The Fluffy Therapist

Pets are stress reducers and anyone who has ever owned a dog or a cat or a parrot, as the mother of a friend of mine, knows that they are great companions and they give love and affection at little cost. The subject of how pets can be used in therapy has been a topic of discussion over the past decade and I've seen in hospitals and nursing homes how the visit of a dog, a rabbit, or a cat can bring smiles and affectionate touches from people who seemed unreachable.

I remember visiting a hospital many years ago where they had a separate building for those who were considered particularly violent and I was somewhat hesitant to go in. The staff member assured me that it wasn't as I might have expected because they now had a dog in residence and things had changed. Sure enough, I entered the building and was greeted by a brown and white dog of uncertain breed that waved her fluffy tail at me and almost smiled in welcome. She was the most important staff member on that ward to the patients.

I came across a recent program where psychology students will be receiving hands-on instruction in preparing dogs in shelters for retraining as therapy dogs in community settings. The stress in these shelters can bring out behaviors that have unfortunate results and "man's best friend," we know, needs help with stress reduction.

Thinking about it, I remembered someone telling me that each evening when she returned home, her cat attacked her legs. This particularly inhospitable behavior was getting on her nerves and her friends were afraid to come near the apartment. What to do? I asked her if the cat were alone all day. She said it was and I asked her how would she feel if she were kept alone in an apartment with no company and nothing to do all day. She said she’d "go nuts." "Well," I said, "do you think your cat would like a little company?" Within a month, she had another cat in residence and the first cat became a different animal entirely. No more ankle attacks, no more lying in wait to jump on people.

Pets can be good for your health. A recent study of stress and cholesterol levels found an important relationship in that higher levels of "bad cholesterol" (LDL) can go up to levels three times greater over time if stress is high initially and little is done to reduce it. Pets lower stress levels, so, in a way, they are wonderful for our cardiac and mental health.

The main thing to consider, however, is where your pet has been before you've gotten it. I had a discussion with a veterinarian who told me of problems he has encountered in his practice when a pet from a "puppy mill" is brought in for care. One thing the owners say proudly, many times, is "My dog comes from (names a European country)." He then informs them that that country is notorious for its puppy mills and they've got a sick animal on their hands.

A bit of careful research will be very helpful if you decide a pet is in your future. At all cost, avoid those from "mills" because it's not fair to the animal or to you, especially if you're getting it for stress reduction. How stressed would you be to find you've gotten a puppy with major health or behavioral problems? A word to the wise.

Related Topics: Lives Brightened By Doggie Dynamics, Pets: Healing with Love

Tags: pets,healing,stress,therapy