Animal Hero of the Year in the service of research
In mid-December Livia, the hospital dog, was chosen as Animal Hero of the Year for her work with children at Uppsala University Hospital. The research project involving Livia has reached the halfway point, and the goal is to demonstrate that dog therapy is an effective and safe method of treatment.
When we meet Livia and her owner, Ann Edner, they are in the middle of a therapy session at Uppsala University Hospital. Theo, 10 months old, sits on the knee of his mother Caroline Bood and curiously feels Livia’s coat. Theo, who was born prematurely and has spent his entire life in the hospital, soon will be able to go home to his two siblings. It is hoped that the interaction with Livia will stimulate his motor and sensory abilities and become part of his rehabilitation.
The research project involving Livia deals with the physiological reactions that occur when sick children interact with the dog, among other things. The work has been under way since 2016, and Ann Edner hopes that results will begin to come in after the summer. The goal is to demonstrate that dog therapy is an effective and safe method of treatment.
“We need to show that this supplementary treatment has been proven the same as any other medicine. Through this research we hope to establish that it does not endanger others, particularly regarding hygiene and allergy issues, and that it is effective,” she says.
Reduce the risk of allergies with a special shampoo
In the project they consider things like how the risk of allergies and bacterial transfer from dog hair can be reduced by washing the dog with a special shampoo. They have also conducted an observational study involving about 50 children and their parents, who have filled out questionnaires before and after meeting the dog.
“The results are not yet completely ready, but we can see that the children feel less pain and increased well-being after meeting Livia,” says Edner.
new and Livia is trained by specific methods.
PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT
A study of children’s autonomic nervous systems has also been initiated to show the physiological effects of dog therapy. Quantifying stress hormones in the body and heart-rate variability (HRV) provides a measurement of well-being.
Using hospital dogs in therapy is something entirely new, and that is why the research is so important, Edner emphasises.
“No dogs have been inside emergency hospitals in the past. This should not be confused with the therapy dogs found in an out-patient setting. We train Livia and Luna to cope with this work using specific methods and hope to show how to train and work with a hospital dog under safe conditions.”
Many are interested in the method
Many interested people have contacted Ann Edner, wanting to test the method, but she prefers that they wait until the results of the research project are complete.
“It is great that so many people want to work with dogs, so we need to strike a balance between encouraging them and at the same time asking them to wait until everything is ready. If people begin using hospital dogs before our researched recommendations are ready, there is a risk that something could go wrong, jeopardising the use of dogs in hospitals in the future. Science must be allowed to take its time,” says Edner.
Josefin Svensson