The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Children and Pets The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Children and Pets
Showing posts with label Children and Pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Children and Pets. Show all posts

Monday, January 11, 2016

Researchers Believe That They Have Found a Link Between a Lower Risk of Asthma and Children’s Early Exposure to Pets


Researchers believe that they have found a link between a lower risk of asthma and children’s early exposure to pets. The hypothesis is that kids in animal environments breathe air that contains more bacterial fragments…and that can be a good thing, as it may actually lower their risk of asthma. Parents in busy animal-and-baby households understand that it’s nearly impossible to keep everything clean all of the time and the study suggests that this may be beneficial for the baby’s future health.

We already know that dog ownership comes with some important health benefits. Dogs help reduce stress and stave off depression. They even lower the risk of heart disease in their owners since generally dog owners lead a more active and social lifestyle.

More than 230 million people worldwide have asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease whose causes are unclear. Both genetics and external allergens are suspected to play a role. In the United States, 8.5% of children have asthma.

For this new research, Swedish scientists studied more than one million
children, combing through individual records and comparing people’s histories of family dog ownership against diagnosis of childhood asthma. Access to this data was possible because Sweden tracks medical records of all of its citizens through unique ID numbers, and the country also requires everyone to register dog ownership. Data analyzed for the study covered a time period from January 2007 through September 2012. The results of the research were published in the journal JAMA on November 2.

Among the children in the study, those who had been exposed to dogs during the first year of their life were 13% less likely to have asthma by age 6, compared to kids who had no exposure. The research also showed that school-aged kids who were exposed to farm animals in their first year of life were 52% less likely to have developed asthma by age 6 than those with no exposure. Among the preschool set of younger children, kids exposed to farm animals in their first year had 31% lower incidents of asthma between 1-5 years old compared to non-exposed toddlers.

Study author Tove Fall is an associate professor at Uppsala University in Sweden. Dr. Fall told Live Science that the lower asthma rate among children exposed to both dogs and farm animals might be due to a single factor, but is more likely a combination of factors related to a dog owners’ lifestyle and attitudes such as the kids “early exposure to household dirt and pet dust, time spent outdoors or being physically active.”

One positive takeaway message from the study is that parents fearful of childhood asthma don’t need to worry about keeping their dog or getting a puppy when they’re expecting a baby. This conclusion falls right in line with other previous hygiene studies that say being exposed to bacteria early in life can be critical for shaping a healthy and strong immune system.


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Thursday, January 7, 2016

Bringing Home Baby to a Dog’s World


The scenario is far too common. The happy, expecting couple stroll into the clinic with their four-legged child for her Annual Wellness Exam. The first born of the family is healthy and has a great check-up so I turn my attention to the parents who are expecting their first two-legged child. “Have you starting thinking about how you will introduce your new baby?” All of the sudden, the happy couple becomes the bewildered couple and stares at me with the “deer in the headlights” look. I know it’s time to have “the talk”. Bringing home baby to a pet who has ‘ruled the roost’ for years can be done. We have a few guidelines for you.Many soon-to-be parents don’t realize that without proper precautions and planning, their new bundle of joy will be their pet’s worst nightmare and is even at risk to be harmed by their pet.

It is important that every pet owner who is expecting a child follow a few easy steps to ensure the new addition to the family is a happy addition.

1) Allow your pet to becomes used to “baby stuff” before the big day comes. While babies themselves are terrifying enough for pets, all their stuff can be even worse. Strollers, cribs, toys, high chairs, and car seats are all brand new items for your pet to adjust to. Stock the nursery early and allow your pets time to get used to all the new stuff before their is a screaming child who is taking all your time and energy sitting in them. Even going on walks with the empty stroller or having bonding time in the baby-less nursery can put your pets at ease. If your pet is anxious or scared around new noises, play recordings of baby noises in the months leading up to the delivery. Start at low levels that your pet doesn’t react to and slowly work up to “real life” levels. Do positive things with your pets such as eating, giving treats, brushing, and playing during these noise desensitization sessions to allow your pet to become comfortable with the change.

2)Teach a calm, controlled behavior. Many dogs get excited around new people and like to jump up on them to greet them. Teach your dog to “sit” or “lay” and make them do it before they receive anything (food, treats, toys, affection, etc.). Think of it as teaching your dog to  say “please” before they get something they want. Pets with good manners are less likely to injure children or be scolded by adults who are holding children. Remember, we want having a baby to be a happy experience for the pets and constantly getting scolded because the baby is around will lead to further fear and anxiety for your pet.

To  read more on this story, click here: Bringing Home Baby to a Dog’s World




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