Alternative Medicine Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Alternative Medicine, including details on complementary medicine, alternative therapies, homeopathy.

Canine visitation (pet) therapy: pilot data on decreases in child pain perception.

Sobo EJ, Eng B, Kassity-Krich N

San Diego State University, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA.

PURPOSE: To explore the effectiveness of canine visitation therapy (CVT) in pediatric pain management in a tertiary care children's hospital, a descriptive pilot study was conducted. METHOD: A convenience sample of 25 English-speaking children ages 5 to 18 years who underwent surgery and experienced acute postoperative pain participated in a standard, one-time CVT intervention. Each child completed a pre-post survey and a post intervention interview. FINDINGS: Quantitative pre-post findings indicate that CVT significantly reduced perceived pain. Qualitative findings suggest that one mechanism that makes CVT effective may be cognitive. That is, CVTdistracts children from pain-related cognition and possibly activates comforting thoughts regarding companionship or home. CONCLUSION: The study findings suggest that CVT may be a useful adjunct to traditional pain management for children. IMPLICATIONS: Nurses may better serve their patients when CVT is an option.

Published 1 February 2006 in J Holist Nurs, 24(1): 51-7.
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