by Rynski on Oct.12, 2009, under animals, dogs, health, life, pets, ua news
Dogs can deter asthma – for real
Dog fur may seem like something that could trigger asthma, but a University of Arizona research team is finding the opposite.
Tucson's award-winning bouvier D'Artagnon is as big and fuzzy as they come/Ryn Gargulinski
Having a dog in the home can actually reduce the chances of kids developing asthma later in life, according to an article on the UA website.
The National Institutes of Health liked these findings so much that it awarded the research team, headed by College of Pharmacy Professor Serrine Lau, nearly $1 million to study it further over the next two years.
It works like this:
The team hypothesizes that exposure to dogs at an early age creates a “signature” (either the presence or the modification of a protein) in a child’s blood.
By comparing the signatures of children known to have been exposed to dogs at an early age with the signatures of children known not to have been exposed to dogs, and by noting the presence or absence of asthma in the children, the team hopes to learn more about how children exposed to dogs at an early age are protected from asthma.
Saywer, Phoebe and I support anything that encourages folks to add a dog to the family. Lizard Lazlo and rats Bobo and Pierre say dogs are OK as long as they are not Phoebe who just sits and stares at their cages all day while licking her chops.
While none of us knew dogs could help deter asthma, we do know keeping a dog – or any pet – in a house with kids is beneficial for many other reasons. Just make sure the kid doesn’t kill the pet, or vice versa.
Who would't love that face?/Ryn Gargulinski
Pets teach kids:
How to share – that lesson is instantly learned when a dog or fat cat decides he wants half, or more, of the bed.
How to be responsible – once old enough, kids learn the joys of walking, feeding and cleaning up after an animal.
How to be gentle – a gentle touch is definitely needed, especially for our smaller furry friends. Kids can kill a hamster with one wrong move.
How to be “nice” – one loud meowl, growl, nip or hiss should fully convince a kid it’s not nice to pinch an ear, pull a tail or dress up a cat in bobby socks.
How to love. No further comment needed.
What do you think?
Will you run out and get a dog before you have children so the kids won’t get asthma?
What other lessons do kids – and adults – learn from pets?
16 Comments for this entry
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October 12th, 2009 on 9:14 am
What an interesting story. Who knew??!!
Isn’t it also true that people with pets are overall healthier and live longer than people who don’t? I think pets are also good for mental health as well.
October 12th, 2009 on 9:28 am
yes, yes and yes – pets have been shown to help reduce blood pressure, stress and improve mental health. all that, plus they love you no matter what. a household without a pet is a sad one indeed.
October 12th, 2009 on 9:41 am
Since my boyfriend moved in with me a while ago, he brought along his fat kitty, named Kitty, and I’ve definitely had to learn to share my bed! The boyfriend gets the left half of the bed, Kitty gets the bottom right quarter, while I get stuck crunched up in the top right quarter of the bed. Occasionally though, I’ll be able awakened by Kitty laying on my back or stomach, massaging me with his claws and purring away with contentment! At least then I can stretch my legs out…
October 12th, 2009 on 10:07 am
awww, what a fine lesson in sharing that is! haha.
i’m LUCKY if i get enough room to crunch when sawyer and phoebe decide to both sleep on the bed. i’m glad sawyer usually chases phoebe off it so i at least can breathe.
October 12th, 2009 on 11:47 am
No room in my bed for the dogs. The cats are the bosses and are bed hogs.
October 12th, 2009 on 11:59 am
When I was a teen, I would occasionally sleep up on the roofdeck, especially in winter. I would invariably wake up unable to breathe, only to find our two german shepherds lying across my chest.
October 12th, 2009 on 12:06 pm
ha! so i guess dogs are good for asthma UNLESS they are lying on your chest preventing you from breathing at all…hahaha.
phoebe sometimes tries to sleep on my head.
October 12th, 2009 on 10:20 am
Ryn, why do I think that “dress up a cat in bobby socks.” sounds like a personal experience?
Anything you wanna tell us?
October 12th, 2009 on 10:40 am
hahhahhahah!… they DID look cute on him….
October 12th, 2009 on 11:52 am
This also makes me realize that I’ve had a dog in my family for my entire life. Maybe that explains why I never had problems with asthma…while other kids on the playground came equipped with inhalers.
October 12th, 2009 on 1:48 pm
In other news, new research indicates that putting a bandana on a dog is a sign of serious emotional issues and probably causes cancer.
October 12th, 2009 on 2:41 pm
It seems like anything can cause cancer these days.
October 12th, 2009 on 3:14 pm
Ah, my buddy leftfield and his love for the bandanna-wearing pooch.
Luckily, my dogs only wear argyle in the winter.
October 12th, 2009 on 5:42 pm
When Missy the Pug was alive and in her dotage, she used to wear sweaters from her rather extensive and tasteful selection in the wintertime. This is, of course, something entirely different from wearing a bandana. A bandana is a bourgeois affectation and makes a statement that a good communist pooch would never make, whereas even her Uncle Karl enjoyed the proletarian comfort of a good sweater.
October 13th, 2009 on 7:00 am
I think a nice crimson bandanna with a hammer and sickle motif would make a statement even Che would smile about…were he smiling these days.
October 13th, 2009 on 7:17 am
LOL!
Good, my dogs are okay then.
Of course Tibet the Sharpei does look particularly sharp in her Harley jacket and matching leather black cap.