Dogs 'improve wellbeing of cancer patients'
"These new results help advance our understanding of the value of animal-assisted therapy in cancer treatment."
A new clinical study has found therapy dogs can improve the emotional wellbeing of some cancer patients, even when those patients are experiencing significant deterioration in their physical wellbeing.
Carrying out the first study of this kind, researchers from Mount Sinai Beth Israel studied the effect of certified therapy dogs on patients receiving multi-modal radiation therapy and chemotherapy for gastrointestinal, head and neck cancers.
According to the findings, published in the Journal of Community and Supportive Oncology, patients experienced significant improvements in emotional wellbeing, despite marked declines in their physical and functional wellbeing.
"This study is the first such definitive study in cancer," said Stewart Fleishman, founding director of Cancer Supportive Services at Mount Sinai Beth Israel.
"It shows the importance of an innovative environmental intervention during cancer treatment. Having an animal-assisted visit significantly improved their quality of life and 'humanised' a high-tech treatment."
Patients even said they would not have completed their treatments were it not for the presence of the therapy dog and volunteer handler, he added.
The research team studied 42 adult patients, 37 of which continued with the study for its entirety. Each received 15-20 minute animal-assisted visits each day.
The patients had aggressive cancers of the head and neck, and were undergoing rigorous chemotherapy and radiotherapy concurrently. They were extremely fatigued, frightened and losing weight that was essential for maintaining their strength. Many of the patients had feeding tubes, lots of mucus in the mouth and throat and temporary loss of their sense of smell and taste.
The patients' quality of life was assessed before, during and after the study using a test routinely used in clinical cancer trials. Researchers expected their emotional wellbeing to decline at a similar rate to their physical wellbeing, but in fact it increased.
J. Michael McFarland from Zoetis, who supported the study, said: "There is mounting evidence in human and veterinary medicine that the emotional bond between people and companion animals can have a positive impact of emotional and physical health.
"These new results help advance our understanding of the value of animal-assisted therapy in cancer treatment and point to the ways the oncology and animal health communities can work together in supporting cancer patients achieve the best possible treatment outcomes."
View the full research paper here: http://www.oncologypractice.com/fileadmin/content_pdf/aats/supplement_pdf/JCSO_Jan2015_digitaledition_lores.pdf
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
