Tag Archives: pet therapy

The Animals Grandma Dorothy Introduced Me To

The last few days I’ve been thinking about my mom a lot. I think it’s because of all that I’ve gone through with Murphy lately. I remember how Murphy was always on my mom’s mind. She thought the world of him. Now with him in his cast and his cone head, I can’t help but think of how she’d react if she was here to see him. She’d be so upset he was going through all this, but she’d also love on him and cater to his every need. I guess in some respects she’d return the therapy he gave … Continue reading →

The End of the Personal Pet Therapy Project

It’s with a heavy heart that my first blog back after a lengthy absence is to report that the Personal Pet Therapy Project came to an end on Thursday, July 3 when my mom (a.k.a. Grandma Dorothy to Murphy, Mr. Meow, and Tabby) passed away. The Gift That Proved Significant Since the last month has been pretty chaotic and filled with emotional upheaval, I wasn’t able to chronicle some stuff. Such as, that the little stuffed heart Tabby kept bringing my mom was a most significant gift indeed. My mom’s last oncologist appointment on June 11 proved to be The … Continue reading →

Murphy on My Mom’s Mind

Murphy’s been on my mom’s mind a bunch for some reason. It started right before her stroke on Tuesday morning when she kept saying she followed him, he led her to the wrong room, and she was never following him again. (She’d never left her room, and Murph had been with me until I went in to see my mom that morning.) Or when she asked him why he took her down that gravel path. Or how she didn’t know what was wrong with her (like when the paramedics arrived or later when the ER staff was assessing her), but … Continue reading →

The Personal Pet Therapy Project: The Pets Pick Their Parts

As it’s become clear that Grandma Dorothy is here for an extended visit, the only ones not fretting about how it affects their lives are Murphy, Mr. Meow, and Tabby. They have enthusiastically embraced the mission of the personal pet therapy project and have eagerly selected their own assignments for my mom’s rehabilitation. Murphy As he does with all the other chores he helps me with, Murph is glad to lend a hand with my new added chores. Like yesterday. I hadn’t realized I needed to call Apria to have the oxygen tanks delivered each week. I thought they’d bring … Continue reading →

The Personal Pet Therapy Project

One of my resolutions for 2008 was seeing about getting me and Murph involved in a pet therapy program. Well, recent developments have certainly seen to it that this resolution will be kept this year. A Family Affair Not only is Murphy going to be involved with the pet therapy project, but so are Mr. Meow and Tabby. And the person we’re going to concentrate our therapeutic energies on is my mom, who in addition to her dementia was also recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Grandma Dorothy Moves In On Wednesday March 19 I flew to Denver. My mom had … Continue reading →

A Cat Can Lower Your Heart Attack Risk

As if we didn’t love our pets enough — here’s another reason to cuddle your kitty! A ten year study from the University of Minnesota suggests that having a cat for a pet can cut your heart attack risk by nearly a third! More than four thousand Americans between the ages of thirty and seventy-five were tracked between 1976 and 1980 for a National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. The University of Minnesota team looked at the data, then spent a decade following up with the participants to look at health issues and death rates. More than half the people … Continue reading →

How Pets Relieve Stress

I had a discouraging morning at work today. By the time I got home, I was sad and cranky and in a generally bad mood. And then I opened the door. My German shepherd mix, Moose, came waddling up and jammed his nose into my hand. My boxer mix, Lally, came bounding up with her squeaky ball in her mouth and her tail wagging. And I just had to smile. Pets have an amazing ability to relieve stress. It’s hard to keep feeling bad when you have a barking, licking, wiggling, warm fuzzy bundle of joy around. It’s hard to … Continue reading →

Cancer Sniffing Dogs

Your four-legged best friend could someday save your life. Since 1989, doctors have been collecting evidence that dogs can indeed sniff out cancer. The first published case involved a woman whose dog kept sniffing at a mole on her leg. Eventually she went to her doctor to discover that the mole was a malignant skin cancer! By 2004, doctors were able to train dogs to sniff out bladder cancer in patient urine samples. In 2006, a study showed that dogs could detect lung cancer and breast cancer just by smelling a person’s breath! After working with a trainer and samples … Continue reading →

Ten Ways Pet Therapy Is Helpful

Pet therapy helps people in so many different ways. Exercise long-term recall skills. Asking a person about the pets they have owned can trigger all kinds of happy memories. Talking about pets you’ve known helps develop your cognitive skills. Exercise short-term memory. Asking a person to describe a pet who just visited is a good workout for the short-term memory. A well-trained dog could take a series of commands from a patient — the pup will be happy with the attention and the patient will get a chance to bond with the dog. Develop speech and communication skills. Many people … Continue reading →

Stinky Pinky

Several months ago, we received a phone call from my sister, the animal advocate. She had temporary custody of a white female boxer. The dog was approximately three to four years old, was overused for breeding purposes, and had been physically abused. Would we be interested in adopting her? She knew our circumstances. I had an older poodle when the boys came to live with us. She was my mom’s dog and when my mother passed away she transferred her emotional dependence to me. She was not a child’s dog in any way. Prissy was a miniature apricot poodle, advanced … Continue reading →