FYI - poochies very welcome to attend the practice for your next appointment.

Did you know that interacting with pets can do wonders for your health and well-being? From dogs to cats, rabbits to reptiles, companion animals offer a range of physical and mental health benefits.

🏃‍♂️ Physical health benefits:
- Dog owners tend to be more active, spending more time outdoors engaging in exercise like walking, leading to better physical health parameters.
- Improved cardiovascular health, including lower resting heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and reduced risk of cardiovascular problems.

💡 Mental health benefits:
- Pets provide motivation, companionship, stress relief, and comfort, helping maintain healthy routines.
- They play a crucial role in animal-assisted therapy for mental illness, autism, and developmental disorders.

👫 Social benefits:
- Companion animals reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, facilitating social connections and acting as social lubricants.
- Many people confide in their pets, receiving emotional support in return.

🧒 Benefits for younger people:
- Companion animals contribute to emotional, cognitive, and social development in children and youth, fulfilling attachment needs, easing anxiety, and improving self-esteem.
- They enhance learning outcomes and may even reduce the incidence of allergies later in life.

👵 Benefits for older people:
- Interacting with pets improves the quality of life for older individuals, alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety, slowing dementia progression, and enhancing physical fitness and health parameters.