It is not for nothing that we say that dogs are our best friends. Having a dog as a pet could be very beneficial for your health. This was shown by a study published on March 9 in the journal Plos One and carried out in Canada. The presence of dogs would have a positive effect on the level of pain experienced by hospitalized patients.
Dogs soothe the pain
Use service dogs to help the sick to endure the pain during their hospitalization, this is the whole purpose of this study which confirms the considerable benefits of the presence of these particularly generous and kind animals. To assess the beneficial effects of the mere presence of a dogthe researchers followed more than 200 patients being in emergency services and presenting with pain. These patients were divided into two groups, those who received absolutely nothing for ease their painand those who were lucky enough to benefit from the presence of a therapy dog.
The results are clear, patients who spent time with a dog systematically claimed to feel less pain. “These pets elicit positive emotions“, said Michelle Gagon, professor of psychology and health studies at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, to the American television network CNN. “I think it could have an impact on the experience of pain itself“, she added.
Caregivers were not surprised by these results. “In the emergency room, we are sometimes desperate in the face of our inability to achieve our goals ofeffective patient care and a multiple approach is beneficial in meeting their needs,” said Mike Macfadden, a nurse who helped conduct the study. pet dogs in hospitals could also have a beneficial effect for the caregivers themselves. “The presence of a therapy dog not only has the benefit of supporting the patient experience, but I think it is also comforting for caregivers“, added Mike Macfadden, nurse who participated in the realization of the study.
The only point that could pose a problem is the risk of disease transmission which dogs may carry. But the authors of the study are very reassuring, for them, using canine therapy in hospitals is absolutely not in contradiction with the health standards of hospitals. It is not a question of bringing stray dogs into hospitals but of c his trained, educated and brought up with the greatest care. For an animal cannot give care if it does not first receive it itself. The love and comfort that puppies and dogs bring us could therefore be just as effective as a painkiller. This treatment also has the advantage of having no side effects, so of course, patients and caregivers are not afraid of dogs, that goes without saying.
