Many of us have pets and consider them part of the family. They offer emotional support, companionship, and bonding.  Did you know that they are very important for your health? Beyond pets, the medical field is now recognizing the healing qualities of many types of animals. Animal-assisted therapies are being incorporated into clinical treatment plans to improve health outcomes in many chronic conditions and diseases.

Today we dive into the concept of animal-assisted therapy. We take a look into the literature as it relates to psychological outcomes, cardiovascular disease, and more.

Today on The Lab Report: 

• 2:35 Pets and the state of the literature
• 5:55 Effects of animal-assisted therapy in depression
• 9:42 Animals for anxiety and schizophrenia
• 11:00 Pet ownership vs. animal-assisted therapy
• 12:20 Get Outta Here!
• 14:20 Chickens, neurotransmitters, and hormones
• 15:50 Biophilia hypothesis
• 19:00 Question of the Day:
  • What are the differences between service animals, therapy animals, emotional support animals, and working animals?

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