How Pets Help Seniors Stay Happy and Healthy

One thing that I realized when I lost my pet Chihuahua Mickey after almost 15 years of companionship, what a severe void he left not only in my heart, but in my life.  He was always there for my husband and I when we came home from work.  He was always with us when we were watching Television or working on our computers.  He didn’t like my vacuum cleaner, and would run and hide when it was time for hubby to mow the lawn, but whenever he was in my arms he would look up at me with those beautiful eyes, and I knew he loved me unconditionally.  He brought peace to me and always put a smile on my face.  I in turn knew he always depended on me to make sure his needs were taken care of.

In an article by Maryalene LaPonsie dated June 19, 2015 titled, “Why You Should Have a Pet Companion in Your Golden Years,” LaPonsie points out reasons why seniors should consider a pet.  Researchers at Loyola University discovered in their research that 5 to 15 minutes of interaction with a pet each day helped to drop the need for oral medications by 28 percent in patients who were recovering from joint-replacement surgery.  I have personally never had this procedure, but I know a lot of people here in Snellville that have.  It is no picnic!  If being with a pet each day can help to elevate the oral medications I am all for it.

How about the evidence that just sitting and petting your pet can lower your blood pressure and stress?  And of course there is the exercise factor.  Most pets like to get out and go walking.  What better way to get your daily exercise?  Do not allow these times to get away from you.  Pets love to get out and walk just like we do.  Our furry friends love our companionship.

How do you decide what pet to have if you do not already have one?  It is of course a matter of choice, whether it is a dog or cat.  Perhaps you even enjoy birds, but they are a lot more work.  Cats are the easiest to care for.  Dogs take a little more planning.  For those of us growing up senior some of the better choices might be the smaller dogs such as bichon frisé, havanese, shih tzu, corgi or poodle.  These are a few recommendations.  These breeds are smaller and less expensive to feed.  It is all a matter of appeal.   A little (or big) guy looks at you the right way and it is all over.

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As seniors, we never know what our future holds.  Always have a contingency plan when it comes to your furry family members.  Be sure to talk to your family about who will take care of your precious friend should something happen to you or you are temporally unable to care of them.  Contact your veterinary clinic for helpful tips as well.

It is wonderful to have a pet to love, but it is also hard to let them go when their time comes.  I found this out a couple months ago when we had to put Mickey to rest.  My saving grace was when a friend of mine said she felt that pets were put on this earth to teach us about unconditional love.  They also were given short lives so that we could learn to understand and deal with death in our lives.  I have to believe this is true.  I will never forget the fun Mickey brought to our lives.  We have a lot of memories that will be with us forever.  Now we are enjoying the time we have left with his brother Joey.  We need pets and they need us.  It is a cycle that was meant to be in our lives.

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