Who needs a fountain of youth when
you have a furry friend at home
Forget the skin creams and cleansing
regimes – the secret to staying young might just be someone who’s more likely
to roll in wheat grass than drink it. Yes, owning a pet could be the ultimate
anti-ageing treatment.
How
Your Pet Is Keeping You Young!
Here’s what your furry friend can do for
you…
Lower your blood pressure
The combination of work stress, a lack of
exercise and poor diet can send your blood pressure to dangerously high levels.
Spending time with dogs or cats provides
not just a distraction from modern day pressures, but also some degree of
perspective on what’s really important in life.
Boost your immunity
Our immune system is our main defence
against viruses and bacterial infections. With age, it becomes weakened,
meaning sickness is not just more likely but also more severe.
How can pets help? Here’s a surprise.
Rather than all that germ-carrying slobber causing sickness in people, it does the
opposite. You see, very few animal bugs can infect us. Instead, having them
around actually stimulates your immune system, making it a finely tuned
fighting machine ready to fend off any “human” bugs when they come your way.
Ward off loneliness
Without the responsibilities of work and
children, it’s easy to be social. But as we add to our responsibilities in
life, it’s easy to lose touch with our friends. Pets reduce the feeling of
isolation when you’re home alone and, importantly, give you a reason to get out
and interact with your two-legged friends.
Keep you fit
When you’re a teenager you have endless
energy. But as we age, that drive for exercise seems to go the other way.
Skipping exercise isn’t an option with
pets. They need it, and you’re the one to provide it! And this enforced fitness
program means you can’t help but adopt their energetic way of life. it’s almost
like they’re your own slightly hairy personal trainer.
Sweet like chocolate
A funny thing happens in our bodies when we
pat our pets. After just 30 seconds of cuddling, there’s a surge of two
chemicals – oxytocin and prolactin – straight from the “feel-good” factory in
our bodies, which gives us a “buzz”. This is exactly the same chemical reaction
our bodies experience when we’re in love, or we indulge in a piece of
chocolate.
Sweet
like chocolate
Furry medicine
Need more proof that pets really are the
best prescription? Check out these recent study results…
·
Dog owners recovering from heart attacks were
found to be more than four times more likely to make it through the next year
than non-dog owners.
·
Kids brought up around pets were less likely to
suffer from asthma.
·
Levels of depression in pet owners were lower
than in the rest of the population.
·
Women who own dogs were found to sleep more
soundly, take fewer sick days and generally feel better than non-dog owners.
·
Aussie families with pets had 30 per cent fewer
bouts of gastro, vomiting and diarrhea – a surprise to those who think pets
make you sick!
·
When a group of New York stockbrokers were given
a dog to look after, it lowered their blood pressure more effectively than
medications.
5 foods dogs shouldn’t eat
Avocado
This fruit contains something called
persin, which is harmless to humans but potentially toxic to dogs.
Onions and garlic
These destroy a dog’s red blood cells,
causing anaemia
Grapes
The reason why is unknown, but grapes can
cause kidney failure in dogs
Macadamia nuts
A definite no-no. Consuming this nut can be
fatal, and is doubly dangerous if chocolate is involved
Raw eggs
Salmonella or E. coli can lurk, plus raw
eggs can interfere with your dog’s absorption of B vitamins.
Feeding our shelter animals
The RSPCA cares for more than 150,000 lost,
surrendered or abused animals every year – that’s a lot of mouths to feed,
especially when the charity relies on the community for 97 per cent of its
funding.
Feeding
our shelter animals
Putting food in the bowls of RSPCA cats and
dogs is made easier thanks to Hill’s Pet Nutrition, which supplies the animals
with free food as part of its Shelter Nutrition Partnership. Hill’s Science
Diet provides precisely balanced nutrition, so it’s nothing but the best for
these animals.
This year, Hill’s has also launched Food
Shelter & Love, a campaign to raise awareness of pet adoption, in the hope
of finding homes for 50,000 animals. So if you’re looking to add a furry family
member, visit rspca.org.au
