Latest news with #therapyDogs
CBS News
11 hours ago
- Health
- CBS News
Dog on Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus leading way on novel obsessive-compulsive disorder therapy treatment
It has become common for dogs to be used for a variety of behavioral health solutions, including those like post-traumatic stress disorder, for instance. But at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, there is a single dog that is being used in a rather unique way: helping patients with obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, manage their symptoms. Cate Rush, a social work fellow who works on the campus, has had Otis the Bernese Mountain Dog since her junior year of her undergraduate studies. He's helped in her in a variety of ways throughout her adult life, and she's now using him to help her patients as well. Cate Rush with Otis CBS "I just feel like it's so special that he's able to do something that humans cannot," she said. Otis is a trained therapy dog but works with a specific set of clients. Most of the patients that come see Cate have OCD. "Therapy dogs aren't commonly used for OCD so it's been a bit of a learning experience how to use him," she said. The research on the use of dogs for OCD patients is still evolving, as is most of the research around therapy dogs in general. It's only been since the turn of the 2000s that having dogs used as aids for behavioral health solutions has become more common. But it's rare to see one that is working with OCD patients. Otis is the only dog of his kind on the medical campus in Aurora. Obsessive-compulsive disorder currently affects 2.5% of the United States population and can be treated with what is called exposure and response prevention therapy, or ERPT. It usually involves exposing patients to things that trigger their obsessive behaviors while giving them tools to help prevent them from engaging in their typical compulsions. A 2010 study by the University of Pennsylvania, cited in the National Institute of Health, showed that ERPT can significantly reduce OCD symptoms in up to 80% of patients. CBS That's where Otis comes in. He can help in a variety of ways, as a supportive and helpful sidekick to those being exposed to triggering things or situations or, in some cases, being a walking exposure therapy himself. "There are a lot of patients who might have contamination fears," Rush said, "They can use him in exposure so I've had patients touch his paws or rub his belly." "I had a patient and one of her final exposures in the IOP -- the intensive outpatient program -- was to high five Otis and that was really sweet," she added. While Otis isn't part of any official research at Anschutz just yet, his presence signals an evolving approach to behavioral health solutions. One wag at a time.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Meet the therapy dogs who bring joy to Ottawa hospitals, facilities
A team of calm and friendly dogs visit various healthcare, educational and social facilities throughout Ottawa, bringing joy, happiness and therapy to patients, family and staff. (Peter Szperling/ CTV News Ottawa)
ABC News
09-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Therapy dogs help reduce pain and anxiety in intensive care, Canberra Hospital study finds
Therapy dog Harry has spent most of his 11 years of life using his unique skills to service the community. He was once an Australian champion show dog, before becoming a therapy dog in 2018, and now works at Canberra Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Harry is the ideal dog for the role because of his warm, disciplined and deeply attentive nature. The cocker spaniel has also recently participated in a study on the role of therapy dogs in patient care. The five-year research project Harry has been a part of was focused on long-term ICU patients and family members at the Canberra Hospital, examining how interactions with therapy dogs impacted their anxiety levels. Kathleen Cook was the principal investigator for the research project, which she conducted while working as a registered nurse in the ICU. She said she undertook the study because existing research was limited, despite the benefits of therapy dogs being widely recognised. Harry was the original participant in this project, but not the only one. There were a total of five teams, in partnership with Delta Therapy Dogs, who provide volunteers and their dogs as therapy teams for hospitals, workplaces, schools and other facilities. Megan Kelly, Harry's owner, said he was intrinsically motivated to help others. "Oh my goodness — this is the most well-behaved dog I have ever seen in my life," Ms Cook recalls saying when she met Harry. After six months of approvals and testing Harry was ready to go. As part of the study, patients and their visiting family members recorded their anxiety levels before and after being visited by the therapy dogs. Patients also had their vital signs recorded. Researchers found that the therapy dogs helped reduce patient and family anxiety. But they also noted lower levels of pain in the patients. Ms Cook said they had received "amazing" feedback from patients. She also noted the dogs provided patients and their families with a sense of hope of recovery. Nurse Jess Kim works in the ICU and emergency teams at the Canberra Hospital and helps run the therapy program, which is continuing despite the research coming to an end. Ms Kim said the program helped the patients, who often had to undergo invasive procedures, to relax before and afterwards. She said a few weeks earlier, a patient in the ICU had a visit from Harry and immediately remembered the cocker spaniel from a visit to the ICU five years ago. While the patients have benefited, staff have also seen positive impacts. Each shift for a therapy dog is an hour long. Once the dogs head into work, they will sit with a patient, on a chair or on their bed, ensuring that infection control protocols are followed. Sometimes the patients and the dogs head outside to the courtyard to throw a ball or have a run around. Harry's owner Ms Kelly said once he had finished a shift, he usually fell straight asleep in the car on the way home. "It's actually quite draining for dogs to give this much love and care for one hour, so that's why we recommend that it's only ever one hour," she said. Ms Kelly said the volunteers played an important role as "circuit breakers", as she is one of the only non-medical people who come into the ward. "People open up about their home life, their pets and who they're missing back at home and how they want to get better," she said. Ms Kelly said Harry was also a big poser, and patients loved taking photos with him. The program still operates in the ICU at Canberra Hospital, and Harry remains a friendly face waddling up and down the corridors, offering a sense of calm in a stressful environment. Ms Cook said the research has led to the establishment of a similar program at St George Hospital in Sydney and she hoped other hospitals would soon start to follow. Harry also has quite the following on social media, she said. "We have so many direct messages with requests for services in other parts of the hospital, but Harry is solely an ICU dog," she said.
CBS News
06-05-2025
- CBS News
This K-9 therapy dog duo can be deployed to any law enforcement agency in Minnesota
They may not be as intimidating as German Shephards but these new K-9 officers still possess a unique strength: breaking down barriers to the heart. Rip and Summit, both Golden Retrievers, are Minnesota's first traveling duo of therapy dogs for law enforcement in an initiative spearheaded by the Minnesota Fraternal Order of Police. "I've always had a great understanding for the pain that happens to responders with repeated exposure to trauma," Tom Lowery, who along with his wife, Paige, owns and handles the dogs, said. "Seeing the dogs bring joy to other people is like a proud parent moment. That's the really fun part of working with dogs in this capacity." While some larger police departments like Minneapolis have their own therapy K-9s, Rip and Summit will be on call for public safety agencies across the state. In 2024, six first responders were killed in Minnesota, including two tragedies outside the metro: Jesse Branch, of Red Lake Nation Police and National Park Service Ranger Kevin Grossheim. The others lost were Minneapolis Police Officer Jamal Mitchell and Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, along with firefighter paramedic Adam Finseth, who were shot and killed in February 2024. "Of course it affects the whole agency because we all realize that could be us at any day," Lowery, a former firefighter and still active police officer, lamented to WCCO News. "The turmoil those officers go through as they process all of that - what's going to happen to me? Did I make a mistake? Is the person going to be OK? We will be there to support them however we can." WCCO The Lowery's won't receive salary or payment but instead will rely on donations through the Fraternal Order of Police for expenses like gasoline and dog grooming. On May 21, FOP will host a special fundraiser with Brew Pub Pizza to support the therapy K-9 program in Eden Prairie. "Really it's a great pizza for a great cause," Matt Selvig, a spokesman for Brew Pub Pizza, told WCCO News. "What we're wanting to do with it is take care of those heroes and those patriots that serve us every day."
