Ways That Having a Pet Can Help Your Diabetes

Maria Muccioli Ph.D. writes:

"It is well-established that having a companion animal can do wonders for our health, both physically and emotionally. How can having a pet help with diabetes management? Here are five ways that you can benefit from making a furry friend (or several) a permanent part of your life:

1. Stress Relief 

Life with diabetes can be stressful at times. Stress is known to raise blood glucose levels. It is well-known that petting an animal can reduce the levels of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Translation: spending time with your pet may make you calmer. Thus, having a pet can have a direct, positive impact on diabetes management. 

2. More Exercise 

Everyone knows that dogs need exercise. After becoming a dog owner almost six years ago, my activity levels increased significantly. Long hikes in the woods are not uncommon. I always notice a positive effect on my blood glucose levels when I incorporate a regular exercise routine on a daily basis.

Of course, the exercise benefit of pet ownership may be less pronounced if you have an animal that doesn’t require regular walks. Even so, the calories spent on other maintenance activities can add up! Whether you are getting off the couch to play with them or feed them, or even cleaning up their mess, you are likely less sedentary than you would be if you didn’t have them to take care of.

Image credit: Brian Muccioli

3. They Have a Sixth Sense 

Okay, perhaps it is just an enhanced fifth sense. It is well-established that dogs have a heightened sense of smell, and can even be trained to alert people with diabetes to out-of-range or rapidly-changing blood glucose levels.

Some people purchase a Diabetes Alert Dog (DAD) or even train their own. Incredibly, I’ve found that my dogs (who did not train for this) appear to sense low or rapidly-dropping blood glucose levels and start to lick my face with caring concern when this occurs. In fact, there have been several occasions when I was too busy to notice the early symptoms of hypoglycaemia and my dogs promptly got my attention.

I am not sure if cats can sense blood glucose levels. Let us know in the comments below if you happen to have a diabetes alert cat!

4. They Make Us Laugh 

Pets can be goofy – I know mine are! From her puppy days of tail chasing to the silly faces and noises she makes to her endearing interactions with my one-year-old, my oldest dog certainty makes us smile and laugh on a regular basis.

At least one study has shown that laughter may be effective in reducing postprandial blood glucose levels. The scientists are not sure whether the physical action of laughing increased glucose utilization by the muscle or if the effects are endocrine-mediated. It appears though, that laughter is good medicine! 

5. We Can Learn from Them 

Undoubtedly, humans have evolved to be quite intelligent as compared to other animals. However, this does not mean that we cannot learn valuable things from our pets.

My biggest lesson? “Shake it off!” Dogs live in the moment. They do not worry about “what-ifs” or what “could be.”

I think this is a useful strategy to apply to diabetes management. When we see a high blood glucose value, it can be hard not to feel discouraged, especially if we’re struggling to find the reason behind it. Not everything is in our control, but by letting go, we can focus on the present moment and what we can do to make the best of what we have.

Finally, the unconditional love that a pet provides is priceless. No matter what kind of a day you’ve had, you can count on your pet to be happy to see you when you come home."

Above article taken from here

All the best Jan