There’s nothing like the unconditional love of a pet. They show you affection, give you a sense of purpose, and greet you every day when they see you. Having a pet is the best medicine. Added responsibilities come with owning a pet; however, the benefits are unquantifiable. I do realize that some people with chronic disease are not able to have pets because of their medical situation; but you can always find a way to spend some time around animals. You do not have to own animals to enjoy some of the benefits. You may have family or friends who have pets that you can visit with. Going to a park is a great way to have some sort of interaction with animals. Watching birds, squirrels or people walking their dogs also counts!
It is a well-known fact that petting an animal can release endorphins and even lower cortisol. Cortisol is an essential hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body. Pets can provide comfort and therapy for anyone who may need it. People living with chronic illness will often benefit from those happy chemicals to help them cope with the loneliness/sadness that comes from being isolated.
The companionship of a pet can help to ease your anxiety.
A study showed that just 30 minutes after viewing a video of kittens, puppies, gorillas, and quakkas, participants experienced a drop in blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety.
Who can resist stroking a tiny kitten and hearing it purr, or looking into the melting brown eyes of your dog as he welcomes you home from a short trip as though you’d been away for weeks?
Dean Koontz
A person living with a chronic illness refers to her three dogs as her “wellness team ready to pound the pavement when I’m feeling good — or snuggle in close during a high-pain day.”
Quotes from People who have a Chronic Disease
“My dog has been a great source of companionship and therapy for me when I have been sad, lonely or in pain, but he has also been a massive source of guilt. I have researched and found ways to keep him stimulated when I cannot take him for a long enough walk or when I can only bear letting him out to the garden. He loves cuddling and we play games, but even this can be hard for me some days… Am I being selfish? Should I give him up, like I have given up thai boxing, going to rock gigs, a fulfilling career and so much more?”
“I couldn’t imagine life without him, and I don’t think my husband could either. My whole existence is now based around asking for help and this is just another aspect. I will not apologize for needing support in living my best life. And neither should you!” [Story written by Elly Bely]
Pets help to reduce stress, promote self-esteem, stave off loneliness, and provide physical activity which helps people to cope with the stress of living with a chronic disease. If you do not have a pet or you feel that having a pet is too difficult to handle while managing your chronic illness, you can still reap some of the stress-reducing benefits by watching videos of animals.
A study showed that just 30 minutes after viewing a video of kittens, puppies, gorillas, and quakkas, participants experienced a drop in blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety.
Pets provide the some of the following benefits.
Pets Calm Us. Being with your pet releases endorphins (oxytocin) that have a calming effect. This can help reduce anxiety and stress, and the associated physical symptoms. For example, cats’ purring reduces the stress level, mild symptoms of respiratory difficulties and listening to purring reduces blood pressure and slows down the heart activity. One person suffering with a chronic condition said, “Just the sense of calmness or whatever, just from having my dogs there, and petting them…I guess relaxation is the best word. It relaxes you. So, that really is a substantial benefit.”
Pets Get Us Moving. Caring for your pet can improve motor skills, joint movement and assisted or independent movement. Having a dog usually means regular walks, even if they’re only gentle ones. Over time, you will build up your muscles and movement. A dog brings much needed routine to a day, a reason to leave the house and get some fresh air, and of course they are excellent companions. One person with chronic pain said, “I have a Fitbit that I walk around with all the time. And I take the dog for a walk. If the dog weren’t there, I probably wouldn’t do it. Especially when the weather is marginal.”
Pets Comfort Us. We all know the unconditional love of a pet can be brilliant for your mental health. In fact, 74% of surveyed pet owners claimed to have experienced improved mental health from owning a pet (https://petpedia.co/pet-therap…). Pet therapy is described as an alternative therapeutic approach and it’s used to help patients with physical and mental health issues by taking advantage of the natural healing ability of animals.
Pets Sense Our Pain. Research at the University of Lincoln, UK, found that dogs, “can recognize emotions in humans by combining information from different senses.” Your dog recognizes when you’re sad or in pain by facial recognition and body language, but the most interesting sense they use is smell. Scientists have found dogs actually can tell if you are unwell, in certain cases. The key to this is all in their sense of smell. Humans let off a very different scent depending on their state of wellbeing, meaning we smell different to dogs when we are ill. Cats are often said to be very empathetic and some believe they can sense how people feel or if they’re suffering from any pain. Petting an animal can reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the bloodstream. This can improve mood and reduce muscle tension that may be contributing to pain. Pets provide a distraction from pain. Having a distraction can often help reduce pain.
Pets Give Us a Reason to Get Up in the Morning. Whether it’s the motivation to get out of bed in the morning to feed your pet, or the motivation to leave the house to walk your dog, our pets rely on us to care for them and that provides us with a motivation to get up and move around, which isn’t always easy when struggling with chronic illness or something like depression. Having a pet improves social skills and a sense of community. Whether you’re chatting to staff in the pet shop, or fellow dog owners at the park, having a pet in your life opens new avenues of conversation. There are online groups for pet enthusiasts too, whether it’s cats, dogs, birds or fish that you’re into, there’s an online community for almost everything these days! Meaning lots of opportunity to chat with people about your pet and experiences as a responsible owner.
Pets Make Us Laugh. Pets make us happier, lessening depression, and improving your outlook on life. You can’t help but smile when you look into your pet’s eyes – even when they’ve done something naughty! Having a companion by your side can help fight feelings of loneliness, they rely on us and love us unconditionally. Research has shown that a lot of people can benefit from having a pet, especially cancer patients, heart disease patients, dementia patients, patients with chronic pain, patients with behavioral and emotional illnesses and individuals trying to overcome opioid addiction. One person with chronic pain said, “They say laughter is a great thing for helping anybody, no matter what’s wrong with them. I can’t look at that dog without smiling and feeling better.”
Source Information from * [https://www.securicaremedical.co.uk] * [https://creakyjoints.org] * [https://www.painscale.com] * [https://toothandhoney.com] * [https://friendsanimals.com] * [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
The National Library of Medicine and Center for Biotechnology Information conducted a study of the role of pets in supporting chronic pain self-management.
The goal of this study was to explore how pet ownership promotes use of cognitive-behavioral self-management strategies in everyday life. Having pets can facilitate behaviors and thoughts that may enhance coping with pain. Below Figure 1 depicts evidence-based pain management and coping strategies (left column) along with associated pet-facilitated mechanisms as identified in focus groups of the study. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PMC6920602/]
TREATING INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS 
I miss having pets! I never thought about it before, but maybe this is the same reason I watch nature shows and shows about animals. Watching one right now! Lol
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They even say that people with pets have a longer lifespan. It is never too late to get a puppy or kitten 😁.
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