What Pets Can Do: Health and Healing
I was visiting a community hospital recently, waiting in line for a coffee. Across the lobby was a large, beautiful dog. As visitors and patients stopped to pet the dog and talk with the owner, you could literally see how their faces lit up with smiles and their bodies relaxed.
In the week leading up to exams at my daughter’s school, they bring in therapy dogs for the students to interact with. It helps reduce anxiety at a very stressful time for students. For many people, animals provide countless health benefits.
Cats, dogs, birds, fish, hamsters: How have animals comforted you, helped with recovery or promoted good health for you?
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Colleen @colleenyoung and others
At Henry Ford Hospital, they have a therapy dog as well who roams the hospital (with a handler) greeting people and allowing patients and visitors to pet him. His name is Henry (of course) and I always look forward to seeing him! He really is a great therapist!
Teresa
We have rescue cats, tho I grew up with a myriad of pets. Two of mine have a limb missing, one is 18, one has lymphoma, and one has IBD! It is such a joy to me to cater to their special needs, and they give love back in spades. Did you know that the frequency of a cats purr is healing? Both to the cat and to the doting owner?
@marylou705
I did not know about the purring and healing connection – but I certainly believe it’s true! Great picture
Teresa
@danybegood1 Dany, I know my husband and he would not deal well with that. To him that would be me saying his feelings do not matter. I would not do that. My daughter actually wanted to get me a pet for Christmas one time, figuring that he couldn’t not let me keep it but I told her that it would only cause problems and not to.
JK
@danybegood1 It’s not easy when you lose a beloved pet. We had to put ours down and that was one of the most difficult things I ever did. He was such a special dog. We got him for my daughter and she and I, after poring through baby name books, named him Keller which is Gaelic for “little companion” which was perfect for him.
JK
@hopeful33250 Yep, that’s what I am doing. Sometimes I try to see if I can convince him but he took a good part of caring for our dog and he does not want that again, plus having a pet does impact traveling, not that we travel that frequently.
This is a picture of him when he was a puppy, at our lake cabin with our son who was about 12 at the time.
JK
@contentandwell
I’m glad to hear from someone who values their marriage relationship. A lot of people would get the dog and tell their partner to deal with it. I understand that there are situations when the love of a pet would be a much better alternative to the brokenness of a marriage. I’m with you on this one. Maybe a nice stuffed animal would be a helpful compromise. They don’t bark, have accidents, don’t chew up your brand new shoes, or make demands on your time or budget.
Jim
@contentandwell @jimhd , Hi guys, I’m so sorry you can’t get a dog. I took a chance when I got Maggie that’s for sure. But this was after watching my husband befriend and grab every kitten my daughter ever brought home. I guess I’m a dog person at heart. I figured it was my turn for me and my very own Golden. I didn’t feel I was risking this marriage too much. Love to you all, Judy
@contentandwell
Aw – so sweet! Was your son his favorite in the family?
Teresa
@jimhd Jim, a stuffed animal just does not do it for me. I would even be happy I think with a bunny! My daughter had two adorable dwarf bunnies that she would bring here, Virgil and Beulah. Bunnies have a language of their own and she read up on it and could interpret what they were saying by their expressions. She unfortunately had to find a new home for them because they started chomping on the woodwork in her apartment. She now has a little “rescue” dog.
JK
@hopeful33250 Teresa, I think he was. We bought the dog for our daughter, she was going through difficult time, lots of angst, but the dog really took to our son, probably because he was more active although he never gave him care like bathing him. The poor little guy, he would be visibly depressed when our son and daughter left for college. It would take about two weeks for him to get back to his cheerful self.
JK
Hi Jim, @jimhd
Thanks for explaining the difference between service dogs and therapy dogs. I thought the terms were used interchangeably – but now I know the difference.
Can you tell us what type of training a therapy dog gets?
Teresa
Teresa