According to recent sides by the American Heart Association, pets are supposed to be extremely beneficial for the heart of a pet owner. They essentially state that if you have a pet in your home, you will decrease the risks for you developing heart disease later on in life. While the AHA found that any pet will have a positive effect on the owners health, they show that specifically thee presence of a dog in the home can be very good for you, on a number of levels. Having a dog also leads to more exercise with is good when combating obesity, as well as blood pressure or cholesterol concerns.

Professor Glenn N. Levine from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston says that dog ownership in particular is in fact linked to lower the risk of heart disease. The AHA conducted a study using 5,200 different adults and they learned that owners of dogs were much more physically active because they took their pets out for walks more often and on a consistent basis. Not only that, but having an animal in the home provides a sense of therapy for owners and it can help calm the environment, and studies have also shown that animal assisted therapies are very effective to help people.

The AHA does preface their studies claiming that while they believe these to be true, it is impossible to say this works in every situation. They are certain that the risk factors of heart disease are being significantly cut down due to time around these animals' produces happier and healthy people however, if there is a preexisting condition there is a chance that the animals will play no role. The love and loyalty displayed particularly in dogs is something that many different scientists say will help with not only stress, but also varying forms of anxiety or depression as well as loneliness in the home. According to statistics, there are currently 78.9 million people in the U.S. who own a dog, and 86.4 million who own cats.

There are other health benefits to owning a pet, and that would be that it is an allergy fighter. Especially if you have young kids, by having an animal in your home will help build their immune system by exposing them to a number of the allergens at an early age. Studies show that when an infant is around an animal from early on, they are 19% to 33% less likely to have an allergic skin condition such as eczema and they also show signs of a stronger immune system overall. Not only are they good for those at the beginning of life, studies also show that the elderly who suffer with conditions such as Alzheimer's will have fewer outburst of anxiety when there is a pet around them. However, when it comes to older people, having a cat is much easier to care for than a dog, and often will add much less stress or pressure to the caregiver who helps the elderly person.

Coming back to the fact that animals are good for the mind and body of a person, having an animal around can actually help your body protect itself from harmful chemicals that are released when you experience stress. These chemicals are actually known to attack your immune system, and can lead to further complications down the road. Often times animals, your spouse or a good dose of nature can provide for your body the nutrients and endorphins you need when feeling anxious or depressed as a prescription medication, you just have to give it a chance.

Contact your local veterinarian today to learn more about your animals and how to keep them healthy in the home!