Owning a pet can save your life. At the least they can provide many health benefits. Some animals can sense or smell an illness. Others just plain promote well being and thus keep the owner healthy. Dog licks hand, owner eats One mother who feared she would black out and die from diabetes is rescued up to three times a week by her dog. According to the Daily Mail, Elizabeth Wilkinson’s blood sugar levels drop to dangerously low levels every couple of days when she has a hypoglycemic attack linked to her diabetes. She needs to eat something right away or risk collapse or even death. Her dog can sense the low sugar and will lick her hand. She knows to eat something pronto. Dogs predict seizures An intriguing discovery is that some dogs can predict epileptic seizures, apparently by detecting subtle changes in their owners, writes Peter Browne. Andrew Edney, a British veterinarian, studied 37 pet dogs that reacted to their owners’ impending fits. Some dogs became anxious or restless while others nuzzled their owners, stood guard or ran to get help. John Stoddart, is epileptic and asthmatic, living in fear of a seizure and choking on his tongue while unconscious. But his dog, Bruno gives him a peace of mind, will jump up at him and give “a wimpish yap”. Stoddart knows he has ten to 15 minutes to lie down on the floor in anticipation of a fit. Tony Brown-Giffin was housebound at the age of 24, because she suffered up to 12 major seizures a week that have caused hospitalization due to injuries, according to BBC. Now she has a seizure alert dog that will lick her left hand 40 minutes prior to seizure, so Tony can be prepared. She now has the confidence to lead an independent life, and even has two children. Cat predicts deaths It seems fanciful but can pets detect illness or even death? Oscar, the cat has apparently “predicted” the deaths of 25 residents in a nursing home in the US, reported by BBC. Whether the cat is psychic or senses chemical changes, the residents of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre in Rhode Island get a little anxious when Oscar curls up to them. Dog senses cancer Chris Tuffrey had a mole on his chest for 15 years but ignored it, reports BBC But thanks to his dog Beamish “nuzzling and licking” him, he went to a doctor to get it checked out.
Within a two weeks, melanoma was confirmed by the hospital and the cancerous mole was removed.
Other health benefits Pets also calm us down and relieve our stress, and loneliness. According to Peter Browne, in the past 15 years, scientists have established beyond doubt the therapeutic value of animal companions.
A study of some 6000 patients revealed that those with pets had lower blood pressure, a lower cholesterol level and, as a result, a diminished risk of heart attack.
The reasons are simple, experts say. Pets help us reduce our state of arousal, which reduces blood pressure. We are fulfilling our most primitive and basic need – the need to touch.
The Injury Board reports that those who have never owned a cat have a 40 percent greater risk of heart attack than cat owners. Additionally there was a 30 percent increase in death from cardiovascular diseases among non cat owners.
Dogs did not offer the same relief.
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