• Visits with a therapy dog helps heart and lung function by lowering pressures, diminishing release of harmful hormones and decreases anxiety with hospitalized heart failure patients. (Cole, 2005)
• People with borderline hypertension had lower blood pressure on days they took their dogs to work. (Allen, K. 2001) 
• Pet owners have lower blood pressure, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels than non-pet owners. (Friedmann, 1983, Anderson 1992)
• Having a pet may decrease heart attack mortality by 3%. This translates into 30,000 lives saved annually. (Friedman, 1980)
• Pets decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation (Kidd, 1994). 

• Pet owners have a higher one-year survival rates following coronary heart disease. (Friedman,

  1980, 1995)

So don't forget to pause and share a little Valentine's cheer for all those kind ones with paws!

 

If you're interested in more research exploring the human-animal bond, Delta Society is an amazing source of information!

 

 

 

 

Many of us look forward to winter as a time to give our pets and pocketbooks a break from flea medications, but the mild weather has not hindered the flea population. If your pets are scratching or you've seen live fleas or flea dirt, call our office and we can customize flea control for your situation. In addition to pharmaceutical flea medications, we offer a number of more "natural" options.

Curious about the persistent ways of fleas? Here are a few facts, but if you're looking for additional flea information, here is a publication from the West Virginia University Extension Service. 

• Adult fleas thrive at temperatures between 66-84'F and at relative humidity between 70-90%.
• Flea eggs don't hatch at temperatures below 40'F. 
• A temperature below 46'F for 10 days or 37'F for five days will kill flea eggs. 
• A relative humidity of less than 50% will reduce egg hatch by 20-60%.
• Flea larvae are the stage that is most sensitive to extremes in temperature and humidity. They are especially prone to drying out and will die when the humidity is below 45%. 
• Larvae will not mature at temperatures below 55'F or above 95'F. 
• Indoors, heat and air-conditioning both dry the air. Fleas become most obvious to homeowners in times of moderate temperature in the fall after their numbers have increased throughout the summer and when neither the heat nor the air-conditioning is operating.