<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"If you have a canine friend running around your house, you&amp;#x27;ve probably experienced firsthand the research-proven health benefits of dog ownership. And now physicians are making the most of those benefits when prescribing treatments, too... When you pet a dog, your body is flooded with oxytocin, otherwise known as the &amp;quot;cuddle hormone.&amp;quot; The hormone makes you feel lovey and more bonded--and it may even make wounds heal faster. Petting a dog (and sometimes even just seeing a dog, according to research) results in lowered blood pressure and less stress and anxiety--reader cmm pointed this out just this morning! So when it comes to treating anxiety and depression, some doctors are forgoing the meds as a first step and prescribing pets, instead. There&amp;#x27;s even evidence that people who own dogs require fewer trips to the doctor for other ailments--20% fewer, as a matter of fact! Do you have a dog? What&amp;#x27;s his or her name (just because I&amp;#x27;m snoopy like that)? If you were depressed, would you ever turn to pet ownership before medication? More on pets: * Are You Allergic to the Things You Love? * How Your Dog Can Save Your Life * Time for a Walk! Why People Who Walk Their Dogs Are More Likely to Be Healthy More Ways to Get Glamour Visit Shopglamour.com for cute stuff starting at just $10! Enter the latest Glamour sweepstakes! Follow us on Twitter Add us to your iGoogle homepage Photo: Thinkstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2012/01/your-happiness-why-some-docs-p>