2021 Pet Care and Wellness

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Helsinki explored how puppies’ diets can impact their health as they get older. According to their findings, dogs are more likely to develop allergies and atopic dermatitis when they are fed fewer raw foods and more dry foods as puppies. 

“The puppies that had been fed raw tripe, raw organ meats, and human meal leftovers during puppyhood showed significantly less allergy and atopy-related skin symptoms in adult life,” said researcher Anna Hielm-Björkman. “On the other hand, puppies not getting any raw foods, eating most of their food as dry food, i.e. kibble, being fed fruits, and heat-dried animal parts, had significantly more allergy and atopy-related skin symptoms in adulthood.” 

Healthy diets are beneficial for dogs, too

For the study, the researchers analyzed questionnaires from dog owners that included information on more than 4,000 dogs. Dog owners reported on what they fed their dogs when they were between two and six months old, and the researchers tracked their health outcomes into adulthood. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that puppies’ diets may impact their likelihood of developing allergies and dermatitis later in life. Raw foods were associated with a lower risk of allergies and atopic dermatitis, while dry foods and commercial dog foods were linked with a higher risk of developing allergies. 

The study showed that when puppies’ diets were comprised of 20% commercial foods or 80% dry foods, they were more likely to develop atopic dermatitis or allergies when they got older. Conversely, when 80% of their diets consisted of raw food, they were much less likely to have these health concerns. 

“These findings indicate that it was the raw food component that was the beneficial health promoter, and that even as little as 20% of the diet being raw foods, already gives health benefits,” Hielm-Björkman said. 

More research needed 

The researchers hope that more work can be done to better understand the ins and outs of how puppies’ diets can affect their long-term health. 

“We could see an association between lower prevalence of allergy and atopy-related skin symptoms as adults and serving puppies fresh foods and avoiding processed foods as well as sweet fruits,” said researcher Manal Hemida. 

“That’s a good start for any owner. However, the study only suggests a causal relationship but does not prove it. Diet intervention studies are required to further elucidate the in-depth association between the development of atopy and allergy-related skin symptoms and dietary factors, such as raw and dry foods, human meal leftovers, and the correct dosing of oils.” 

It’s been well documented that pets can play a significant role in improving consumers’ mental health and stress. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Concordia University explored how kids are affected when their pets sleep with them. 

Though many consumers believe a pet could be detrimental to kids’ sleep quality and lead to all kinds of issues, the study findings show that the opposite is actually true: many kids sleep better when they’re with their pets. 

“Co-sleeping with a pet is something many children are doing, and we don’t know how it influences their sleep,” said researcher Hillary Rowe. “So, from a sleep science perspective, we felt this was something important we should look into.” 

Kids can benefit when sleeping with pets

The researchers had roughly 200 children between the ages of 11 and 17 enrolled in the Candian Institute of Health Research’s Healthy Heart Project involved in the study. 

There were three primary points of data collection for the study: the children wore wrist monitors for two weeks that measured their sleep quality; the children and their parents responded to questionnaires about their sleeping habits; and the researchers measured the children’s brain waves while sleeping for one night of the study. Based on the responses to the questionnaires, children were put into one of three groups based on the frequency with which they slept with their pets: sometimes, frequently, or never. 

The researchers learned that more than 30% of the children reported sharing their beds with their pets. While this was shocking to the team, it produced no adverse effects on the children’s overall sleep quality. Nearly 35% reported frequently or sometimes sleeping with their pets, and it ultimately boosted sleeping outcomes. 

Compared to children who didn’t sleep with their pets, those who did had similar or better results in each of the key areas -- sleep duration, disruptions, latency, and overall quality. Though the team plans to do more work in this area, it’s important to understand the peace and comfort that young people get from sleeping with their pets. 

“Sleeping with your pet does not appear to be disruptive,” said Rowe. “In fact, children who frequently slept with their pet endorsed having higher sleep quality.” 

Many college students struggle with stress and poor mental health, and it can be difficult to find effective ways to be mindful and productive. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Washington State University explored the role that therapy dogs could have on college students’ stress levels. 

Their findings showed that petting therapy dogs was beneficial for college students’ overall stress levels, and it led to improved planning abilities and general thinking skills. The researchers explained that these findings are particularly important because the benefits of interacting with animals stayed with the students for more than a month. 

“It’s a really powerful finding,” said researcher Patricia Pendry. “Universities are doing a lot of great work trying to help students succeed academically, especially those who may be at risk due to a history of mental health issues or academic and learning issues. This study shows that traditional stress management approaches aren’t as effective for this population compared with programs that focus on providing opportunities to interact with therapy dogs.” 

Managing stress levels

For the study, the researchers divided over 300 college students into three groups that focused on different stress management skills. Some of the students interacted with therapy dogs, while others participated in lecture-based stress management classes. To see how effective these interventions were, the team evaluated the students’ memory and organization to see if there was a noticeable change.

The results showed that students had the best outcomes when they were given time with the therapy dogs. As opposed to students who were taught about stress management in a classroom environment, those who got to interact with the dogs had stronger thinking and concentrating skills for as long as six weeks after the initial four-week study. 

By interacting with the dogs in a relaxed setting, the students were able to tackle their stressors from a different mindset. While the dogs didn’t change anything going on in the students’ lives, it helped put them in a more positive space to tackle the things that are typically stressful or overwhelming. 

“You can’t learn math just by being chill,” said Pendry. “But when you are looking at the ability to study, engage, concentrate, and take a test, then having the animal aspect is very powerful. Being calm is helpful for learning especially for those who struggle with stress and learning.” 

Choosing the best interventions

The researchers hope these findings change the way that universities go about addressing the topic of stress management. While workshop-style sessions aren’t designed to increase students’ stress levels, the researchers explained that being lectured about stress isn’t the best approach. 

“These are really important topics, and these workshops are helping typical students succeed by teaching them how to manage stress,” said Pendry. “Interestingly though, our findings suggest that these types of educational workshops are less effective for students that are struggling. It seems that students may experience these programs as another lecture, which is exactly what causes the students to feel stressed. 

“If you’re stressed, you can’t think or take up information; learning about stress is stressful!” she said. 

Having a family pet has been found to relieve consumers’ stress both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia has found that having a pet cat can be particularly beneficial for kids with autism.

According to their findings, having a cat can help kids with autism improve their anxiety-related symptoms and develop stronger empathy skills. 

“We found the main benefit of these companion animals is their unconditional acceptance,” said researcher Gretchen Carlisle. “Some children with autism may have sensory issues or be sensitive to loud noises, so a cat may be an appropriate, comforting pet for some families due to their calming presence.” 

Cats can improve anxiety

To see how cats can benefit kids with autism, the researchers had families with kids between the ages of six and 14 adopt a cat. Prior to taking the cats home, all of the animals were evaluated to ensure that they had a calm demeanor. For 18 weeks, the researchers evaluated the families’ progress with the cats at home, and parents completed surveys about how their kids interacted with the cats and how their overall mental well-being was affected by having a pet in the house. 

The researchers found that the cats provided several benefits for the kids and their families -- not least of which was an immediate bond between the kids and their new pets. The parents reported that their kids were not only experiencing less severe separation anxiety, but they also were less angry and had better focus and attention. Additionally, having a cat at home helped the kids develop stronger empathy skills and improve their overall well-being. 

Carlisle noted that a lot of research focuses on how having a dog in the house can benefit kids with autism. While she agrees that a pet can be a great form of stress relief, she says these findings should help encourage more families to consider adopting a cat. 

“Previous research has shown parents of kids with autism are more stressed than parents of kids with any other disability,” Carlisle said. “If a family is considering adopting a companion animal, we want to provide the best evidence-based information possible so they can make an informed decision, and cats might be more beneficial to some families than dogs.” 

The researchers hope that families with kids with autism utilize these findings because they emphasize the countless ways that having a pet can help reduce stress and anxiety for the whole family. 

“As a former pediatric nurse, I have always strived to help children, and one thing I learned is that you need to involve the parents so they can make informed choices for their children,” said Carlisle. “I see pets as a way to enhance wellness, and it feels gratifying to provide assistance to families that have a lot on their plate.”