The article under consideration is devoted to such a practice as canisterapia, a type of animal therapy, a method of medical and social rehabilitation using specially selected and trained animals – therapy dogs. The authors decided to focus on the field of mechanical ventilation and the influence of specially trained dogs as the leading psychologists of patients. Together with the authors, I will try to understand this topic, study all the features of the mentioned type of ventilation, and find out which dogs can help using concrete examples.
Scientists have found that a dog’s keen sense of smell can detect rare combinations of proteins in malignant tumors and distinguish between the clothes of healthy children and those of children with ASD. According to research by the Calgary Institute of Canada at Alberta Children’s Hospital, the dog can anticipate an epileptic seizure at least 20 minutes in advance (Hetland, 2017). Scientists and doctors observed 45 families with epileptic children experiencing seizures at least once a month (Hetland, 2017). Twenty families noted that dogs responded to the approach of a seizure, and in 10 of those, the animals tried to alert the child or their loved ones in the ways available to them (Hetland, 2017). It is impossible to claim that canister therapy “cures” all these diseases; it is still a way of social and medical rehabilitation and habilitation. However, there is a vast number of scientific studies confirming the positive effect of adding animal therapy to the main course of treatment.
Even though communicating with most dogs is pure pleasure, not every dog is capable of becoming a therapist. There are certain qualities that a dog must possess to pass the test of suitability – a robust nervous system, low excitability, loyalty to other dogs, friendliness, and human orientation. It should initially show high emotional sensitivity to people and adapt quickly to the environment. Finding such a dog is difficult, but possible: you have to choose a breeder first, then look at the puppies’ parents, go to exhibitions, read about dogs”. There is no consensus among canisteropia experts on which breeds are best suited for the job, so it is probably not about the breed. There is a relatively firm conviction that fighting breeds of dogs will be bad candidates for the role of therapy dogs: even though they can be pretty friendly, their character is rather harsh (Hetland, 2017). Experts do not recommend training a shelter dog as a therapy dog.
During training, not only the dog learns but also the owner because the essential thing in the process is the emotional connection between them. In training, the first thing that is stressed is self-regulation. Next, the adaptive capabilities of the handler are expanded, and through him, the dog learns to do everything he knows how to do. Besides working on everyday things like endurance, and unconditional, perfect obedience – with a voice, a gesture, or movement of an eyebrow – they develop a complex of correct reactions to those or other displays and features. People come to the practice sessions, and further, if the dog, by the results of internal testing, is recognized as ready, it is invited to the classes, where it first sits on endurance and observes how the owner works with another dog, or works itself in the light format, for example, is involved only several times during the session. Gradually, the pair get involved in full-fledged work and, in time, can participate in canister therapy sessions with patients under mechanical lung regulation.
Thanks to the collaborative work of the team of a nurse and a well-trained dog, the individual overcomes the difficulties they are facing, which previously were considered impossible, unnoticeably in play and with pleasure. In general, the entire activity is based on the game, which not only helps in overcoming difficulties but also lifts one’s mood and brings pleasure during the period of mechanical ventilation (Hetland, 2017). As in any game, in the process of canister therapy, each participant makes an equal contribution. Dogs as assistants during therapy are an effective, helpful, and flexible intervention that can be implemented in the mechanical ventilation unit with sufficient program planning and supervision. In addition, assisted therapy dogs can be adapted to meet the needs of different situations, making this therapeutic method desirable for many patients, including those on mechanical ventilation.
Although research regarding the positive effects of human-animal interaction continues to grow, the specific mechanisms explaining and enhancing how the animal supports human well-being remain a hypothesis that needs further testing. The example of a 76 male and a 5-year-old golden retriever illustrates that the effect of dogs on the rate of recovery in the intensive care unit is significant. The authors, by studying the mechanism of ventilation separately through a case study and risk assessment, were able to prove the thesis of the positive effect of dogs as assistants in the period of recovery therapy. It is essential to understand how necessary and how this factor reduces the risk of postoperative recurrence. In addition, there is a high responsibility for the nurse who accompanies and supervises the dog.
Reference
Hetland, B., Bailey, T., & Prince-Paul, M. (2017). Animal assisted interactions to alleviate psychological symptoms in patients on mechanical ventilation. Journal of hospice and palliative nursing: JHPN: the official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, 19(6), 516.