A Vet issue: AAI (Animal Assisted Interventions AAI – Pet therapy)
What are Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) and why the organization of the interventions should require veterinary advice:
A number of scientific works demonstrate the psycho-physical benefits that the various Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) bring to users with its three specific focuses: therapeutic, educational and recreational as defined in some European guidelines. The interventions are offered mainly to fragile persons from different points of psychological or medical views with their specific needs. If inserted in a therapeutic field, we speak of co-therapies included in a specific medical treatment program.
Over the last decade, the concept of disease prevention among healthcare personnel has spread increasingly in the Healthcare sector, i.e. interventions aimed at promoting general well-being and supporting mental health in highly stressful work environments which often have a high-rate time-out on working hours.
Claims about benefits are finally supported by comparative neuroscience and human studies. Only very recently, has positive empathy (pleasure, positive affection, sharing pleasure with others) started to be investigated. Sharing and responding to the pleasure of others is an important evolutionary and social function of humans. In the past, more about negative emotions and especially pain has been investigated.
Domestic animals are mainly used in these AAI activities due to their long history alongside humans. Centuries of interaction have shaped the communicative ability of animals with humans. Furthermore, cognitive and emotional skills in their facets – such as consolatory behavior, expressions of social morality, seeking partnership, problem solving abilities and being empathetic – the major pillars on which the AAI is based on. The growing value that has been attributed to these performing animals used today in AAI has given them the status of co-therapist in healthcare settings. Animal assisted interventions can affect many areas: psycho-social fragility, disorders of the physical, neuromotor, mental, psychic and cognitive spheres, various types of addictions; they can also be addressed to healthy individuals adults and kids to prevent and/or to support states of discomfort and to improve quality of life and to develop life skills. AAI can be carried out in many places: specialized facilities, residential homes, schools, institutions, hospitals and also prepared specially in their outdoor environments.
Veterinarians are part of the AAI multidisciplinary team with doctors, therapists, educational figures, animal handlers and other professionals, but can also be external consultants in projects. Their contribution to the AAI’s as specialists are activities such as:
→ monitoring of animals used in activity (stress monitoring)
→ surview of correct after-intervention recovery
→ evaluation of individual behavioural suitability for AAI
→ health check and disease prevention (animal clinical visit)
→ prevention of the risk of zoonoses (protocols)
→ evaluating and preparing protocols for accessing and leaving settings
→ consultancy of the pair handler-animal (monitoring and training advice, setting organization)
→ proposals of specific handlers with their animals (dogs, cats, rabbits, other pets) who could conduct an AAI intervention or be suitable for a simple visiting activity
→ in-house consultant in animal keeping healthcare facilities.
Vet Help Agape