Animals Helping To Heal Patients

. . . a collection of wonderful and encouraging stories about 'Animal Assisted Therapy.' - Stanley Coren, author of The Intelligence of DogsThis inspiring, humorous, and touching book celebrates the beneficial effects that animals have on humans and describes how their healing potential is being increasingly acknowledged by the medical community. Animal Assisted Therapy, an important new development in health care, has already shown that people are statistically less likely to suffer an early heart attack if they have a pet, and that stroking an animal actually reduces stress levels.This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg, says environmental psychologist Bernie Graham. Animal Assisted Therapy is now achieving amazing results in treating children with physical and mental disabilities by using trained dolphins in acquatic therapy. There are also programs that teach dogs to help the disabled by taking laundry out of the washing machine; selecting, unpacking, and paying for items in the supermarket; and even withdrawing money from the bank. Cats, rabbits, and dogs are now taken into hospitals to comfort the patients, and more exotic animals such as ferrets, donkeys, guinea pigs, monkeys, and even tigers are being used to bring hope to individuals, thereby enhancing human efforts.Written with warmth and compassion, Creature Comfort looks at all aspects of Animal Assisted Therapy, including the theories behind it, to provide both a practical guide and a moving account of the many rewarding human-animal interactions. A must for pet lovers, health care workers, and anyone who wishes to benefit from this most holistic of therapies.Bernie Graham, an environmental psychologist, is a member of the British Psychological Society, the International Society for Anthrozoology, and the Society for Companion Animal Studies.

For use in schools and libraries only. Explains how certain animals can provide therapy and perform tasks for sick or injured people.

A dog is an ideal workout partner: always supportive, happy to go for a walk and never judgmental. The human-companion animal bond is a great way to help you and your dog lose weight or stay fit. When people and dogs exercise together, fitness and health happen on both ends of the leash. As the obesity epidemic spreads, 70% of Americans and 50% of dogs are overweight or obese, resulting in staggering health care costs and suffering. The causes, consequences, and treatment for overweight and obesity are strikingly similar in people and dogs. Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound, written by an expert veterinary surgeon and a leading nurse researcher, helps you move from a food-centered relationship with dogs, to an exercise-centered relationship. Even better, you don’t have to own a dog! The book gives several creative suggestions to exercise or walk a dog even if you do not or cannot have one. This volume is designed for dog lovers, dog owners and families. Based on the latest scientific findings, it will also help professionals (including physicians, veterinarians, and physical therapists) fight obesity and promote fitness in both people and pets. Dog-walking programs can easily be implemented in neighborhoods, parks, workplaces, animal shelters, hospitals, retirement homes and obesity clinics, and this book shows you how to establish them. In nearly every health care profession, practitioners are teaching human patients and dog owners on a daily basis about the risks of obesity. Never has there been a more compelling time for innovative approaches to increasing physical activity, reforming sedentary lifestyles, and enhancing fitness. Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound provides specific strategies for people and dogs to exercise together, lose weight together, and have fun in the process.

Scientific experiments using animals have contributed significantly to the improvement of human health. Animal experiments were crucial to the conquest of polio, for example, and they will undoubtedly be one of the keystones in AIDS research. However, some persons believe that the cost to the animals is often high. Authored by a committee of experts from various fields, this book discusses the benefits that have resulted from animal research, the scope of animal research today, the concerns of advocates of animal welfare, and the prospects for finding alternatives to animal use. The authors conclude with specific recommendations for more consistent government action.

Engaging science writing that bravely approaches a new frontier in medical science and offers a whole new way of looking at the deep kinship between animals and human beings. Zoobiquity: a species-spanning approach to medicine bringing doctors and veterinarians together to improve the health of all species and their habitats. In the tradition of Temple Grandin, Oliver Sacks, and Neil Shubin, this is a remarkable narrative science book arguing that animal and human commonality can be used to diagnose, treat, and ultimately heal human patients. Through case studies of various species--human and animal kind alike--the authors reveal that a cross-species approach to medicine makes us not only better able to treat psychological and medical conditions but helps us understand our deep connection to other species with whom we share much more than just a planet. This revelatory book reaches across many disciplines--evolution, anthropology, sociology, biology, cutting-edge medicine and zoology--providing fascinating insights into the connection between animals and humans and what animals can teach us about the human body and mind.

Our history with pets goes a long way back. While it may not always be the happiest of tales, one thing is clear— we need one another. In a story that has gone from adversarial to one of function, we now have come to view animals as healers. They do more than feed us and serve us; they help us grow socially, emotionally and spiritually. In this new Special Edition from TIME, we explore the many ways in which animals enrich our lives.

Animals and Your Health covers many topics including emotional–support animals, which are popping up everywhere, and increasingly come in all shapes, sizes, and species to the science of animal healing—how do animals boost our health and happiness, and how do you measure the results? How do animals help connect us to other people, and help extend and enhance the lives of the elderly? They have been proven to help ease PTSD in the lives of suffering soldiers and veterans—what special qualities do they have that facilitate this? Readers will also delve into what every dog and cat owner wonders on an almost daily basis about their pet: "What are you thinking?" Covering animal friendships, animals in pop culture and so much more, Animals and Your Health will bring understanding to our long–standing relationship with the creatures that we share the planet with.

"Learn how animals can be trained to work in healthcare positions or used for therapy."--

Discover how the healing power of crystals can be used to enhance the wellbeing and happiness of the animals in your care. Crystal healing is as effective and potent a healing art today as it was in the time of the ancient Egyptians. It is even more effective with animals than for humans, and any pet owner or animal caregiver can easily learn to master the basic techniques of choosing and cleansing crystals, dowsing and crystal massage, making crystal essences, and the use of crystal layouts in healing. Crystal Healing for Animals explains these methods in plain and simple language and will be useful for beginners and experienced crystal users alike. Crystal healing allows us to take an active role in the health of our animal companions, in the sure knowledge that we can do no wrong. Crystals have a healing energy that is powerful and profound, but is completely safe and gentle. Take a guided tour of thirty of the most commonly used and effective healing crystal and gemstones, showing how you can easily and inexpensively build up a collection that will last a life time and go on providing healing support to your animal friends as the years go by. Animal problems covered include: abuse and trauma, allergies, bereavement and grief, hyperactivity, constipation, inflammation, low immunity, muscle strains and pains, post-surgical recovery, stress, training problems and animal/human relationships, and much more. This book also contains special sections on training and animal rescue, showing the role that crystals can play in this context. Martin Scott and Gael Mariani are the founders and directors of the Society for Animal Flower Essence Research (S.A.F.E.R). They are the authors and tutors of many courses on natural animal healthcare including the Animal Care College’s Complementary Therapies for Pets. They have lectured internationally on the subject. S.A.F.E.R provides training and education to UK animal welfare charities such as the Cinnamon Trust and RSPCA. Scott and Mariani are Tutors and course writers, Animal Care College; Associates of and advisors to the Canine and Feline Behaviour Association; and Former Fellows of the British Institute of Homeopathy. They are the authors of Bach Flower Remedies for Dogs and Bach Flower Remedies for Cats.