Therapy dogs can help reduce anxiety, regulate blood pressure and heart rate

A new study shows that therapy dogs actually make patients' health better because their presence reduces anxiety and keeps blood pressure more stable.

The therapeutic dog helps regulate blood pressure and heart rate

Dogs are usually not allowed to be brought into the hospital but the dogs are different. They are trained dogs to bring impact and comfort to patients in hospitals, retired elderly, nursing homes, schools, disaster-hit areas and self-inflicted people. century. The idea here is simply that a friendly dog ​​can reduce stress, making the patient's life more or less better. Recently, some researchers have explored further scientific data to determine if the treatment dogs really make a difference?

Researchers at the US Humanitarian Association (AHA) led by the director of the National Institute of Therapy and Humanitarian Studies - Amy McCullough is in the process of studying the impact of therapeutic dogs on Children who are on cancer treatment.

McCullough and her team brought therapy dogs to play with children diagnosed with cancer for several weeks. 51 children and parents at five hospitals in the US participated in this study along with their 31 therapists and instructors. The results published today show that children who are playing with dogs every week have more stable blood pressure and heart rate than those who do not have contact with dogs.

Not only children but also parents of children enjoy positive effects from these 4-legged friends. Based on a survey of anxiety and quality of life, parents reported that their anxiety levels changed erratically during their child's treatment, but when they were playing with a dog with their children, it was anxiety became more stable and even decreased slightly at the end of the 4th month of treatment.

McCullough and his colleagues also want to take this therapy further. They are recording the dog sessions so that the instructors can review the video and evaluate the personality and fatigue of each dog. From there they measured levels of hormone cortisol - the fatigue hormone released from dogs' saliva before and after each session playing with patients. The goal is to find out whether or not dogs feel tired and when they are tired. Finally, use this information to improve the training for dogs and instructors.