Welcome to Ark Animals Answers!
Today’s Critter Chat concerns Pet Health Benefits!

A new study presented to the American Heart Association shows that the use of therapy dogs isn’t barking up the wrong tree. It is the first research study to use scientific measurements to document the benefits of therapeutic animals.

Dog visits were found to lower anxiety, stress, and heart and lung pressure among heart failure patients. More studies need to be conducted but here are some results from the pet visitation study:
–Anxiety levels of patients dropped 24 percent,
–epinephrine stress hormone levels dropped about 17 percent,
–patient heart pressure dropped 10 percent,
–and lung pressure declined 5 percent.

The study was funded by the Pet Care Trust Foundation and shows how pet therapy benefits patient recovery.

This is animal behaviorist, Diana Guerrero inviting you to take an armchair safari into the animal kingdom at www.arkanimals.com. Thanks for joining me for today’s Ark Animal Answers and feel free to contact me with your questions.