"PETS ARE GOOD FOR US"
by Jack L. Stephens, DVM
President, Pets Best
We all know we feel good when we are with our pets. We look forward to coming home and the exuberant greeting we receive from our pets. But did you know that the feeling you have is biologically wired into your chemistry?
Scientific studies are now demonstrating conclusively that pets have positive effects on us by altering our hormones, neurotransmitters and other chemicals that not only make us feel better, but lower stress and improve our health -- such as decreasing our blood pressure, among other things.
Studies have shown that a quiet interaction of sitting and petting a dog -- even a strange dog -- lowers our blood pressure, decreases our cortisol levels (the stress hormone), increases oxytocin (the happy hormone), increases prolactin (the bonding hormone), increases endorphin (the warm feeling or high feeling hormone), increases phenylethylamine (the attention hormone), increases dopamine and epinephrine (nerve transmitters) and increases serotonin (the chemical involved in preventing depression).
You may not have heard of all these chemicals, and probably haven't heard them used in reference to you and your pets. As a pet lover, you just know you feel better when you are around your pets. Now you know why.
We certainly have all experienced the stress of the day evaporating when we are with our pets, but I think we are just learning the true extent physically and emotionally of the relationships we have with our pets. In fact, studies have proven that specific hormones and chemicals are at different levels when we are with our pets than when we are alone or even with a robotic dog. Wait a minute. Did I say robotic dog? I did. More on that later.
After experiencing an amazing bonding with our miniature pinscher, Spanky, when I was diagnosed and subsequently cured of throat cancer many years ago, I started a journey of discovery to determine why we love our pets so much and if they favorably impact our health. My own transformation -- and Spanky's many benefits to my healing -- is an amazing story. I went from veterinarian, big dog person who really did not believe in the bond, to "certified pet nut" and small dog fan. Me, the hard-headed, logic-driven businessperson, prescribing pets for people under stress (such as an upcoming surgery, an illness or loss of a spouse).
In my journey to discover the magic hold that pets have on humans, I was provided a study, performed by a South African veterinarian, Dr. Oldendaal, that measured some of the hormones mentioned above prior to and immediately after petting a dog and when simply sitting alone. The results were a revelation to me and provided me with the science, or logic, to my own transformation -- and validated my observations that pets are good for us.
After reading the study, I agreed to fund a replication of the study at the University of Missouri Veterinary School and School of Nursing, through The Skeeter Foundation (named after another of my dogs). I had them add a third group of people interacting with a robotic dog, because I did not believe a machine could provide the same benefits as an animal. Indeed, the study verified the prior study, and has now led to many other studies to identify the interaction between animals and mankind. And the robotic dog did not provide the same positive benefits that the live dog did.
As is often the case, our intuition about why we feel good around pets turns out to be factual. Pets really are good for us. In the years to come, I am confident that more studies will find that our pets help keep us from depression, cheer us when we need comforting, and provide benefits that go beyond what most people think of as simple pet ownership. With more and more pets being welcomed into the family, cared for as family members and respected for their unique gifts, I'm glad to be part of groups who champion pets and the proper care of pets. They deserve it!
