can be easily trained, are more interactive and social.
Therapy Dog refers to a dog trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, mental institutions, and in stressful situations such as disaster areas.
Research has shown that heart attack victims who have pets live longer.
A study of 92 patients hospitalised 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.
Research has also shown that pet ownership can reduce stress-induced symptoms, requires less medical care and adds years to your life.
Companionship
Over the years health care professionals have noticed the therapeutic effect of animal companionship, such as relieving stress, lowering blood pressure, and raising spirits and the demand for therapy dogs continues to grow.
In recent years, therapy dogs have helped children overcome speech and emotional disorders. The concept has widened to include other species, specifically therapy cats, therapy rabbits, and therapy birds.
People who own pets have to look after them; it’s like having kids. As a famous saying goes, “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
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