open access
Dog-assisted therapy as a proposed intervention in palliative care. Its history, premises and treatment objectives
open access
Abstract
Dog-assisted therapy, a branch of animal-assisted therapy (AAT), facilitates rehabilitation, treatment and care through patients’ contact with a pet therapy dog. Engaging patients in such activities as stroking or massaging a dog, boosts the endocrine system and stimulates the release of endogenous substances alleviating pain and improving patients’ well-being. In the same way, the patient’s immune system is boosted and the release of cortisol and noradrenalin — hormones activated in response to stress — reduced. Dog-assisted therapy thrived in the 20th century. In 1996 Delta Society (Pet Partners since 2012) set practical standards, defining the role animals play in therapy, according to which AAT involves meeting and play, while animal-assisted activity (AAA) is a dog assisted therapy directed to provide a concrete assistance in treating specific health conditions. Assistance Dogs Europe (ADEu) added animal assisted education (AAE) as a new category. Kynotherapy positively affects patients’ well-being and their physical activity. Nevertheless, despite its numerous beneficial effects, animal-assisted therapy is rarely used in palliative care.
Abstract
Dog-assisted therapy, a branch of animal-assisted therapy (AAT), facilitates rehabilitation, treatment and care through patients’ contact with a pet therapy dog. Engaging patients in such activities as stroking or massaging a dog, boosts the endocrine system and stimulates the release of endogenous substances alleviating pain and improving patients’ well-being. In the same way, the patient’s immune system is boosted and the release of cortisol and noradrenalin — hormones activated in response to stress — reduced. Dog-assisted therapy thrived in the 20th century. In 1996 Delta Society (Pet Partners since 2012) set practical standards, defining the role animals play in therapy, according to which AAT involves meeting and play, while animal-assisted activity (AAA) is a dog assisted therapy directed to provide a concrete assistance in treating specific health conditions. Assistance Dogs Europe (ADEu) added animal assisted education (AAE) as a new category. Kynotherapy positively affects patients’ well-being and their physical activity. Nevertheless, despite its numerous beneficial effects, animal-assisted therapy is rarely used in palliative care.
Keywords
kynotherapy, dog-assisted therapy in palliative care
About this articleTitle
Dog-assisted therapy as a proposed intervention in palliative care. Its history, premises and treatment objectives
Journal
Palliative Medicine in Practice
Issue
Article type
Review paper
Pages
163-167
Published online
2015-02-27
Page views
2611
Article views/downloads
10930
Bibliographic record
Medycyna Paliatywna w Praktyce 2014;8(4):163-167.
Keywords
kynotherapy
dog-assisted therapy in palliative care
Authors
Damian Jagielski
Agnieszka Jagielska
Anna Pyszora
