Animal-Assisted Therapy Gains in Popularity

MESA, Ariz. – Research in human-animal interaction has been conclusive in showing the beneficial effect animals can have not only on pet owners but also on patients in hospital environments. It’s well documented that the human-animal relationship has benefits for both humans and dogs. Humans find that dogs make great companions and help in times of stress when they need emotional support, while dogs and other pets find a loving home with a family who are able to care for them in their time of need. Particularly if they are going through illness, you can read –https://cbddoghealth.com/cbd-for-pancreatitis/ – to learn more. Whatever the need, the relationship between animals and humans continues to develop. As a result, it is becoming more commonplace to see animals in hospitals – from an animal therapy program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York to another at UCSF Children’s Hospital in San Francisco – giving comfort to old and young humans in crises, and many times as a part of a patient’s end of life treatment.

Animal or pet-assisted therapy programs offer a unique opportunity for individuals to volunteer with their pets, providing comfort in a variety of settings including palliative care, psychiatric hospitals, acute-care for the elderly, pediatric units, assisted living facilities, school reading programs, hospice – and even in correctional facilities. You can click here to find a dog that would suit you and the people you care for if you’re thinking of providing animal therapy – it can be an incredibly rewarding experience for both you and your canine companion. It doesn’t matter what breed of dog you have either, as long as they have a gentle, loving and quiet temperament.

Animal-assisted therapy isn’t a new concept. Over the years it has been used in numerous hospitals that recognize its therapeutic value. Animal visitations have been used in a mental health program in Washington D.C. since 1919. During World War II, patients at Army Air Corps hospitals were encouraged by Red Cross aids to do farm work to keep their minds off the war.

A University of Pennsylvania study from 1985 reported that the simple act of stroking a cat or dog could significantly lower a person’s blood pressure. Further research has begun to make a connection between animal interaction and its effects on the human brain.

Studies have also shown that levels of epinephrine, a hormone the body manufactures under stress, drops approximately 17 percent in patients visited by a person and a dog, and only two percent when visited solely by a person. Patients who were not visited by either animal or human experienced a rise in epinephrine levels by seven percent, according to the report.

Banner Desert Medical Center and Cardon Children’s Medical Center – both part of the Banner Health system and located in Mesa, Ariz., have been using pet assisted therapy since the 1980s, according to a Banner official. While there are not exact figures on the number of facilities that utilize pet or animal assisted therapy, there are programs extending both into Canada and around the globe, and the general consensus is that the numbers seem to be growing.

Martha Hughes, an administrator with the hospital system, says that the animal therapy program there is a boon not only for the patients, who are able to get their minds off of their condition or pain, but also for the staff.

“It is such a relief for everyone,” says Hughes, “When an animal comes onto the floor, everyone just flocks to it, wanting to touch it or talk about it. There is an immediate connection felt by everyone.”

Hughes says that the pet assisted therapy program at Banner and Cardon has blossomed dramatically over the past five years and she is certain that it will continue to do so because it is effective.

“The reason it works is simple,” says Hughes. “It is uncomplicated. The love the animal offers is unconditional and non-judgmental, and for that moment it becomes about just the patient.”

Twenty miles away, an animal-assisted therapy program has been going strong for 13 years at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Mary Lou Jennings, coordinator of the program at Phoenix, says that animal therapy is different in every facility.

What makes their animal-assisted therapy so unique, she says, is that while the “feel good” aspect of human-animal interaction is valuable for their patients, a strong value is placed on the clinical importance of the animal therapy as well.

“Our program is designed to work with staff to help patients meet treatment goals,” says Jennings. “If we have a physical therapy patient in rehabilitation and we are trying to motivate them to get their physical therapy done, having a therapy dog there to throw a ball to makes them more likely to participate. This in turn can speed up their recovery.”

Although animal assisted therapy is considered by many to be beneficial as a non-pharmacological and non-surgical intervention, its scientific value is yet to be determined. Some argue that while walking a dog is obviously good for one’s vascular health, there is still uncertainty about the psychological effect it holds. Others argue if it were not for the companionship of the pet, would the owner have the motivation to exercise at all. The answer is yes it can still have an effect. Not only is this motivation to move, it is responsibility. Many of those in charge of an assistance dog feel responsibility for it. All animals need the ultimate pet nutrition, lots of exercise and attention. This builds a routine, and for those suffering with mental health or therapy, this is extremely important – building a routine with their pet can help them to get out of bed and out of the house comfortably every day.

Jennings points to research that shows measurable physiological changes after human-animal interaction as well as real life experiences as the best way to convince skeptics that animal-assisted therapy works.

“When you see a child who connects with an animal, and they become motivated to do an activity that will help them heal – and they don’t even know that they are doing it – that speaks volumes for just how effective animals can be in the healing process.”

The question of psychological relevance is not as complex for people like Billie Smith, administrator for Therapy Dogs Inc., a national nonprofit organization based in Cheyenne, Wyo. Smith has spent the better part of 19 years working in pet-assisted therapy.

“Studies are showing that a patient’s blood pressure goes down when visited by a therapy dog,” Smith says. “The medical field is always looking for alternative therapies to help cut out medications that have proved to be ineffective. Animal-assisted therapy is growing because it is volunteer-based and [hospitals] don’t have to pay huge amounts of money to see results.”

A concern hospital administrators have regarding animal therapy programs, Smith says, is the question of potential infection by exposure to animals.

However, Smith counters with the fact that studies show that when guidelines are met, such as updated vaccinations, appropriate flea, tick and enteric parasite control programs, that contact with pets in healthcare settings does not appear to pose any greater risk to patients than would interactions with other people or the environment.

“The concern of infectious control is probably the biggest problem we face when trying to make hospital administration give our program a chance,” Smith says. “And while it is a valid concern, we have very strict guidelines that our handlers must follow. The dogs must be current on their shots, bathed regularly for ticks and fleas, have their nails clipped, teeth cleaned, etc.”

“We take better care of preparing our dogs to enter a facility than most humans do,” she says.