Transcripts

Franklin D. McMillan D.V.M.:
By name we haven't given it that. It's just got every indication of being the same. They get disorientated. There's dementia. I had a patient who didn't even remember he was fed - he'd eat his meal, and then he'd bark for more food.

Veterinarian Franklin McMillan, author of the book, Unlocking the Animal Mind is a leader in the study of animal mental health.

Fortunately, in animals we have a drug that helps a lot of these animals regain a lot of their mental capacities. In fact, in that sense, we're a bit ahead of people.

You've certainly heard that pet ownership is good for your health. Several studies have proven that.

And I thought there must be more to this story. So, I went into the medical literature and pulled out a ton of articles that showed it works the other way around, too, And I documented in one paper in the AVMA Journal that humans affect animal health with simple measures as just petting them. It'll increase blood flow to the heart. It actually, in a rabbit study, slowed the progression of heart disease. Amazing stuff.

And can you spoil your pet with too much affection? Impossible, says Dr. McMillan…

It's funny because that's exactly what I define pampering as, is just piling on the good things in life and it's not necessarily a bad thing, obviously.

At somethingyoushouldknow.net I'm Mike Carruthers and that's Something You Should Know.