Therapy Pets: A Guide

Most people are aware of Guide Dogs for the Blind and Hearing Dogs for the Deaf. Over the last 50 years there has been an increasing realisation among health and therapy professionals that close contact with other living creatures can be therapeutic. All kinds of people can benefit - the young, the old, those with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, those with dementia, stroke victims and those who have survived trauma and sexual abuse. This book looks at how the animal-human bond can benefit wellbeing and overall health. Topics include: * The origins of animal therapy - the 18th century Quaker William Tuke used it to soothe mental patients. Florence Nightingale and Sigmund Freud also found it helpful. * How companion animals can help prevent illness - it has been proven that pet-owners tend to be healthier. * Animal therapy for those with sensory problems. * How it can help people with disabilities.
* Mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder. * Animals and diagnosis, e.g. dogs sensing epileptic seizures or diabetic coma. * Other forms of animal therapy and how they are used by healthcare professionals, counsellors and psychiatrists, e.g. rehabilitation of stroke victims. * Animals and older people. * Animal therapy and children, including children with special needs such as cerebral palsy or autism.