Research supports pets' healing power

<p>Thor has no medical degree and he has no license to practice any type of therapy, but Thor is a mighty healer.</p><p>I watched him help mend a family from problems that had left them reeling: cancer that threatened the life of a mother and trauma that threatened the life of a son. When Thor came on the scene he did nothing but live simply, love unconditionally, and charm everyone's heart with effortless joy.</p><p>Thor is a gray ball of fur, a toy poodle, and he makes people smile in spite of their troubles.</p><p>Pets can pull you out of a self-centered depression; they can help distract you from pain, and they can get you up and moving when you didn't think you could walk another step. Pets can provide support in ways that people can't. They offer love and companionship without judgment. But they also enjoy silence, they keep secrets, and they can be great snugglers.</p><p>Petting a dog, or even watching fish swim in an aquarium has been shown to decrease spikes in blood pressure caused by stress and tension. And while the theory that pets decrease generalized hypertension has yet to be proven, the exercise that some animals encourage is without a doubt beneficial to overall health.</p><p>Research supports the mood enhancing benefits of pets. According to a study done at UCLA, men with AIDS were much less likely to be depressed if they owned a pet. Further studies by this same research team showed that pet ownership decreased the need for medical care among the elderly, increased longevity among heart attack survivors, and has been associated with improved health among people with disabilities.</p><p>A study released in February by researchers at the University of Minnesota found that people who did not own cats were 30 percent to 40 percent more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than those who owned a feline friend. These results remained true even after they took into account other risk factors, including age, gender, race, blood pressure and smoking.</p><p>Unexpectedly, this benefit was not seen among dog owners. Dr. Adnan Qureshi, a stroke expert at the university, admitted that the cat-dog disparity came as a surprise. "We don't understand this completely," he said, but "it's probably not a coincidence."</p><p>Allergic to cats? Fish, amphibians, birds, hamsters, and rabbits can still be a good match. The importance is in the relationship and what we humans bring to it. Even farm animals can be healing.</p><p>One of the earliest documented uses of animals in therapy in the U.S. was when World War II pilots came home and hospitals used farm animals to get these veterans out of bed. The animals gave them a focus of something to care for and helped get their minds off the horrors of war.</p><p>For children, animals can be a best friend, teaching responsibility, compassion and nurturing behavior. They are a source for learning about life, and are often a child's important first experience with death.</p><p>Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia found that children with one or two dogs in the household before they were 1 year old were 70 percent less likely to be allergic to ragweed, dust mites and cat and dog dander by the age of 7. It appears that the immune system can prepare for allergens later in life if exposed at an early age, and dogs provide that beneficial exposure.</p><p>Practicing safe handling, like wearing gloves while cleaning up cages or litter, can protect against health risks of owning a pet. And those risks are usually outweighed by the proven benefits of pet ownership.</p><p>Just watch Thor as he trots his way around Spring Lake. One look at him and people are smiling. That's powerful health care that you just won't find in a bottle of pills.</p><p>Dr. Stacey Kerr, a longtime Sonoma County family physician. Her columns are not intended as a substitute for hands-on medical advice or treatment. Consult your health care provider before adhering to any recommendations in this column. E-mail comments to drkerr@the-doctors-inn.com.</p>