5 Scientific Reasons to Cuddle With Your Pet Every Day

When we’re busy with our daily lives, it’s easy to lose track of the things that matter most. Between the stresses of work, social obligations, and an ever-growing to-do list, cuddling with your pet often falls by the wayside.

Next time your dog is smashing their toy into the back of your leg or your cat won’t get off your laptop, don’t brush it off as an annoying inconvenience. Instead, stop what you’re doing and give your furry friend the love and affection it’s craving. Not only is cuddling with your pet a nice thing to do, it’s actually good for both of you! Here are five science-backed reasons why you should work some quality cuddle time into every day.

1. It Can Improve Your Physical Health

Humans and dogs have been together since prehistoric times, and both have a primal need for physical touch. When you cuddle with your dog, it stimulates the brain’s production of Oxytocin (also called the “love hormone”) in both you and your dog. This is the same hormone that is released during childbirth and when a mother breastfeeds her baby. It’s associated with the feelings of trust, empathy, and strong bond formation.

Oxytocin also inhibits cortisol production. High levels of this stress-hormone can lead to weight gain, reduced immune function, and an array of other problems. Cuddling with your pet can lower your heart rate, reduce your blood pressure, and may even stimulate muscle regeneration.

2. Cuddling Makes Your Pet Feel Loved and Secure

Dogs are pack animals that naturally want to bond with others. While cats are known for being fiercely independent, they too sometimes crave human touch. Giving your pet plenty of affection empowers it and makes it feel loved and secure.

Lack of affection from their human owners can cause dogs to become inactive, withdrawn, and change their eating patterns. It’s hard to tell if dogs feel sadness and depression in the same way humans do, but many vets agree there are times when that’s the only explanation for a pet’s change in behavior. If your pet is acting strange, a trip to the vet is definitely in order, but some extra cuddling also can’t hurt.

3. It Helps Relieve Anxiety and Depression

Cuddling stimulates the release of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, which help relieve depression and may make you feel happier. The act of holding and stroking your pet is also an effective way to combat anxiety. It creates a calming effect and helps you focus on the present moment.

When we’re constantly busy and on the go, we can start to feel guilty about not paying enough attention to our pets. Setting aside a few minutes each day to cuddle and bond can alleviate this guilt and help you maintain a positive mental balance.

4. Regular Physical Contact Helps You Stay in Tune with Your Pet’s Health

Daily physical contact with your pet makes it more likely that you’ll notice right away when something is wrong. While you’re stroking your pet, take notice of any new lumps or bumps, unpleasant smells, or areas that seem sensitive or tender.

Your pet can’t verbally tell you when something’s wrong, so the more in-tune you are with your pet’s body, the faster you can get them the medical attention they might need.

5. Snuggle-Sessions Are the Best Way to Start and End Your Day

Cuddling with your dog for 10 minutes before you get out of bed in the morning can help you feel calm, relaxed, and happy. Use this morning cuddle-time to get your mindset right and the positive vibes will flow through to the rest of your day.

A before-bed cuddle-session can also help you relax and let go of whatever happened throughout the day. It can promote feelings of restfulness and help you get a better night’s sleep.

How to Cuddle With Your Pet the Right Way

If you haven’t been regularly cuddling with your pet, take it slow. Not all dogs and cats like to snuggle, and some prefer a gentler approach. Pay attention to body language and don’t push it if they’re not into it.

Some pets prefer that you show your affection in other ways like going for walks, playing with toys, or simply spending time in close proximity without physical touch. No matter how you choose to do it, spending some time every day focusing your energy on your pets will strengthen your bond and keep both of you happier and healthier.

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January 5th is National Bird Day

Birds have always held special place in our hearts, which is why we celebrate them on National Bird Day every January 5! While birds are amazing, they're also a massive animal group under particular threat. The phrase “canary in the coal mine” was named after birds for a reason—they’re the barometers of our planet’s environmental health. The fact that so many bird species are under threat thanks to the illegal pet trade, disease, and habitat loss means it’s more important than ever to raise public awareness of the needs of birds. The survival of hundreds of species depends on it.

National Bird Day Activities:

🐤 Read an Audubon book

The Birds of America, created by John James Audubon, is just as much a work of art as it is a seminal work of scientific mastery.

🐤 Build a birdhouse

Birds need housing, just like every other animal. As we continue to deforest large swaths of the planet for development, it’s imperative for us to create birdhouses to make up for – even just a fraction – the loss of habitat they face everyday.

🐤 Feed some birds

Halved grapes, nuts, and seeds. If you’ve got some trail mix you don’t want anymore, birds would love you. In fact, if you have chickens you can actually feed them most food and table scraps and they’ll gobble it right up.

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From The Desk of Dr. Fox: State of the Industry

This is the time of year when we start to get notifications about annual price increases from all of our drug and product suppliers. We hate dealing with it as do you, our clients. Every drug and medical supply company does it every year to keep up with inflation and rising prices and we have always strived to keep the impact to our customers as minimal as possible.

This year however, is different than any other year in the 23 years we've been in business. We have already seen price increases in December effective immediately and the coming increases for other companies starting in January that are double, triple and even quadruple, what we typically see. Typically it might be 1 to 3% but we're seeing 5, 6 and even 8% increases.

Couple that with product shortages and the supply chain issues we are all experiencing and it's...not good.

We will do our best to keep costs down as much as possible, but much like you're seeing at the gas pump, the grocery store and virtually everywhere else, prices are increasing at a rate not seen in 30 or 40 years.

Sincerely,
Dr. Fox

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7 Ways to Make the Holidays Safer for Pets: Holiday Pet Safety Crash Course

​Nothing can spoil holiday cheer like an emergency visit to a veterinary clinic. These seven tips can help prevent a holiday disaster with your pets.

7 Ways to Make The Holidays Safer for Pets

1. Keep people food out of the reach of your pet, and ask your guests to do the same.

2. Make sure your pet doesn't have any access to treats, especially those containing chocolate, xylitol, grapes/raisins, onions or other toxic foods.

3. Don't leave your pet alone in the room with lit candles, a decorated tree or potpourri.

4. Keep holiday plants (especially holly, mistletoe and lillies) out of reach of pets.

5. Consider leaving the tinsel off your tree if you have a cat.

6. Secure your Christmas tree to keep it from falling over if your dog bumps it or your cat climbs it. Hanging lemon-scented car air fresheners in the tree may deter your cat from climbing it.

7. Provide a safe place for your pet to escape the excitement (such as a kennel, crate, perching place, scratching post shelf or hiding place) if you’re entertaining guests. If your pet is excitable or scared, consider putting your pet in another room with some toys and a comfortable bed.

Plan in advance

Make sure you know how to get to your 24/7 emergency veterinary clinic before there's an emergency. Talk with your veterinarian in advance to find out where you would need to take your pet, and plan your travel route so you're not trying to find your way when stressed. Always keep these numbers posted in an easy-to-find location in case of emergencies:

• Your veterinarian's clinic phone number

• 24/7 emergency veterinary clinic

• ASPCA Poison Control Hotline: 1-888-426-4435 (A fee may apply.)

If you’re a client of ours at River Landings Animal Clinic, additional numbers to make note of are:

• Animal ER - (941) 355-2884

• Vet Care Express Animal Ambulance - (941) 592-5131

• 24/7 Pet Poison Control Center - (855) 764-7661

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Dr. Bonda on Zinc Poisoning in Birds (on ABC's Animal Outtakes)

DR. BONDA ON ZINC POISONING IN BIRDS

Did you catch Dr. Bonda on ABC’s television show “Animal Outtakes” on December 25th, 2021? If not, no worries. Watch Dr. Bonda and Abby’s story below or at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xdx4yKDrqk

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