Reasons Why Therapy Dogs Can Benefit Treatment It has become a fairly common sight to see a therapy animal walking the halls of a hospital, or other medical facilities. The reason is pretty simple; they are there because of all the benefits they can offer to patients. Therapy pets offer a number of positive attributes to the patients that they visit both physically and mentally, and are welcomed by the staff of most medical facilities. While most therapy animals are dogs, there is an ever-evolving trend of different species, cats, pigs, and even rabbits that are slowly making their way into the therapy pet spectrum. Regardless of what species the therapy animal is, they can help your patients feel better, which in turn, can make their treatment more successful. The Positive Mental Attributes of a Therapy Animal Think about it; when you look at someone petting an animal, you see a calm and relaxed individual. Stroking an animal reduces anxiety and stress, therefore, having a patient who has been through a lot would benefit from the love and kindness of a therapy animal. Anything that can help reduce those feelings is generally welcomed and appreciated by medical staff. When someone is in pain, it's hard to think of anything else; however, diverting that attention to a therapy animal can reduce the anxiety associated with that pain, and ultimately create a more relaxed patient. Therapy animals can cheer up even the most depressed patients. Related: It's OK to Say No Relieving Pain with Therapy Animals It may sound like a strange concept, but therapy animals can help relieve pain. When a patient touches an animal their body releases endorphins, natures own pain reliever. The more endorphins that are released, the lower the pain level becomes. Therapy animals can be a diversion to a patient's pain and discomfort, ultimately providing aid to their healing process. As a nurse, it can be very rewarding to see your patients feeling better. With the use of therapy animals, your patient will definitely be in better spirits. Combating Loneliness with Therapy Pets Unfortunately, not every patient has involved family and friends that visit regularly. It's only natural that he or she is going to suffer from feelings of loneliness, especially when hospitalized. A visit from a therapy animal can be the answer to eliminating some of those feelings of being all alone. Animals do not judge or discriminate; they simply offer unconditional love and companionship, which is exactly what patients of all illnesses and ailments truly need. If you have a patient that does not appear to have many visitors, try and see if they are able to see a therapy animal. Related: Where do Registered Nurses Work?
What You Can Do It is known that animals can lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve the mood of patients. That is enough to prove the value of having therapy animals visit patients. The bond between animals and humans is unsurpassed, and it can make a big difference in their overall mental and physical well being. If you’re medical facility does not currently have a therapy pet program in place, it's easy to look up local therapy pet agencies, as most are happy to provide assistance where ever they can. See what you can do to give your patients that little boost of happiness. Do you have experience with therapy pets? Related: Leading Nurse Assistant Christi Dawn Scholl, CNA to be Published in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare as New Member of the International Nurses Association Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter