Therapy Dogs Help Eating Disorder Clients Recover Faster

Animal assisted therapy, also called pet therapy, has a long history of helping children and adults through physical, emotional and mental problems. New evidence even suggests it can lessen the need for pain medications after joint replacement surgery. Recovering from surgery can be difficult, but new research shows that patients who engage with animals in pet therapy or with pet therapy dogs need 50% less pain medication than other patients. These new findings were presented at the 18th Annual Conference on the International Society of Anthrozoology and the First Human Animal Interaction Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, in November 2009. For those who love animals and wish to help people, pet therapy certification and volunteer work offers many benefits for patients and volunteers alike.

Pet Therapy Helps Patients Recover Faster

In the study from Loyola University, Julia Havey, R.N, the study's presenter, said in a press release, "Evidence suggests that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can have a positive effect on a patients' psychosocial, emotional and physical well being." Harvey and others, who raise service dogs for animal-assisted therapy, presented their findings that pet therapy reduces patient stress and need for pain medication. Harvey and her team frequently bring pet therapy dogs on campus at Loyola University to socialize them and prepare them for life as service animals.

Animal assisted therapy shows promise for pain relief, but it has a long history of other positive effects. Other studies demonstrate that petting dogs, for example, can improve immune system function. Animal assisted therapy has been shown to have overall positive effects on human health and well being, and is especially good for children and adults with disabilities.

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Watch Out - Therapy Dog Going to Work Tonight!

Working to Learn with Wheelchairs

Finally I Graduated! - Calley

Calley will be going to work tonight.  She's excited she sees her vest out! 

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EDRC's Therapy Dog - Calley

EDRC's Therapy Dog - CALLEY

Calley is a Pointer Mix who was adopted from the Humane Society at 6 months of age. We were told Calley lived on the streets of St. Louis until being rescued and put up for adoption. Calley developed a bond with my husband from within her cage at the Humaine Society. When we had the opportunity to get to know Calley a bit in a visiting room she displayed a behavior that she continues to today. Calley has the cutest attempt (for a dog) of a genuine hug. She leans her head down on you and immediately melts your heart. So for both Calley and the receiver of the 'hug' it is an extremely comforting experience. Calley uses her hug on a very regular basis almost as if she knows who needs just a little extra comfort at times. It is not unusual for Calley to get up during group and go to an individual who appears to her to be struggling - whether they are speaking about it or not! Often Calley's recognition of distress brings tears to the eyes of the individual receiving her hugs. Calley truly enjoys meeting new people as well as seeing individuals she has met through her work. She has a very keen memory and everyone is unconditionally a friend to her forever!

Calley's training includes the following: Obedience training through CGC (Canine Good Citizen). Additionally she received an AKA fun class for obedience. Following that she was accepted into the C.H.A.M.P. Program here in St. Louis (Canine Helpers Allow More Possibilities). That program involved 24 weeks of training prior to graduation. The classes were Once a Week for 2 1/2 hours each. The classes involved additional review of obedience, testing for new skills learned to accommodate any possible situation one might experience within a medical facility including moving backwards, moving around medical devices/wheelchairs/equiptment, grief issues, and of course Doggy Zen for increased ability for communication with the handler (myself). She also was expected to make supervised visits prior to receiving her Therapy Dog Vest of CHAMP. So her training is extensive and her temperament excellent for this type of work. We are genuinely lucky to have such a loving smart dog!

There are very few of our clients who do not appreciate Calley's attendance at group therapy sessions. Our sessions are 3 hours long and both Calley and the clients have alot of time to interact with each other. Sometime within the first session with Calley she will establish a relationship with the new client in group. Even those who have some fears about dogs have been able to let go of those fears around Calley. She has visited in particular one client in the hospital. This client explained her age-old fear of dogs to us during which Calley remained sitting quietly by my side. In no time the client wanted Calley to lay with her in her bed and she spent the better part of an hour just petting Calley! Because the client was in a heart hospital it was not 'usual' practice for therapy dogs to visit. Calley's presence was appreciated by all of the staff members as well. They all made sure they came into the clients room just to see the experience. Calley made sure she greeted each hospital employee as they came and went. After the visit was over with our client the staff was waiting for us to leave asking if Calley would stop by and visit with a few other patients on the unit. While we did not have a great deal of time Calley walked through out the unit and greeted those individuals through rising up to their bedside for them to be able to pet her! Calley can not get enough petting - and she never meets a stranger!

Unfortunately, the client I am speaking about is quite young (20's) and as a result of her eating disorder she has significant and permanent heart issues as well as an illiostomy from laxative abuse. Now when we visit her during one of her extensive stays in the hospital the entire staff knows and greets Calley as we pass by on our way to the client's room! She has made many many friends there and appears to perk up when we arrive in the parking lot. She certainly knows where she is and who she is visiting for sure! Actually she takes me to the floor our client stays on!

Ohhh I need to mention that Calley originally had a great deal of fear when riding the elevator. She has long overcome this fear I think in order to have the opportunity of visiting with her friends on the unit!

Deb & Calley

Our Therapy Dog 'Calley' also works with clients who seek us out as a result of being bullied. She is just what the Doctor ordered - a kind, non-judgemental, gentle soul who listens to the pain and begins refreshing thesoul of the frightened individual.