How do pets help at the scene of  mental or physical health issues?

 

Introduction to the article

Ranging from tiny fish to a huge horse, there are many species that can be a lifetime’s worth of quality company. While pets are more commonly known for being domesticated animals kept for companionship and pleasure, some pets could be adopted for more serious causes for those with mental health related issues that can be fatal if left unattended or unseen. 

Animals can be very useful and can be trained in order to fulfil their owner’s personal needs.

Animals that deal with mental disorders are called mental service animals. 


 

A Short Introduction To Animism

Animism is an ancient belief that all living creatures have a natural soul or essence.  Forms of animism can be found in faiths such as Shinto, Hinduism, Buddhism, Pantheism, Paganism, and Neopaganism. Early renown philosophers like Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas discussed the possibility and credibility of animism but later a proper definition was established by Sir Edward Tylor in 1871 through his book “Primitive Culture”. It is considered by lots of authors to be the earliest form of religion. By this, it is easy to deduce that animals and humans should have a proximity to each other and can be useful in helping each other. Since it is such an old tradition, it should ideally be maintained and incorporated into medical care more often or commonly.

 

The discovery of animal therapy

The Human Animal Bond was conceptualised by a Psychologist, Boris Levinson and a zoologist, Konrad Lorenz, who was an Austrian Nobel laureate in Physiology.The two came up with this definition in 1969. They explained an innate need in humans to bond with nature in order to be in a so-called “perfect health state”.

 

Equine Therapy-Horse Therapy

A few years ago, I watched a documentary about a man who had a sudden stroke. He had lost all sense of communication and often had no idea where or who he was while at the hospital after a tragic accident. Once he had recovered enough from his recent surgery, he was taken to a horse barn. Horses are very commonly used for psychiatric or psychological issues. The therapy involving horses is called equine therapy.  Equine Therapy can help the individual build confidence, self- efficiency, communication skills, trust, perspective, social skills, impulse control,learn boundaries and norms that may have been abandoned. Any affected individual can create a bond with a  horse through some tasks such as feeding, grooming, leading a horse on natural pasture or even riding a horse. So in conclusion, horses are also very successful in helping out with a sort of mental health issue. This proves in a way that animals can aid a person with a serious mental ailment. 

 

Dogs- Service Animals

Who better to call a service animal than man’s best friend? These canines are highly intelligent animals that can help tremendously at a scene of a severe mental issue. Along with being amazingly understanding companions, a puppy can easily be trained to treat or help solve a mental issue at a scene of emergency or even just in general. Dogs like labrador retrievers are commonly known to be brilliant guide dogs due to their high intelligence and understanding nature of humanly actions. Dogs have also been labelled as heroes for stopping  seizures and fits.  These intelligent animals are great at gaining the attention of the public to signify that something has gone wrong. They will often growl, bark, follow someone or even (if they are trained) press an emergency hospital button. Some people will give in to get a dog because of a health problem that can require medical attention at unpredictable times. 

 

In conclusion, animals are a great help in solving or helping any medical issue that requires attention occasionally or always and they can assist  the recovery of internal injuries as well. They are a reliable source of help and their aid should be utilised more often for people that are comfortable being around different animals. As early forms of religion also state, it is vital that humans have a nearness to all animals that are harmless to us.

 

Source:

 

https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/seizure-first-aid-and-safety/seizure-dogs/personal-story-seizure-dog-spencer-and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjq9FwoGZl0

 

Link 1 is a link to an incredible report of a dog helping an epileptic seizure.

Link 2 is a link to a video describing the effects of equine therapy using the example of a girl.