Siteman Cancer Center embraces power of healing with therapy dogs

The concept of animal therapy to promote overall wellness is not new, and research has shown that animal interactions can improve the mood of patients with cancer.

More cancer treatment centers are embracing this concept and now provide animal therapy through dog visits as a treatment supplement with the hope of uplifting patients’ spirits during a tumultuous time in their lives.

Four days per week, for 1 hour per day, Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis offers patients undergoing chemotherapy a chance to interact and spend time with trained therapy dogs through Therapy of Unique Canine Helpers (TOUCH).

HemOnc Today spoke with Margaret Barrett, occupational therapist and TOUCH program volunteer, about the program’s mission, as well as the benefits and popularity of these types of programs.

Question: What is the mission of the TOUCH program?

Answer: The TOUCH program is affiliated with Support Dogs Inc. in St. Louis, which trains and places service dogs for people with disabilities and trains TOUCH teams for outreach in the community. The mission of the TOUCH program is to provide highly trained teams of dogs and handlers that are able to go into the community and offer support through the power of healing to patients across a variety of specialties.

Q: How did you become involved in the program?

A: I am an occupational therapist, and I retired to stay home with my children. I eventually started looking for something that matched my love of dogs with the health care profession. I found about Support Dogs. through an Internet search. I knew people with disabilities who were matched with a service dog, and I saw what a wonderful experience this was for the client. I started reading more about service dogs, and I came across the TOUCH program. At the time, I had a yellow Labrador retriever, and I thought she may be able to do this. We passed the training course, and that is how Maddie — my lab — and I got started. Eventually, I had two dogs in the program, Maddie and a golden retriever named Stella. I would switch them out every other day and would bring only one to Siteman Cancer Center. Maddie is retired, so only Stella now visits the center with me.

Q: What is training like for the dogs and their owners?

A: The dog must have a basic obedience certificate before attending a temperament evaluation. The dog is then taken through an obedience course with added distractions, such as loud noises, to test their overall temperament. Once the dog passes, training begins. The handler also needs to be trained in knowing how to deal with people. Both the dog and the handler go through a 9-week training program.

Q: Can you describe the effect that bringing a dog to the bedside has on patients with cancer?

A: Through touch, like petting the dog, a patient’s outlook may change. It may promote healing, as well as brighten their day overall. I love the way that Siteman Cancer Center participates in this program. They are proactive about the dogs and want them at the center every day. As it is, we have dogs at the center 4 days per week from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. We have found that people even try to switch their doctor’s appointments to be there at the same time as the dogs. The health care staff also embrace the program. They spend their day administering chemotherapy to patients and taking care of very sick people, so they look forward to these visits as much as the patients. It is an awesome thing to see. In fact, my daughter is studying occupational therapy in graduate school at Tufts University in Boston, and she is taking a class on human–animal interaction. There is so much research showing benefit. Dogs and other animals have a positive effect on people, in general.

Q: How are patients informed about your canine program?

A: Every patient at Siteman Cancer Center knows there will be a dog walking through the facility. In the waiting room, there is a large poster on an easel with pictures of the dogs and which day a specific dog will be at the center. Also, a video plays on a TV in the waiting room featuring an ad for the TOUCH program.

Q: Do most patients and health care staff embrace the dogs?

A: There are some patients who do not want to spend time with the dogs, but it is something we have been trained to be aware of. When we approach a hospital room and the patient’s face lights up, you know instantly they want to see the dog. It’s more or less about “reading” the patient. For the people who like dogs, you can literally see the change in their face of how the dog makes them feel. It starts a conversation between us and the patient. Often, they will take out their phone and show us a picture of their dog, then ask how we train our dogs, and so on. It encourages short conversation. The patients are at the center to receive chemotherapy, so it is not the best day for them. Having a therapy dog there provides a distraction. Our dogs are always happy to see patients and it makes the dogs happy, as well.

Q: Patients with cancer c an be more susceptible to risks for infection. Are there any challenges with this in terms of petting the dogs?

A: We provide infection control. We carry hand sanitizer and ensure that anyone who touches the dogs use the sanitizer on their hands immediately after. Infection control is definitely a concern for people who are undergoing chemotherapy and are immunosuppressed. Thankfully, we have never had any issues or experienced problems with this.

Q: Can other cancer centers participate in a program like this?

A: This specific program is only offered in the St. Louis metropolitan area; however, there are similar programs across the country. Every region has its own agency, and they generally provide the same type of service. I recently read an article online about therapy dogs being brought into dental offices for pediatric patients; the dog lays on the child’s lap while the dentist works on the child’s mouth. The service is definitely spreading, and people are running with the idea.

Q: Do you have any final thoughts for our readers?

A: I would highly recommend this program for any setting in which people spend a lot of time in a chair, like when receiving chemotherapy or other treatment. A lot of times, patients do not have people to sit with them, so this program is nice because the patient can visit with the dog and the handler. –by Jennifer Southall

For more information:

Margaret Barrett can be reached at geomargy@aol.com.

Disclosure: Barrett reports no relevant financial disclosures.