Pet therapy refers to guided dealings between a trained animal and an individual in which the animal trainer is also involved. Animals are used in treatment in hospitals, elder living amenities and educational settings. Pet therapy offers individuals an opportunity to improve their life through human-animal relations. This ideology developed from the conviction in the supernatural spirits and influences of animals. It first appeared in the assemblages of hunters and gatherers people and the initial report of pet therapy took off in the late 18th century at the York Retreat in Britain headed by William Tuke. It is a developing field that uses rats or other animals to aid humans recover from or better cope with health matters such as cancer and heart diseases.
Hospice care is a dedicated care planned to provide support to individuals throughout an advanced illness. It centers on comfort and abundance of life rather than cure. Hospice care asserts life and outlooks death as a natural process. The main objective of pet therapy is to develop the patient’s social, emotional or intellectual functioning. Domesticated pets, marine creatures and farm animals are the most used. There are benefits of pet therapy for instance; just embracing an animal can lessen anxiety. Lower blood pressure and to some level ease depression. The animals help offer socialization and helpful listening for the patients and also in noting symptoms. One of the problems of pet therapy is, even though the scientists present the link between humans and companion animals as mostly favorable, methodological fears about the poor quality of the statistics have led to demands for improved investigational study. It has been suggested that usage of some animals such as dolphins could be destructive to the dolphins themselves. This is because; the dolphins have to be reserved out of their natural habitats into custody which could be risky to their well-being.
Most patients do not know their rights as well as those of the pets they choose. For instance, a patient has the right to have the pet of his choice so as to bring results in improving their health. They too should be aware of the pet’s rights whereby, these animals are not pets but service animals and must be allowed to accompany the person with a disability. The service animal has a right to go wherever the disabled man goes. Some of the people affected are patients who are withdrawn and want to keep to them. Some pets have temperament problems and are loud acting as a nuisance to these particular patients. Elderly people and people suffering from chronic illnesses are the most affected. This is because most of these people are lonely, depressed or anxious due to them having the fear of death. Hospice care using pet therapy helps them get ready for a natural death by providing them with care, comfort and companionship.
In an instance of failure in pet therapy leads to the hospice patients’ death in a short period. The death will be pain and intolerable to the patient. Pet therapy gives hospice patients and elderly people, together with their families and society at large some hope of a prolonged life and a quality life. When this program fails, it affects everyone in different ways. For instance, the family members of the patient might suffer from depression because they had so much hope on the program.it might also instill fear and uncertainty to patients undergoing pet therapy not everyone can afford this program because it entails hiring a certified and well-trained pet.This is costly. In addition, hospice patients need to be in a health facility which increases expenses making it hard for some of the families to afford the pet therapy and also pay the staff.
REFERENCE
Wenger NS, Verpa PM, (2010) Ethical issues in patients-physician communication about therapy for cancer professional responsibility of the ecologist
U.S. Department of justice: Civil Rights Division (2010) Service animals
Harrington SE. Smith, (2009). The role of chemotherapy of the end of life.
