Dogs, Kids and Dust: Healthier Together Than We Imagined

As if you needed more reasons to love your mutt, and to take it easy on the dusting... A recent study has shown that the house dust in homes with at least one dog living there helps to protect against the development of asthma in children. These findings were recently presented by researchers from the University of California at San Francisco during the 2012 Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

An obscure fact, indeed. You might be wondering how on earth the medical science community even got the idea to study such a thing. However, in some circles, this correlation between dogs and better respiratory health has been widely known about for some time. 

Apparently, whatever your dog is contributing to the dust in your home can have a positive and protective effect against respiratory infection. The dog dust seems to help shelter children from the common respiratory virus RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus. RSV is the virus that can lead to the onset of asthma in children, but your mutt's dust seems to help prevent it. (And to think you used to curse the extra dust your pooch left around the house!)

The 2012 study showed that laboratory mice that were fed house dust from from a dog owner's home and then injected with the RSV virus consistently did not exhibit any symptoms of the virus.

The findings of this study are the first step in being able to identify and isolate the exact, protective microbe from your dog that is conferring this protection to children. Once this healing component of dog dust is determined, it can then be used in a more focused way to benefit even more children.

For now, dog owners with children get to enjoy this added benefit of dog ownership even before science fully understands it. As if the adventure of training, raising and having fun with a dog wasn't reason enough to consider adoption! From pure breeds to shelter dogs, mutts and rescues, any type of dog can contribute this wonderful healing benefit to the household.

So take it easy on the dusting and give your mutt some extra petting time... More than ever before, science is proving what dog owners already knew: dogs can be a major contributor to the holistic health of a household. For more articles on Asthma, kids and pets click here. 

Pet Industry Defies Current Economic Hardship; Pets in Nursing Homes; Children w/Dogs Have Fewer Colds

Pets affect so many areas of our lives. Today we are bringing some examples of that.

Pet industry defies general economic hardship, report suggests. In other words we are not spending less on our furbabies! A national survey of pet owners found that 75% haven't reduced spending on their pets despite financial constraints, and 32% said they'd pay more for pet care than family member care. Some 25% put their pet's health needs ahead of their own. This survey echoes an American Pet Products Association report showing that Americans spent a record $50 billion-plus on pet services and products in 2011. To read the entire article click here.

As Americans get older they do not want to have to give their pets up. There has been an increased movement to allow pets in assisted living facilities for seniors. Consumers want pets in nursing homes. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities are increasingly adopting pets or allowing residents to have their own animals live with them, in part because it brings in business. "More and more, we have families indicating up front that [allowing pets] is a must-have criteria," said Tami Cummings, senior vice president of A Place for Mom, the largest senior living placement company in the U.S., which reports that 40% of people ask about residences' pet policies when calling for information. It's a money thing and business is business. As more Seniors demand pets living with them, then they will get what they want! He who has the gold rules! Woof woof! Meowwwwww!

Children who live with dogs may have fewer colds. A study shows that children living with dogs decreases the susceptibility to respiratory syncytial virus, which causes the common cold and bronchiolitis, as being around dogs "trains" children's immune systems to resist asthma, according to research from the University of California, San Francisco. Doctors have long recognized the decreased incidence of asthma in children with dogs, but this study is the first to identify a contributing factor. Click on link above to read the story.


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Laundry Pods - Keep Away from Children

We have things to post about our favorite subject, Dogs, for the Saturday BlogHop but thought this information should get in your hands ASAP.

For those of you who have kiddies in your families please read this information from the Poison Control Centers about the appeal of these little pods to young children.