Pets May Help With Severe Depression

In case you were unaware, we are big pet lovers at Inneractions. Not only do they offer affection and support, they may actually be able help people who are clinically depressed. At least that’s what writers from The Journal of Psychiatric Research are now reporting and to us, it makes a lot of sense.

 

The latest Journal issue offered data that showed people with severe depression (who may be struggling in treatment) were able to significantly reduce their symptoms after adding a pet into their lives. Portuguese researchers Jorge Mota Pereira and Daniela Fonte contributed to the study, interviewing multiple participants who had “treatment-resistant major depressive disorder.” Each were encouraged to adopt one animal, with 20 going for dogs and seven selecting a cat.

 

After 12 weeks (with regular ongoing checkups), more than 33 percent of the group that adopted saw their depression symptoms go from severe to mild. One big discovery was that pet ownership gave these participants a greater sense of purpose.

 

“By having the responsibility of taking care of an animal, people have to get up in the morning to take care of the animal, namely pet them and feeding them,” the researchers explained in their report. “In the specific case of dogs, the need of taking a dog for a walk, hike and run promotes the increase of physical activity and could help its owner to meet new people that also have pets, sharing experiences and improving their social skills.”

 

All very encouraging material, though it was emphasized that pet adoption may not be for everyone. The checkups proved to be a very important component of the study. There is also the very real possibility of a severely depressed subject not being able to handle the responsibilities of ownership and thus neglecting their dog or cat.

 

Mota Pereira and Fonte singled that out at the end of their study, advising that only those who appreciate their animals should go down this path.

 

“It is worth noting that these benefits will only occur in people that appreciate domestic animals,” the researchers concluded. “Those who choose adoption must have the time, attention and money necessary to take care of their pets.”

 

If taking an action like this could benefit you or someone you are close to who is battling depression (assuming they are up for the challenge), we think that it’s a good idea. Especially since there are so many abandoned animals in shelters right now, in need of a good home.

 

Pets Have Become Unwilling Pawns In The Opioid Crisis

This latest news story was especially hard for us to report on, but we feel that it’s an important message to get out into the public. Tragically as America’s painkiller addiction epidemic worsens, more and more people are purposely injuring their pets to receive prescriptions. Part of this research comes from veterinarians, who have been seeing a spike in suspicious dog and cat injuries.

Based on new data attained from The University of Colorado, 13 percent of vets across the U.S. now claim to have encountered a client who appeared to have purposely injured their pet. Even worse, 44 percent said they were aware of opioid abuse by a regular client. The bottom line is: this crisis has just about hit rock bottom.

It is appalling to think that innocent animals are now being abused to get opioid prescriptions. And keep in mind, the amount given to animals isn’t even substantial (which means these people have reached lowest of the lows with their addiction).

Interestingly, there was another component revealed by this study as well. Not only are patients breaking the law to get their hands on more opioids; apparently veterinary staffers are doing the same. Nearly half of all vets surveyed suspected that someone on their staff was also addicted (be it a technician, office worker or receptionist). 12 percent believed that someone in their office could be selling part of their practice’s supply on the black market.

One big problem that this research addressed was the lack of opioid education among veterinary professionals. Unlike doctors, vets don’t undergo the same type of painkiller prescription training. They also are unfamiliar with how to handle an overdose. And the fact that they have the power to dispense these painkillers, makes this type of learning exercise vital.

“In conversations with these doctors, they often ask: ‘Well, what do we do? We need to treat pets who are in pain but we also need to know how to identify and handle suspicious behavior.’” study author Liliana Tenney told the website, Gizmodo.com. “But there’s not a lot of resources or training right now to direct these veterinarians.”

Well for the record, state laws mandate that any medical provider (including veterinarians) who stocks opioids must disclose their prescriptions to an online reporting system. Tenney believes that vets don’t have the same type of pressure as doctors when it comes to logging these in.

And, of course, any and all suspicious pet injuries need to be examined very closely and reported, if need be.  To help implement a positive change in the industry, Tenney and her team have created an online education course which we recommend sharing with all local vets.