HealthMatters 2012
The Healing Paw
Man’s best friend is good for body and soul. BY LISA NIESKES
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arty Heidner, director of Therapy Dogs International, Chapter 184, has worked with therapy dogs for years. He and the pooches have visited hospitals, nursing homes, funeral homes and schools throughout the area, and he sees firsthand the impact made by interactions with furry companions. “My first dog, Freckles, and I were visiting the hospital when I heard a voice call ‘Freckles.’ We stopped at the door, and the patient was someone we knew from another facility. She asked for Freckles to sit on the bed with her.” An active cocker spaniel, Freckles would rarely stay in one place long, but he sat with the patient for 20 minutes. A week later, the patient passed away. “A few months later, a staff member asked if I knew what a difference Freckles had made,” Heidner says. “She told me the lady had just been admitted to hospice and didn’t understand what was happening. Freckles helped her make the transition from living to preparing for death.” Linda Bobot, a certified professional dog trainer with Angels Service and Therapy Dogs, explains that in hospitals, dogs provide a friendly face and a chance to forget about pain. In a nursing home, they can interact with people without using words. In funeral homes, they remind people it’s OK to laugh, cry and remember. The use of therapy dogs is becoming more prevalent in difficult or stressful circumstances, including education. Heidner has taken therapy dogs to schools to help children
improve their reading skills. “It’s less intimidating to read to a dog than to an adult. The dog won’t tell them if they mispronounce a word.” Even universities, such as the University of WisconsinOshkosh and Yale Law School, have provided therapy dogs on campus to help students relieve stress. “Therapy dogs provide a welcome distraction,” says Amy Rowell of the Milwaukee Animal Rescue Center. “They remind us of the joys in our lives and provide a safe way to communicate and release feelings.” Even the family pet can have an impact. James Winston, a psychiatrist with American Behavioral Clinics, sees the benefits. “Patients who are lonely or have a difficult time expressing their thoughts or feelings would really benefit from a pet,” he says. “Pets help take their mind off of stresses.” But ultimately, Winston cites unconditional love as the biggest benefit. “It’s unconditional love without any judgment,” Winston says. “Where do you find that? You can always turn to them, and you have some inner peace and safety.” This bond may have its root in a chemical connection. Biologists at Azuba University in Japan conducted a study of 55 dog owners. They asked the owners to play with their dogs for half an hour. In another session, the dog owners were asked to sit in the same room as their dog but completely avoid looking at their pets. The biologists measured the owners’ oxytocin levels before and after each session. Oxytocin is nicknamed the “cuddle chemical” or “love drug.” A hormone that is naturally released in mothers when they breast-feed their babies, it has also been linked to romantic love and friendship, and has been found to reduce stress, lessen depression and build trust in humans. In the Azuba study, oxytocin levels rose by more than 20 percent during the play session. But owners who avoided their dog’s gaze saw oxytocin levels drop slightly. An increase in oxytocin isn’t the only physical benefit. Heidner notes that hospital staffers have told him that kids who visit with the dogs before and after a procedure require less anesthesia and fewer pain medications. “It’s well-documented that animals extend the lives of seniors, reduce stress and high blood pressure, help people cope
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