Pets are a great addition to any family. They provide companionship and emotional support for their owners and can help keep you healthy. In fact, studies have shown that having pets can be good for your health. That’s probably why most US households own a pet. According to recent data, around 70% of them are pet parents.
Here’s how having a pet can help you stay healthy.
Pets Provide Companionship and Emotional Support
Pets can provide a great source of companionship and emotional support. They can be a loyal and loving friend who is always there to listen and provide comfort. Having a pet can help reduce stress and anxiety and give a sense of purpose and responsibility.
Pets can also help boost self-esteem and provide a sense of joy and happiness. This is especially beneficial for elders as they are the ones who can quickly start feeling lonely. Although pets cannot wholly replace human social interactions and support, they are a significant source of social support.
A study published in the Frontiers journal shows the same. According to the study, dogs can be an excellent source of social support when conventional support is unavailable. This support was found beneficial during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Pets Can Help Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
If pets can help you relax, they can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. When a pet is settling with you, you can experience something together. This shared activity can reduce your stress levels, which in turn helps lower your blood pressure.
Stress has been shown to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke and is considered your heart’s worst enemy. Stress also raises cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. If a pet helps lower your stress levels and keep them at bay while they’re around, it will dramatically reduce your risk of these conditions.
Pets Can Ease Depression
Pets can help you cope with depression. Having an animal can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by lowering stress levels. Pets provide companionship and unconditional love, which may be all you need to get through a tough time.
Pets, especially dogs, can lower your depression by helping boost a positive attitude. A survey was conducted to examine the same. Around 768 pet dog owners and 767 potential owners participated in the survey. According to the survey results, dog owners had a more positive attitude towards and commitment to pets, leading to lower depression scores.
How to Keep Your Pet Healthy
You can keep your pet healthy in several ways. Here are a few ways to consider keeping your pet healthy.
Keep Them Clean
Keeping your pet clean is one of the best things you can do for his health. It’s not just about maintaining bacteria from spreading. It also helps prevent skin infections, like yeast and bacterial infections. Keeping him clean is also essential if he has a sensitive stomach or digestive issues.
If your pet has long hair prone to matting and tangling, brushing his fur regularly will help prevent matted hair and itching in areas where the fur is matted together. If he doesn’t have a thick coat but some thin spots in which dirt gets trapped between his skin and fur, consider using a lint roller on these areas every few days so that you don’t end up unknowingly rubbing off too much dead skin along with any dirt.
You can also ensure effective brushing and trimming of the nails to keep your pet healthy. This will require a lot of accessories. You can buy these accessories from local pet stores or online. Buying online can enable you to get everything delivered to your doorsteps.
If you own a dog or cat, like most pet owners, you can purchase these accessories from online stores like PetRx. Stores like PetRx allow you to buy a wide range of pet accessories from the comfort of your home. Also, they supply pet medication along with necessary accessories. This means that you can get everything you need from a single source.
Schedule Regular Veterinarian Visits
Your pet is your companion, and you want to ensure they’re as healthy and happy as possible. Regular veterinary visits are a great way to ensure they’re on track with their wellness. Veterinarians recommend taking your dog to a vet every three to four weeks until they are 16 weeks old and annually after that.
The veterinarian will examine the animal’s overall physical condition, including any abnormalities such as skin or eye problems, dental disease, obesity, or signs of pain or discomfort. You can help prepare your pet for a visit by getting him used to being handled by strangers starting when he’s only a few weeks old. This will make it easier for the vet during examinations later in life.
Spay or Neuter Your Pet
Spaying or neutering your pet can prevent health problems. Spaying or neutering your pet can prevent unwanted pregnancies, saving you hundreds of dollars in vet bills if your pet gets pregnant accidentally. Plus, it will save you from dealing with an unexpected litter of puppies or kittens, which could end up in a shelter if no one adopts them.
It’s also been shown that spaying and neutering pets can help reduce behavioral issues like aggression and excessive territory marking by reducing their sex hormones.
Vaccinate Your Pet Against Deadly Diseases
Vaccinations are the most important way to keep your pet healthy. In fact, vaccinations can prevent deadly diseases spread by infected animals. The first step in protecting your pet is knowing when and how often to vaccinate them.
Many vaccines are available for dogs and cats, including rabies, distemper, parvo, hepatitis, and feline leukemia virus. Your veterinarian will recommend the best vaccines for your pet based on their lifestyle, living environment, and medical history. It’s important to remember that these vaccinations should be given at regular intervals every year or two, depending on what specific diseases or viruses are prevalent in your area.
Conclusion
Pets can be a great way to stay healthy and live longer. Studies have shown that pet owners are healthier than non-pet owners, and this is for many reasons. One of the most important factors in owning a pet is the emotional support they provide.
They bring companionship and comfort into our lives when we need them most. They also help us relieve stress without realizing how much work they do. If you’re looking for an easy way to improve your health, consider getting yourself a furry friend today.
