Pets are used to bring comfort to individuals during some of their most challenging moments in live. They help to improve the emotional condition of the people they encounter. Pets are primarily dogs, cats, and bunnies. The most common dogs that help their owners are Labradors and golden retrievers.
For many patients, the healing process is both physical and emotional. As such, pets can be instrumental for keeping a patient’s spirits up during recovery. When patients hug and cuddle with their animals, it helps them emotionally.
Interactions with Animals
Multiple studies indicate that friendly interactions with animals can help raise Oxycontin levels and decrease stress response in humans. A 2015 study published found that even just maintaining eye contact with a dog raises Oxycontin levels in both the human and the pet.
Animals have a calming effect and can provide individuals with unquestioning affection after experiencing trauma. Therefore, patients report that pets help them forget about the pain or discomfort.
Helping their Owners
Animals can be trained for dealing with different kinds of medical areas, including trauma or physical/occupational therapy and they don’t only offer emotional support.
Dogs can work with a patient to improve his or her ability to complete certain functions. For example, petting a dog can help a stroke patient improve their small muscle functions.