Dog visits relieve the burden on dialysis patients – Dog News

Study from the USA

Bremen. Those who have to undergo dialysis regularly are often mentally and physically stressed. Contact with therapy support dogs during treatment can help, a US study has found.

Regular dialysis treatments are stressful medical applications that require several long clinic visits per week. At the same time, consistent adherence to the treatment plan is crucial for the patient's health. Therefore, effective approaches are needed that not only reduce the number of missed treatments but also reduce the burden and stress associated with long-term dialysis.

Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center took this finding as an opportunity to examine the attitudes of dialysis patients toward animal-assisted interventions with dogs in the clinic. A qualitative study should clarify how well such an offer fits into this previously little-researched treatment environment and whether it could promote adherence to therapy among those affected. The study was published in the journal “Anthrozoös”.

Desire for contact with therapy support dogs
20 patients from four outpatient dialysis centers took part in detailed, semi-structured individual interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. The average age of the participants was 57 years.

Four central themes emerged from the interviews:

• The stress and suffering of seemingly endless treatment.
• The desire for therapy support dogs to be present in the clinic.
• The support of therapy companion dogs in the internal conflict of maintaining the treatment.
• Practical questions about integrating therapy dogs into everyday dialysis routine.

The participants' statements illustrate the benefits that animal-assisted interventions can have in the dialysis center. The study not only contributes to a better understanding of how dialysis patients view dog visits, but also provides important information for the practical implementation of such offers. “Incorporating therapy dogs into the care of dialysis patients could represent an innovative approach to improving treatment outcomes,” the study authors conclude.