Proof that dogs are therapeutic – and better at it than humans. Hopefully the dog gets something out of it, also.
WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) – Just a few minutes spent patting a dog can relieve a heart patient’s anxiety and perhaps even help recovery during a visit to the hospital, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
The effects were much more pronounced than when heart failure patients visited with a human volunteer or were left quietly alone, the researchers told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Dallas.
“This therapy warrants serious consideration as an adjunct to medical therapy in hospitalized heart failure patients. Dogs are a great comfort,” said Kathie Cole, a registered nurse at the University of California Medical Center in Los Angeles who led the study.
“They make people happier, calmer and feel more loved. That is huge when you are scared and not feeling well.”
Reuters AlertNet – Prescription for heart disease: pat a dog
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