Pets: A Therapeutic Analysis

Pets provide a valuable companionship for older adults and help people grow up in a more secure and active life, as well as playing an important role in the health of a person. They provide a relationship centered and compassionate role in the healing and dying journey of their loved one. Pets or animals in general can be of great benefit to both the mental and overall health of an older adult. Some benefits includes a decrease of social isolation, increase positive behaviors, improvement of overall health, distraction from pain or traumatic thoughts, chronic conditions or diseases based on studies that have been conducted on not only adults, but also in children. Pet therapy

Today, more than 50% of all U.S. households have a companion animal. Pets are more common in households with children, yet there are more pets than children in American households.1,2 While current research studies have shown that the mere presence of a pet can have a positive influence on the physical, social and psychological aspects of health, the use of animals as a therapeutic modality is often met with skepticism.1,2

In the field of therapy, there are numerous of therapy available out there for different type of individuals and situations as well. There is one type of therapy that usually contains people and animal, it is animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that brings animals and individuals with physical and/or emotional needs together to perform the therapy. Animal-assisted therapy tend to be focused on individuals either children or elderly for them to be able to connect with the animal thus feeling comfortable talking with the therapist. Pet therapy works for all ages, whether sick or not (Lanchnit, 2011). Although, this paper, most of the focus is on animal-assisted therapy towards children using dogs.

Florence Nightingale was the first person to recognize the therapeutic potential of animals in the late 1800s. Nightingale is considered the founder of modern nursing which enabled her to make such discoveries by observing the impact animals had on her medical patients. She discovered that the company of a small pet reduced anxiety in children and adults that resided in psychiatric institutions and recorded her findings in her book “Notes on Nursing”. With Nightingale’s involuntary record of these human-animal interactions, animal-assisted therapy approaches began to flourish.

The effects of pet ownership have been shown to be beneficial for humans as well as animals in need of a home. People purchase pets for a variety of reasons, spanning from a need to get more exercise, a desire for companionship, to a desire for unconditional love. Other people simply just love animals and their lives feel complete without a furry friend. However, not all of the causes of pet ownership are positive. Some people purchase a pet because they think the animal looks cute but abandon the pet after they discover the hard work it requires to train it and keep it healthy. Other people do so out of ego, such as purchasing a large, vicious pet they hope will intimidate others and later find they cannot control. The motivational causes of owning a pet will determine the eventual effects of ownership.

Every dog owner knows how important it is to keep their pets fit and active at all times. If you’re planning to take your dog out for a walk in the brutal winter weather, the animal care experts at TLC Pet Care Centers can help you prepare your beloved companion for enduring the elements. Their general practice clinic in Cincinnati, OH has provided comprehensive vet services at reasonable prices for over 30 years. When your pet needs high quality medical care, their highly trained staff has you covered!

June 15, 2016, I had finally understood the importance that dogs had on humans. Walking into Rescue Village on that beautiful Summer day, my heart was racing because I knew it was the day I could adopt my first rescue dog. This day made my life completely different from that point forward. I chose to adopt a dog and to care for her and I was now not only responsible for myself but for a helpless dog. According to the Animal Welfare Institute, I am not the only one who chose to take on the responsibility of a dog, “Sixty-two percent of all U.S. households – more than 72.9 million total – include one more companion animals” (Companion Animal). A companion animal is defined as, “… our best friends, confidents, and help make the family complete”

The research proposal suggests that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can be beneficial to those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Altschuler, 2018). expresses the information from the media is often much more detailed and less filtered than those of medical reports as they use these media stories as their resources for compiling the research proposal. The author expresses their concern for the cost and timeliness of a full-out research study and so they decided to conduct a research proposal to support their ideologies of the importance of AAT with PTSD treatment. Altschuler (2018) suggests that animals can be used to dramatically improve PTSD symptoms, potential benefit from AAT with multiple different animals, and that AAT

Cherniack, E. P., and Ariella R. Cherniack. "The Benefit of Pets and Animal-Assisted Therapy to the Health of Older Individuals." Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research (2014)ProQuest. Web. 23 Sep. 2016.

One area that is receiving a lot of attention is the use of animal-assisted therapy (frequently dogs) for individuals with autism. While research is limited, studies reveal that children with an ASD laugh, talk and display other positive social behaviors when they have a companion animal with them. A recent study explored the viewpoints of youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This innovative study finds that animals help individuals with autism combat feelings of loneliness. Additional research finds that animals can reduce the anxiety, depression and fear that many people with an ASD feel. Furthermore, studies indicate that behavioral problems decrease, positive social interactions and a desire to participate are gained through animal-assisted therapy.

When someone gets sick, it is obvious that they want a loved one with them. That loved one could include a four-legged pal with some whiskers. There are multiple individuals who prefer these whiskered friends by their side on their hospital bed rather than another individual. That is s where the controversy commences. Should pets be allowed in hospitals with their owners or should they stay at home? Researchers have revealed that having a pet visit while hospitalized, the patient’s mood is more likely to brighten and reduce the duration of the hospital stay. A number of hospitals around the country are allowing pets to visit their owners and are resulting in great outcomes. The director of Pastoral Care Services at the University of Maryland

The first poster I reviewed, that did not pertain to nursing practice, was titled: Perceptions and Practices of Speech and Language Therapy: A Global Perspective. This poster examined current literature pertaining to family-centered approaches to speech-language therapy, as well as proposed future research regarding this method of therapy. Along with identifying the numerous benefits associated with family-centered therapy, the poster also provided full disclosure of the existing barriers currently hindering speech language pathologists and families’ implementation of family-centered therapy. As I learned through the poster, and the authors’ presentation, the dissociation that often exists between speech language pathologists and families can significantly and negatively affect children’s’ progress in

It was highly inappropriate to have the water of Maine be swept away by companies that were only interested in for a profit, unlike those who actually need it and own it. With this 'simple' act, caused a fatal, misleading incident that companies yet have sympathy for. With the greediness going on of renowned water companies, such as Nestle, etc., there is a disturbance in innocent people's health. For example, in the documentary, "80% of PET in the U.S. ends up in a Coke, Nestle and Aquafina,"[1]. PET is linked to the benzene family, which, is a cause of cancer. But not only does it cause an affect on people's health by drinking out of these murderous bottles, but those who live near the petrochemical plants are going through oxygen inhalation

The Classification of Therapy Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, and Dogs for the Deaf and Blind

The use of animals for therapeutic purpose has been on the rise in the recent years. There are many benefits from Animal therapy. Although it may seem far-fetched, sometimes, particular animals can have a better understanding of the psychology than medical professionals. One example of is the horse. Equine therapy uses the nature and honesty of horses to help people through, interactions between the two. Tim Hayes, through his extensive work with horses, uses his knowledge in conjunction with scientific research to write his novel, Riding Home: The Power of Horses to Heal. Even the title forms a bond between the readers and the book. In most cases, people ride on horses, but in this case, they are taking people to a place of desire, their home.