WHAT IS ANIMAL-ASSISTED OR PET THERAPY?

Animal-assisted therapy, also known as pet therapy, uses dogs and other animals, including horses, to help people as they recover from physical and mental health conditions. The companionship of the animal has proven benefits in both medical and psychological work.

HOW DOES ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY WORK?

When someone is dealing with a medical or mental health condition, they face a significant amount of stress. That stress can hinder their healing. Animals bring comfort to people, and spending time with animals can make healing faster and easier.

Animal-assisted therapy allows a trained service or therapy animal to come to an appointment or visit someone in the hospital. The animal will come with the owner or handler who is knowledgeable about working with service animals. The animal will spend a set amount of time with a child, who gets to pet the animal and ask the owner questions. The presence of the animal provides a needed distraction and helps reduce stress for the patient, and this can speed up healing.

BENEFITS OF ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY

Animal-assisted therapy has proven benefits based on modern scientific research. Researchers have found a direct connection between interacting with animals and enjoying positive health benefits. These animal therapy benefits include mental health, physical health and skill improvement.

1.      MENTAL HEALTH

If you have ever spent time petting a cuddly dog or cat and felt an immediate emotional boost, then you have experienced one of the mental health benefits of animal therapy. For most people, the presence of an animal prompts the body to release serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin. These hormones generate a relaxation and stress-reducing response, according to UCLA Health. This hormone release can lower symptoms of depression and sadness, helping support good mental health.

Releasing these “happy hormones” also helps lower anxiety, so people will relax during their treatment or therapy. They also experience less loneliness while in the hospital. The presence of an animal provides comfort and a needed distraction from an otherwise challenging time.

Some patients have mental health blocks that make therapy and treatment more difficult. Bringing in an animal can “break the ice” between a therapist and patient, and this can reduce that initial resistance to therapy. This reduction in resistance to therapy can increase the effectiveness of these programs.

Finally, in patients with dementia who are struggling with agitation, working with therapy dogs helps lessen those negative behaviors. Since more than 90 percent of people who are institutionalized due to dementia-related problems have agitation, this is a significant benefit for the patient as well as for the staff of nursing homes and memory care settings.

2.    PHYSICAL HEALTH

While the mental health benefits of interacting with animals are well-known, many people are surprised to note that animal therapy positively impacts physical health. It can speed healing and reduce the effects of some health conditions. Here is a closer look at the research.

In a 2007 study published in the American Journal of Critical Care, researchers found that visits with therapy dogs improved cardiovascular health in heart patients, precipitating lowered blood pressure and lowered stress hormone levels. The American Heart Association has found that working with therapy animals improves the health of heart failure patients in the hospital.

Regular visits with therapy animals can reduce the amount of medication some people need to manage medical conditions. Anxious patients experience slowed breathing, and interaction with welcoming animals actually boosts the immune system as well. Some researchers have found an increase in salivatory immunoglobulin A, which indicates a healthy immune system function, after people spend time petting a dog for less than 20 minutes. The release of oxytocin impacts the immune system and increases the pain threshold, helping people heal more quickly.

3.    SKILLS IMPROVEMENT

A third benefit of animal-assisted therapy is improved skills in therapies of all types. In physical therapy that requires exercise that is sometimes uncomfortable, participants find themselves more motivated to participate in therapy after interacting with a pet. The increased pain threshold that comes with the oxytocin release can also motivate people to push harder in their therapy programs.

Children with neurological differences, such as autism, often perform better in their language and social therapies when they have an animal to interact with. The presence of an animal can create spontaneous communication in situations where a child might otherwise choose not to communicate. They often relate better to animals than humans, and therapists can incorporate the animal into the therapy session to improve communication and engagement. For children with anxiety and hyperactivity disorders, the animal can help calm or focus the child, so they will work hard in therapy sessions.

Therapy dogs for children with Autism: 

An autism service dog, for example, can accompany a child to decrease anxiety during medical or dental visits, school activities, shopping and travel. Some autism service dogs are trained to recognise and gently interrupt self-harming behaviours or help de-escalate an emotional situations. For instance, it might respond to signs of anxiety or agitation with a calming action such as leaning against the child (or adult) or gently laying across his or her lap. 

Advantages of Therapy Dogs in Treating ASD:

Social Engagement

Kids with autism experience some difficulty in socializing with others. A therapy dog can help an autistic child to break the ice and motivate them to mingle with others.  When needed, therapy dogs can divert the attention of autistic kids away from distractions and help focus on a task. 

Calm During Over Stimulation

Therapy dogs have the ability to sense and feel the emotions of people they are attending to.  A therapy dog can sometimes reduce the severity or totally circumvent the onset of a meltdown during a visit.

Cognitive and Emotional Growth

Autistic kids sometimes lack cognitive skills. Their rigid behavior often makes it difficult for them to form an emotional connection with others. Since therapy dogs promote positive feelings of care, love, and empathy in kids with autism. Therapy dogs love to be hugged, touched, and cuddled by children which further instills the feeling of care in autistic kids. 

Sensory Support 

Children with autism need sensory stimulation through regular games and activities. Therapy dogs can be trained to assist autistic children throughout the process by means of various games and activities like, tug of war, hide and seek, and massage. 

Reassurance During Anxiety

A therapy dog  can make a perfect companion to battle a sudden bout of anxiety and restlessness during a visit. Therapy dogs are known for offering relief from stress. The presence of therapy dogs offers a sense of security for autistic kids. . 

Improved Vocal Skills

Autistic children have impaired communication skills. It has been noted that such kids speak more frequently when a therapy dog is around. A therapy dog can bring significant change in speech challenged or  nonverbal children by promoting their speech. 

Companionship

Autistic children have difficulty in making eye contact. This developmental disorder also prevents them from socialising and bonding with others. However, therapy dogs have the ability to quickly bond with children. This helps the child experience friendship and cope up with loneliness. Unlike human friends, therapy dogs are non-judgemental, which further helps an autistic child become comfortable around others. 

Dogs in educational settings | Resources | Education Scotland 

Education Scotland have shared information around the use of therapy pets.  Please follow the link for any more information.