We are given many messages on health and healthy living. Most of it is common sense, some of it makes our lives more pleasurable and some of it just seems to make us feel guilty or prevent us from having a good time.
Of all the health advice out there, surely being told that owning a pet is good for you comes top of the list of positive, happy and enriching health messages.
There are people who don’t like animals, but it is safe to say that there aren’t many of them. Most people love animals and many of those animal lovers have pets at home – over half of the UK population has a pet in fact!
What are the benefits of pet ownership? Health-wise, it is said that contact with animals reduces stress and anxiety. It can also help to prevent allergies and lower blood pressure (as a result of lowering stress).
As testament to the mental and emotional benefits of pet ownership, research has shown that pet owners recover faster from major operations and have a greater chance of survival from life-threatening illnesses.
Owning a pet can change your life – literally. Especially if that pet is a dog or a horse. This is because both of these animals require a great deal of regular exercise, and as their owner and main carer, you will be involved. This means you are also getting a great deal of regular exercise, and we all know that exercise is key to a healthy life. For those who can’t see the point in working up a sweat, the introduction of a pet that needs activity can give them the reason they need.
Animals are like humans not only in that they need love, affection, security and regular exercise but because they also need a healthy pet diet. Your pet diet needs to be tailored to their needs depending on what stage of life they are at. For example, puppy nutrition is different to dog nutrition.
Dog nutrition and human nutrition shares one common fact: treats should always be treats and too many calories will see both dog and owner on a diet!