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Pet therapy can be doggone therapeutic
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Photo by Paul Kuntz
Physicians are
required by policy to give consent for their patients to
participate in the pet therapy program.
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By Kelly Quezada
Pet therapy is in full swing at Texas Children’s Hospital. This
program has been up and running for more than a year on floors
10,11,12,14 and 15 in the West Tower and on the 7th floor in
Abercrombie. Dogs of all shapes and
sizes (and their owners) visit our patients every other Wednesday. Many patients and families have had
the opportunity to enjoy this alternative therapy and praise the
program for the smiles it brings to young and old alike. Indeed,
we have had no "incidents" and only positive feedback from
families and staff.
The program is overseen by the Child Life department, but
involves the cooperation of volunteers, nurses and physicians.
Meanwhile, the dogs are trained and certified by a local nonprofit,
animal-assisted therapy organization named Caring Critters. The
pets are temperament tested and veterinarian approved before
being allowed to join the team of 10 dog/owner pairs at Texas
Children's Hospital. All animals are bathed before coming to the
hospital and required to wear shirts during their visit. There
are some human "eligibility" requirements: Patients must not be
in isolation and may not have open wounds or burns. Both
parent/guardian and physician consents are required.
So we need your help! Consent forms are generally placed on
charts the days prior to pet therapy visits. Please review the
document and sign if you feel this is appropriate therapy for
your patient.
I oversee the pet therapy program and would be happy to answer
any questions. Please call 832-824-1656 or send me an
e-mail.
Kelly Quezada, Child Life specialist, Day Surgery, oversees
Texas Children’s pet therapy program.
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