Pet Therapy and Psoriatic Arthritis

I never gave pet therapy for psoriatic arthritis a thought as my best friend happens to be one of my therapists. MY dog is a black labrador and is 16 years old now.

Perry was rescued from a no-kill shelter. My daughter picked him out ten years ago, and he is our family dog.

A very happy, gentle soul. He has big brown eyes that seem to look into your soul as much as they reflect his soul. I never thought of my dog as therapy, but today, my doctor informed me that he actually is.

Health progress and the comfort of my dog

At this last appointment, we discussed my heart. The doctor says I am making wonderful progress with losing weight and eating healthier.

He asked how I relaxed. I wasn't expecting this question. After careful consideration, I realize that I read, watch TV, and crochet. The doctor then asked "That's great. What do you do when you are upset?"

I replied "Usually, I look for comfort. The first thing I do is pet and hug my dog. After that, I talk to family or a friend."  He smiled at me and asked. "So you use pet therapy?" 

I explained that my dog is not a therapy dog like the kind that visits hospitals. He tells me that he doesn't have to be registered to be a therapy dog.

the mutual benefits of pet companionship

Pets cause the brain to produce hormones like serotonin and dopamine that make you feel better. Both you and your animal produce this.

You feel calmer from petting your pet and interacting with it. The pet enjoys the attention and relaxes. At the same time, you both feel more comfortable.

I have heard there are sensors in dog's ears and the top of their heads that petting or rubbing gives the dog a sense of security and happiness. There are times when I don't feel like talking to family or friends, but I always tell my dog.

I am not great at telling people when I am upset or sad. Perry is a good boy and always listens to me.

Often, he will lick me or nudge me to make me laugh. I never really thought about how having my dog benefited both of us.

We keep each other happy. He loves to listen to the story of his adoption. He smiles while wagging his tail.

Intuitive support and alertness

My dog is great at alerting me to things around me. In fact, if I try to stand up and my legs buckle, he will push into me, so I fall back in my chair. Perry prevents me from falling on the floor.

He also will lay across me when I am feeling unwell. My kids have noticed he does this to keep me in one position. He is a big boy, so when he uses his weight to hold me in my spot, I notice.

The bond we share

When my joints are swollen on bad days, he seems to know that I will have trouble standing before I do. Another example of great arthritis help is at night when my arthritis is bad, he turns on his side and lays with his back against mine. The heat eases my pain. The vet told me that now that he is older, it helps his pain, too.

I asked my veterinarian about the dog sensing my health, and she told me it was true. She told me that dogs can often sense heart rates dropping, changes in body temperature, seizure activity, and heart activity. She says that he loves me a lot because how a dog watches out for a loved one often reflects how we look out for them.

For instance, prior to my near-fatal heart attack in May of 2023, my dog was knocking into my legs and pushing me with his paws to keep me seated. Little did I know, but I had angina (heart discomfort) for three weeks before my attack.

I look back at that often and wonder how much he knew before I did. Knowing this makes me appreciate him even more. We definitely were meant to find each other.