PETS ARE GOOD MEDICINE

Rescue authorities have learned the hard way that folks will not abandon their homes unless their pets are taken care of also. Such is the very strong bond between pets and their owners. It should be no surprise, then that having one’s pet available during times of recovery from health crises would be a positive thing. Although no formal research studies have been performed, more and more doctors and hospitals are becoming savvy to this important ingredient to recovery, according to a report published in USA TODAY.

Some hospitals will allow pets into the room. Many doctors write a “prescription” for the patient, stressing the importance of maintaining that connection. Sometimes there is a concern for infections, but even the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which has guidelines for HIV patients to help them prevent infections, suggest only that dogs and cats under six months not be introduced because of the possibility of carrying certain “bugs.”