Pets Have Influence

Nothing compares to the delight of coming home to a loving companion. The unconditional love of a pet can do more than keep you company. Pets can also help children with their emotional and social skills, as well as reduce stress and improve heart health.

A pet is present in approximately 68 percent of American households. But who profits from the presence of an animal? And what kind of pet is good for your health?

Over the last ten years, the National Institutes of Health has teamed with the Mars Corporation's WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition to sponsor research projects to answer problems like these.

Scientists are investigating the physical and mental health advantages of many animals, ranging from fish to guinea pigs to dogs and cats.

Potential Health Consequences

Human-animal interactions research is still in its infancy. Some research have found that it has positive health benefits, although the results are equivocal.

Interacting with animals has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure and lessen cortisol (a stress-related hormone). Animals have also been shown to alleviate loneliness, promote emotions of social support, and improve happiness in other research.

The NIH/Mars Partnership is financing a number of projects that are focused on our interactions with animals. For example, scientists are investigating how animals may influence a child's development. Animal interactions with children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other conditions are being studied.

Dr. Layla Esposito, who directs the National Institutes of Health's Human-Animal Interaction Research Program, adds, "There isn't one answer regarding how a pet might benefit somebody with a certain ailment." "Is it your intention to enhance your physical activity?" Then you might benefit from owning a dog. You'll be increasing your physical activity by walking a dog many

times a day. If your goal is to reduce stress, you might find that watching fish swim might help you relax. As a result, there is no one-size-fits-all solution."

The National Institutes of Health is funding large-scale surveys to learn more about the kind of pets people have and how their connections with their pets affect their health.

Dr. James Griffin, a child development expert at NIH, adds, "We're attempting to tap into the subjective quality of the relationship with the animal—that element of the attachment that people experience with animals—and how that translates into some of the health advantages."

People Helped by Animals

Animals can provide a sense of security and comfort. This is something that therapy dogs excel at. They're occasionally taken into hospitals or nursing homes to help patients cope with stress and anxiety.

"Dogs are everywhere. Dr. Ann Berger, a physician and researcher at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, says, "If someone is struggling with something, they know how to sit there and be loving." "Their entire attention is focused on the person."

Berger works with cancer patients and those who are at the end of their lives. She teaches them how to practice mindfulness to help them cope with stress and discomfort.

"Attention, intention, compassion, and awareness are the cornerstones of mindfulness," Berger explains. "Animals bring all of those things to the table," says the narrator. It's something that people have to get used to. This is something that animals do naturally."

Researchers are studying the safety of bringing animals into hospital settings because animals may expose people to more germs. A current study is looking at the safety of bringing dogs to visit children with cancer, Esposito says. Scientists will examine the children's hands after the visit to see if dangerous levels of germs were transferred from the dog.

In the classroom, dogs may also be useful. According to one study, dogs can assist children with ADHD in focusing their attention. Two groups of youngsters with ADHD were enrolled in 12-week group treatment sessions by the researchers. The first set of children spent 30 minutes each week reading to a therapy dog. The second group read aloud to dog-shaped puppets.

Children who read to real animals demonstrated improved social skills, as well as more sharing, cooperation, and volunteerism. They experienced fewer behavioral issues as well.

Another study indicated that children with autism spectrum disorder were calmer in the classroom while they were interacting with guinea pigs. The children's anxiety levels decreased after spending 10 minutes in a supervised group playtime with guinea pigs. In addition, the youngsters had improved social connections and were more engaged with their peers. According to the researchers, the animals provided unconditional acceptance, making them a soothing comfort to the children.

"Animals can serve as a bridge between those social connections," Griffin explains. Researchers are working to better understand these impacts and who they may benefit, he says.

Animals can also assist you in unexpected ways. According to a recent study, caring for fish helped diabetic youth better control their disease. Researchers had a group of type 1 diabetic kids feed and monitor the water levels of a pet fish twice a day. Every week, the tank water had to be changed as part of the caretaking routine. This was done in conjunction with the kids going through their blood glucose (blood sugar) diaries with their parents.

Researchers looked at how often these teenagers tested their blood glucose levels. Fish-keeping youth were more rigorous about checking their own blood glucose levels, which is critical for preserving their health, than those who were not given a fish to care for.

While pets may bring a wide range of health benefits, an animal may not work for everyone. Recent studies suggest that early exposure to pets may help protect young children from developing allergies and asthma. However, having dogs in the house can cause more harm than benefit for people who are allergic to specific animals.

Helping Each Other

Pets come with additional obligations as well. Having a pet requires you to understand how to care for and feed it. The National Institutes of Health/Mars funds research into the consequences of human-animal interactions on both the pet and the person.

It's important to remember that animals can experience stress and exhaustion as well. It's critical for children to be able to spot indications of worry in their pets and to know when not to approach them. Animal bites can be quite dangerous.

"Dog bite avoidance is definitely a problem parents should think about," Esposito says, "particularly for young children who don't necessarily recognize the boundaries of what's appropriate to do with a dog."

Researchers will continue to look at the many health benefits that owning a pet may provide. "We're trying to figure out what works, what doesn't work, and what's safe for both humans and animals," says Esposito.