Our Beloved Pets Stand Beside Us During Cancer Treatment

Our beloved companions — dogs, cats, and other pets — make us happy. How can these companions support patients during cancer treatment?

Animal-assisted therapy has attracted attention in some countries, particularly in recent years. What benefits might our warm animal companions offer for emotional and physical recovery? What role might they play in treating patients with cancer?

A Brief History of Animal-Assisted Therapy

Animal-assisted therapy became known through its use by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud for patients with mental and nervous disorders in the 19th century. It is known to have first been used for physical illnesses in 1976. In recent years, it has been used as an aid in treating physical and mental illnesses, particularly in America and the United Kingdom.

Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapy

Studies on this subject have found beneficial effects of animals on both physical and emotional recovery. According to research, animal-assisted therapy offers the following benefits:

• Promotes relaxation and lowers the pulse,
• Lowers blood pressure, 
• Reduces chronic pain, 
• Reduces stress levels, 
• Has a calming effect, 
• Reduces patients’ anxiety , 
• Reduces social isolation and loneliness, 
• Keeps the desire to live strong.

It helps not only patients recover physically and emotionally, but also their relatives, families, and nurses feel better. For example, in a study concerning pain management involving 235 patients, 34 relatives, and 26 hospital staff, a total of 295 participants, animal-assisted therapy was tried with patients for 2 months. The study recorded a considerable 23% improvement in stress, pain, and mood. 

Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapy for Patients with Cancer

Research into animal-assisted therapy suggests that, although its effects in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease are smaller, the positive developments in patients with cancer are substantial enough to deserve attention. For example, in a study of patients receiving radiotherapy , those given dog-assisted therapy showed greater improvements in their health than control patients who were not visited by dogs. Another study found that blood oxygen levels increased in patients receiving chemotherapy, while their depression decreased.

Notable benefits for patients with cancer included:

• Helping reduce pain,
• Helping reduce stress,
• Being particularly helpful in reducing fatigue.

How Does It Work?

Pet therapy is another name for animal-assisted therapy. There are different theories about how it supports physical and emotional recovery. First of all, interacting with animals, petting them, and receiving their unconditional love undoubtedly makes us all feel better.

Studies involving animals, especially dogs, found a reduction in the blood level of the hormone cortisol , which can be described as a stress hormone. The biological stress response was found to decrease after spending 5 minutes with a dog. Another study found that dog-assisted therapy reduced catecholamines, chemicals known as neurotransmitters, such as adrenaline, norepinephrine, and dopamine, whose blood levels rise during stress.

What Are the Possible Risks of Animal-Assisted Therapy?

Although our beloved companions make us happy, certain situations require attention from a health perspective.

• Allergy risk should be considered. Some people are allergic to furry animals, so caution is needed in such cases.
• Patients with suppressed immune systemswho are receiving active chemotherapy should consult their oncologists first. Patients being treated for blood and bone marrow cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, have much weaker immune systems than those receiving other cancer treatments. 
• Although the likelihood is low, contact with animals may transmit diseases to humans. It is necessary to make sure that these pets’ vaccinations and veterinary checkupsare kept up to date.
• Fear of animals may make this a poor option for some patients. For instance, some people are very afraid of dogs.
• Animals, too, are living beings. Any situation that could hurt or harm them should be avoided.