Benefits of Pet Ownership For Senior Citizens

10 benefits Seniors receive from owning pets: Pets provide their owners with love, friendship, and affection. Recent research has shown, though, that pets do much more. Owning a pet can significantly improve your physical and mental health. 1. Companionship Loneliness can be a major issue for elderly people, especially for people who are socially isolated. Owning a dog, cat, or other animal can reduce loneliness among people who might otherwise feel alone.

2. Exercise Pets need to be walked or played with often, and this can increase the amount of daily exercise elderly pet owners receive. Studies have shown that older people with pets had much higher levels of physical activity than non-pet owners. 3. Social Interaction Animals are natural people magnets, and having a dog or cat can increase social opportunities for older people. People love to talk about their pets, which often leads to new friendships.

4. Stress Reduction Pet owners have significantly lower levels of stress than people who don’t own a dog, cat, or other animal. The unconditional love and affection pets offer can help elderly people get through tough times more easily. 5. Better Mental Health Those who study depression in elderly people report that pet ownership correlates positively with lower levels of depression. Touching or interacting with a pet raises the level of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which can increase feelings of well-being in pet owners.

6. Lower Blood Pressure Pets can also help increase the physical health of their owners. Studies done at New York medical schools have shown that pet owners experienced less hypertension on average than people without a pet. 7. Lower Cholesterol Levels Medical research has also shown that pet owners, particularly elderly ones, have lower cholesterol levels than people who do not own pets.

8. Resilience Studies have shown that pet owners of any age both have higher levels of immunity to disease and recover from major illness or surgery faster than non-pet owners. 9. Mental Stimulation Playing with, talking to or just cuddling with a pet has been shown to increase brain activity in elderly people, which helps ward off or lessen the effects of many mental disorders.

10. Better Sense of Well-Being The feeling of responsibility many elderly people have towards their pets, as well as the everyday companionship they provide, has been reported to make people feel more hopeful about their lives and future.

Best Pet Choices for Seniors Dr. Kraus’ recommendations: Shorthair cats Dachshund Miniature Schnauzer Italian Greyhound West Highland White Chihuahua Shih Tzu Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Miniature Poodle Maltese Spaniels Pomeranian Boxer Beagle

Pet care You’ve picked out the perfect pet! Now, what is needed to care for your new friend? Proper Nutrition Yearly Exams Dental Health Parasite control Vaccinations Grooming Boarding

Proper Nutrition Always feed the highest quality of pet food you can afford High quality food has been proven to help pets live longer than poor quality food Skin and coat will be in better condition

Yearly Exams A yearly Preventative Care Exam is the most important component to maintaining your pet’s good health. Pets hide their diseases. We work for your pet to communicate their health problems verbally to you. The following important items will be addressed. We will then tailor a customized treatment plan to help restore your pet to excellent health.

Dental Health Pets have to maintain dental health, just like we do! Providing a healthy mouth for your pet involves some routine maintanence. Think of it like maintaining your vehicle. You don’t have to change the oil regularly; but if you don’t, permanent damage will result eventually. Infections of the mouth can create damage to other organs and will shorten your pet’s life. Teeth, once diseased to the point of extraction, can never be replaced. Pets have evolved to mask pain so symptoms are never obvious. The only way to improve the pain is to treat the infection.

Parasite Control Intestinal Parasite testing Flea/Tick control subpoints Flea/Tick control Heartworm prevention

Vaccinations Rabies DHLPP Bordatella CRPC Feline Leukemia

Grooming Certain breeds of dogs need grooming to (list benefits here) They should begin grooming at 3-6 months of age. Some things that might be included in your grooming visit are a nail trim, ear cleaning/plucking, clip, bath, anal expression, dry, comb out.

Boarding When you need to be away from your pet, be sure to make arrangements for them to stay in a clean, secure, safe environment. Clean, disinfected kennels Plenty of room for your size of pet Interaction/exercise Protection from contracting diseases/parasites from other pets We offer boarding services which enables your pet to interact with trained medical staff while you’re away and get proper medical care if needed.