AHF Pet Therapy Team Comforts Patient With Severe Depression
In November, Mission Hospital’s Behavioral Health Unit (located in Laguna Beach, California) opened their doors to a Pet Therapy Program, which has been offered by the hospital as a Community Benefit service to patients for the past 8 years. Over a dozen dedicated Pet Teams have volunteered their time in an effort to support the healing journey for patients, and most recently, two teams have opened their hearts to the behavioral health patients. Recently, staff shared a story of a patient who was significantly changed due to a visit with Mia, who has been a canine volunteer with Mission Hospital for 7 years.
“We had a patient with a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder who experienced major loss and was having a very difficult time coping. She suffered with thoughts of suicide, insomnia, and severe social isolation. She had these symptoms for days and had not attended any patient groups. While she initially declined pet therapy, further prompting encouraged her to participate. Initially, she simply sat next to Mia, but after a few minutes, she began gingerly petting her and her physical affect began to change. She walked out of the group room with a small smile on her face. From this day until discharge, she became more and more visible on the unit, began sleeping better, and no longer had thoughts of suicide. We are convinced that she would have been here far longer if she hadn’t been given the opportunity to make that initial step to spend some time with Mia.”
It is connections like this one that make our work at Mission a sacred experience and help to bring wholeness to our patients, our co-workers and our community. Many thanks to volunteers Pam and Daleen who take hours from their day to prepare their dogs and spend time at our ministry; without them, these sacred moments would not be possible.
Military Hero Dogs Back in the States to Reunite with their Handlers
FROM THE AMERICAN HUMANE ASSOCIATION…
Thanks to you, some of America’s bravest heroes — our military dogs — have come back to a hero’s welcome and a safe, loving home following a lifetime of service to their country.
With your help we’ve been able to bring home seven of these courageous canines in just the past four months and reunite them with their heroic handlers:
• MWD Cila and Sgt. Jason Bos, who served close to 100 missions in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• MWD Ryky and Sgt. James Harrington, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan from 2008 to 2011, working in front of a convoy to sniff out deadly IEDs.
• MWD Thor and Sgt. Deano Miller, who spent every moment in Afghanistan together identifying IEDs but had been separated since 2010.
• CWD Mariah and Sgt. Omar Peña, who forged a bond in Afghanistan that not only kept them safe on the battlefield, but also provided important companionship while not on patrol.
• CWD Boo and Cpl. James Hinton, who were such a great team identifying IEDs that Boo would often sniff out explosives without being given the command.
• CWD Cena and Cpl. Jeff DeYoung, who served together during Operation Moshtarak, considered the largest military operation in Afghanistan at the time.
• CWD Donna and Cpl. Joaquin Aranda, who counted on each other to survive the long cold nights in Afghanistan together.
In fact, each trained military dog saves the lives of an estimated 150-200 U.S. service men and women, and they deserve not only our respect but a good, safe retirement on U.S. soil.
But not every one of our four-footed veterans is so lucky. For a variety of reasons, some don’t get home to enjoy the happy, healthy lives they have so richly earned.
To change this and urge America and its leaders to bring home ALL our veterans — including those on four legs — please join us and three of the military hero dog teams you helped reunite on Capitol Hill tomorrow at 2:30 pm in the Cannon Building, Room 210, for an afternoon you won’t soon forget. We promise you will walk away with a new-found appreciation for the brave sacrifices made by the two- and four-legged warriors.
With gratitude,
Robin R. Ganzert, PhD
President and CEO
Pets help chase the blues away
Pets can help people deal with depression by providing companionship, initiating physical activity and serving as a source of routine and responsibility, both of which are therapeutic, according to this article. “Pets offer an unconditional love that can be very helpful to people with depression,” says psychiatrist Ian Cook, director of the Depression Research and Clinic Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. The Huffington Post/The Blog
You’ve seen the TV commercials, the person in black and white and sad while they watch their friends and family in color happy as can be? Then the sad individual gets help, sees the world in color and has a dog run into frame to play with them, or they are suddenly on the couch petting their beloved cat. Well, there’s a reason for that, pets can help individuals with depression/illnesses/anxiety.”Pets offer an unconditional love that can be very helpful to people with depression,” says Ian Cook, MD, a psychiatrist and director of the Depression Research and Clinic Program at UCLA.Depression affects millions of individuals in the USA alone. A lot of people reading this suffer from some form or know someone who does. A pet might not be right for everyone, so don’t just show up with a pet one day for someone you know with depression.The first thought that enters many heads is “I can barely take care of myself, a pet would be a mistake.” Well, with great pets, comes great responsibility. Depression studies have shown responsibility promotes mental health. “Taking care of a pet can help give you a sense of your own value and importance,” says Cook. It will remind you that you are capable — that you can do more than you might think.” You still may be arguing that you can’t even get out of bed or off the couch, well that won’t fly (unless you get a bird, in which case let it fly around). Pets add routine to your life, you want be able to stay in bed till 2 pm or lay on the couch till 11:30, pets have a schedule and they will help you schedule your life again. You’ll have to get up to feed them, let them out, play with them, walk them, feed them again. Pets get you off your butt and moving again.Depression has a strongest weapon, and that weapon is isolation. It will pull you back from your friends and family, you’ll dodge calls/texts/snapchats/IM all of it. Leaving you to question all your thoughts alone, that is when depression strikes hardest. Pets offer the opposite of isolation, they bring companionship. A dog will never leave you alone, in a good way. My dogs run up to me all day throwing toys at me, laying on me, whine until I pick them up. I’m never alone, and I love my pets for that. I have woken up at 3 am to one of my dogs throwing a football at my head, meaning its play time now. Having a pet means you’re never alone, even when you shut the door to go to the bathroom in peace, your pet will barge in “You watch me go, why can’t I watch you go?”Pets give us routine, keeping us active, dogs have the added benefit of being brought on walks, or to dog parks. This exercise of taking your pet out promotes physical activity which in turn promotes mental and physical health. Walks help you lose weight, get you out of your depressing house which you’ve been cooped up in for far too long and also lets your pet relieve themselves with no shame. Say you’re walking your dog or bring them to the dog park, well there’s a good chance someone’s going to come up to you to ask to pet your dog or ask what kind of breed they are, your dog will encourage you to interact socially. You may be shy or anxious or still feel alone, but guaranteed your dog will get attention and thus bring the interaction to you. So long isolation, hello social butterfly wonder dog. You may hate talking about yourself or not care what others say but pet owners love talking about their pets like children, and it’s safe to say if you have a pet you like pets in general, so you’ll go ahead and converse about them. Let your pet shine.If I’m not petting one dog I’m petting the other, if I’m not scratching a friends cat behind the ears them I’m scratching another. Studies show that people feel better when they have physical contact with others. Petting a cat and listening to them purr soothes you, rubbing your dogs belly and watching their leg kick also relaxes you. You’re no longer sitting in the house just lying there, you have someone to touch, to talk to, to interact with.Finally, there’s laughter, endless laughter. Depressions got you down well your pet with 100% certainty will make you laugh. I’ve had my dogs fart on me when I’ve gone to pick them up and the sound scares them so they run away, one of them fell off my bed in the middle of the night while dreaming and got right back up with his tail wagging like it was the best dream ever. Depression makes you think about everything that has gone wrong and everything that can go wrong over and over again until you can take it no more. These little moments with pets that make you laugh make a world of difference. You may laugh as your cat chases a laser pointer around your house trying to catch the blasted red dot, or as they randomly fall asleep anywhere they like, like upside down on top of a loaf of a bread, the point being that though they are pets they have more empathy than we could ever dream.The hardest step is getting up and seeking help and once you do that, take your pet for a walk or pet them, anything to get your mind on track a little more. Pets may not cure depression, but they certainly can help calm you.- Chris Stallone
Meet Cutie Hogie – Debbie Pfeiffer’s Pet Partner!
Welcome to AHF Caring Creatures Pet Partners Debbie and Hogie!
Breed: Lhasa Apso/Shih Tzu mix Birthday: December 2006
Hogie is a very quiet and gentle little dog who loves everyone he meets. My family adopted him from the shelter in 2008 at the age of two and because of his easygoing nature, it was easy to see what a perfect therapy dog he would be. He became a certified therapy dog in 2011 and quickly wins over everyone’s hearts with his sweet personality and big brown eyes.
When he is not assisting people with pet therapy, he is a delightful family pet who loves going for rides in the car, seeing new people and places, and generally being included in everything that our family is doing whenever possible.
VA-certified service dogs receive unlimited access to veterinary care
The U.S. Veteran Service Dog Program and Trupanion will cover 100 percent of veterinary bills for eligible dogs.
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| Jan 23, 2014 By: Julie Scheidegger DVM360 MAGAZINE |
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), in conjunction with Trupanion, will launch the U.S. Veteran Service Dog Program Jan. 27. The program will allow U.S. veterans with certified service dogs unlimited access to veterinary care. The program enables Trupanion to pay 100 percent of veterans’ certified service dogs’ veterinary bills.
The VA hopes the program will ease the financial stress veterans experience providing veterinary care for their animals. Trupanion says it’s a “win-win-win” opportunity for dogs, veterans and veterinarians. “Veterans and veterinarians no longer have to worry about the cost of the treatment, giving veterinarians the ability to do what they do best—care for pets,” a Trupanion release states.
A spokesman for Trupanion says execution of the program will be simple: “All veterinarians have to do is send us the bill.” Veterinarians can opt to be paid up front as well.
“Whether it’s a regular veterinary practice or an emergency hospital in the middle of the night—they can call us at any time,” the spokesperson says. “They then just need to e-mail or fax the bill to us and we can pay them directly through Vet Direct Pay, a system that allows them to receive direct payment. They can also request reimbursement. … In that case they send us the bill and let us know how and when they want to be paid. We can even pay them over the phone if they wish as soon as the treatment is over and before the veteran walks out of the building.”
The VA will provide a list of the certified service dogs eligible for the program to Trupanion. Each dog will have a tag with a policy number created by Trupanion similar to the ones current policyholders wear. “All [veterans] have to do is show that to their veterinarian and the veterinarian can rest assured Trupanion will pay the bill,” Trupanion’s spokesperson says.
Veterans who request a service dog and qualify according to a VA evaluation do not pay for the dog or the associated training. For more information on the Veterans Health Administration’s guide and service dog benefits, go to va.gov. Trupanion has a two-year contract with the VA for the U.S. Veteran Service Dog Program. For more information or if you have questions about the program, call Trupanion at (855) 482-0163.
Man transforms room into feline obstacle course
When his cats grew bored with scratching posts and turned their attention to his furniture and drapes, carpenter Stefan Hofmann created a feline wonderland of bridges and shelves on the walls of a room in his home. “I kept thinking, what would be exciting if I were a cat? Maybe a big risky leap from one shelf to another, or a little cove for them to snuggle into when they get tired,” said Hofmann of the design and building project. Hofmann says the cats are constantly at play in their new obstacle course. Daily News (New York)/Caters News Agency (U.K.)
Pets also get deliveries from Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels programs in several states have expanded their offerings to include donated pet food for clients’ companion animals, said Jenny Bertolette of the Meals on Wheels Association of America. Volunteers for the program, which provides meals to the disabled, poor and elderly, began seeking donations from shelters and pet organizations after noticing clients were sharing food with their pets. Participating groups solicit and deliver pet food to Meals on Wheels as well as to senior centers and nursing homes. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.)/The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES – If Meals on Wheels didn’t deliver donated dog food, Sherry Scott of San Diego says her golden retriever Tootie would be eating the pasta, riblets and veggie wraps meant for her. But thanks to partnerships between the program for low-income seniors and pet groups across the country, fewer people and pets are going hungry.
After Meals on Wheels volunteers noticed a growing number of clients giving their food away to their furry friends, they started working with shelters and other pet groups to add free pet food to their meal deliveries. Those programs, relying on donations and volunteers, have continued to grow in popularity as seniors began eating better, staying healthier and worrying less about feeding their pets, one group said.
Meals on Wheels is just one organization serving people who are poor, disabled or elderly, but it has a vast reach. It has teamed up with independently run pet partners in several states, but how many isn’t known, said Jenny Bertolette, spokeswoman for Meals on Wheels Association of America in Alexandria, Va.
Partner pet groups will solicit, pick up, pack and get the animal chow to Meals on Wheels or another agency that donates food, volunteers said. Agencies also take pet food to nursing homes, senior centers or community centers.
Those who qualify for Meals on Wheels or similar programs are almost always eligible for a free pet food program.
AHF Pet Partner Team Featured in OC Register
Rita and Don Tayenaka, with their black lab, Mocha, are featured in the below article about their visits to Children’s Hospital of Orange County and Mission Hospital, both in Mission Viejo.
Click on the link below to read the story!
How dogs protect your heart
Recent research adds to a growing body of evidence supporting the cardioprotective benefits of having a pet, especially a dog, according to physician Sandra Fryhofer. Pets are associated with reduced heart disease risk through lower blood pressure and in some cases lower cholesterol, as well as increased exercise among owners who walk with their canine friends. Also, dogs provide emotional support and help humans deal with stress, which also helps protect the heart.
Hello. I’m Dr. Sandra Fryhofer. Welcome to Medicine Matters. The topic: pets and heart disease risk, a new study in the journal Circulation.[1] Here’s why it matters.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country. But this new study says having a pet, especially a dog, could lower your heart disease risk. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes are risk factors for heart disease. Previous studies have linked having a pet to having lower blood pressure. I assume that’s once the pet is housebroken. There is even a study that found that men who had dogs had lower cholesterol levels.[2]
Now, people with dogs are generally physically more active than those who don’t have one. It makes sense if you walk the dog or if the dog walks you. No significant increases in physical activity have been linked to having cats or other pets.
Having a pet doesn’t mean you’ll weigh less, but in general, people who walk their dogs do.
Pets provide support in other ways. They provide encouragement and motivation, even in weight loss programs. Pets also provide support in a nonhuman way. Pets are companions and have a positive effect on the body’s reaction to stress.
For those with established heart disease, having a pet of any kind was linked to increased survival, dog ownership especially so.
Although this study stops short of recommending that people get a pet to protect their heart, having one does seem to provide some cardioprotective benefits. So don’t buy, rescue, or adopt a pet just to protect your own heart. You also have to be willing to share your heart with your furry friend.
For Medicine Matters, I’m Dr. Sandra Fryhofer.
Dogs trained to detect human cancers using scent
Dogs have been trained to use their noses to detect human cancers including lung and ovarian cancer with reliability, and one U.K. organization is training dogs to detect bladder cancer by sniffing urine samples. Dogs have a keen sense of smell thanks to their abundant olfactory cells, and since they can communicate with humans better than animals such as mice, they are useful for detecting cancers, said veterinarian Cynthia Otto, director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center. CBS News
A dog’s sense of smell might be one of his or her best, innate abilities. And an increasing number of researchers are using that nose to help humans detect cancer.
Claire Guest of Berkshire, England runs a charity called “Medical Detection Dogs”that trains dogs how to detect cancer. One project involves teaching animals how to find out which patients have bladder cancer using only urine samples.
Guest’s connection to the project is a personal one. She was letting her dogs out one day when Daisy started jumping and nuzzling her head on Guest’s chest. She went to the doctor, and was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Without any question I would not be as well and perhaps alive today had Daisy not drawn my attention to it,” she told CBS News’ Alphonso Marsh.
Dogs trained to detect ovarian cancer have 90 percent accuracy rate
The science of dogs sniffing out cancer is emerging. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Working Dog Center are currentlytraining three dogs how to smell ovarian cancer in different samples.
“Mice can do a better job at sniffing out things (than dogs),” Dr. Cynthia Otto, director of the Working Dog Center and associate professor of critical care at Penn Vet, previously told CBSNews.com. “But, there is an ability to communicate between a dog and a human so they can tell us what they are finding.”
Dogs are also up to the task because they have a larger number of olfactory or smell sensors than humans do, Otto explained. In addition, the area of the forebrain that processes smell information is larger than a human’s.
Additional studies of dogs detecting cancer include a 2011 German paper that showed that dogs were able to detect people with lung cancer with 71 percent accuracy, and correctly distinguish people without lung cancer in 93 percent of the cases. Another West Hills, Calif. trainer is working with researchers to teach dogs how to detect ovarian cancer using breath samples.
Scientists are also trying to come up with technology that mimics the dogs’ natural abilities. Some companies are making electronic “noses” that can pick up on these cancer smells.
Researchers are also testing a “mechanical dog” that sniff’s a patient’s breath to tell if they have cancer markers. They hope that if all tests continue to go well the tool could be used to diagnose cancer within five years.