Pets good for owners’ health
One of the country’s leading pet vets, Pete Wedderburn of BrayVET Animal Hospital, told an animal health conference that children who grow up with pets around them are likely to be more confident and socially adept.
He also told the conference run by the Animal and Plant Health Association at Killenard, Co Laois, the presence of pets in the house significantly reduces the risk of a child having asthma, as long as their mother does not have the condition.
Mr Wedderburn quoted a number of international studies that show the positive impact of pet ownership on heart disease and stress.
In one study 40 New York stockbrokers with hypertension were given medication and half were also given pets. After six months, all had normal blood pressure when resting but only those with pets had normal blood pressure under stress.
An Australian study on heart disease risk showed people with pets had lower average levels of cholesterol, triglyceride fats and blood pressure.
Mr Wedderburn said studies also show that people who have undergone major heart surgery live significantly longer if they share their lives with a pet.
Also, elderly people living alone require 75% less ‘paid carer’ assistance if they share their lives with a pet of any kind.
“Any pet will do — dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig, budgie, parrot — even a goldfish or chameleon,” he said.
He added about half of Irish households own pets, an increasing proportion of which are valued as family members.
