Having a pet can improve your mood
As a pet owner, you have probably heard over time that animals can improve your mood. Well, numerous recent studies have shown that pets can actually promote a positive mood in the people who take care of them. The interaction between individuals and animals can lead to increased levels of oxytocin. In case you did not know this before, oxytocin is also known as the ‘love hormone.’
“At Walter Reed Army Medical Center, they’re using dogs to help soldiers dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. They’re finding the guys who have a pet are able to re-enter society a little bit easier. They’re showing a decreased suicide rate, one of the biggest health threats [veterans] face. These guys who have a pet have someone they’re responsible for, someone who cares about them. And they don’t have to explain what they’ve been through,” says Katy Nelson, DVM, an associate emergency veterinarian at the VCA Alexandria Animal Hospital.
