Topic - Dogs and schizophrenia. What’s the relationship?
Spending time with dogs in childhood lowers the chances of developing schizophrenia as an adult. Changes in the immune system as a result of being exposed to the dog’s bacteria and virus create this protection. This exposure causes the microbiome to improve the immune system. The microbiome is all of the bacteria, fungus, and viruses that live on and inside your body. If a person was already genetically predisposed to suffer from schizophrenia, this shift in the immune system might protect them from developing the condition. People with a family history of schizophrenia who were exposed to dogs from birth through age 13 were 24% less likely to be diagnosed. This protection is strongest when exposed to a dog after birth and before age 3. Humans needs dogs!
