In addition to the fact that pets are full-fledged and beloved members of the family, they can also treat human diseases. People not only feel this at the sensory level - it has also been proven by scientific research.
So, how and from what diseases can your pet cure you? Will a four-legged friend really relieve depression, help cure autism, or maybe save you from a heart attack?
Treatment with dogs is called canisterapy. The main secret of its beneficial effects is dog devotion. Often a dog is adopted to fill the communication vacuum that a person has, and then the animal replaces a loved one. The dog is always happy with the owner, it doesn’t matter to her whether he is rich or poor, handsome or not - she is delighted with the very fact of his existence. Therefore, both adults and children who lack unconditional love are drawn to dogs.
Canine therapy is so popular because dogs learn commands easily and because of this, they communicate better with people than any other animal. In addition, dogs express their emotions better than other animals: they inherited a system of social communication from their ancestors, wolves, who live in packs. 
In many countries, dogs are often kept in nursing homes. These animals help reduce absent-mindedness and mobilize motor functions in older people, helping them overcome fears and depression. True, as employees of such institutions say, the success of canistherapy largely depends on the kind of relationship between dogs and the patient established in childhood, from the age of 6 to 13 years. 
Dogs help treat children with autism. Whenever a dog is present in the treatment, the manifestations of this disease, for example, withdrawal, are reduced. 
Dogs help overcome stress. With a dog in the house, you are unlikely to suffer from excess weight - regular walks and jogs with an active dog will help you stay in shape, and it will also help him, because dogs so need constant movement and fresh air.
Psychologists believe that a dog, expressing devotion to its owner, provides him with invaluable psychological support, comparable to the presence of a loved one. If you are doing something important - for example, writing a thesis or looking for a job - the presence of a dog will help you cope with the task.
In the USA and Great Britain, dogs help epileptic patients. They feel the approach of an epileptic seizure within a few minutes. When the owner loses consciousness, the dog substitutes its body to soften the blow of the fall. Doctors are unable to explain how dogs manage to sense the condition of their “patients.”
But not every dog will make a “doctor.” Animals participating in psychotherapy must have ideal character and high intelligence.
In special schools for dogs, the future four-legged “therapist” is taken on visits to nursing homes and clinics. This is the only way to find out what the dog likes more - communicating with old people or playing with children. Depending on the character and preferences of the dog, its “specialization” is determined.
It is believed that the breed is not of great importance for zootherapy, but a large dog is preferable for diseases such as tonsillitis, arrhythmia, heart failure, peptic ulcer, gastritis, colitis, otitis, and cirrhosis of the liver. Large dogs have high alpha heart rate activity. If you hold your hands in the area of such a dog’s heart for half an hour every day, this gives the effect of a pacemaker.
If a person has communication difficulties or psychological problems, he needs a balanced and calm dog - Labrador, Shar Pei. Collie, St. Bernard, Newfoundland, Giant Schnauzer, Boxer and Airedale Terrier are good for communicating with children. 
Cats are also healers, their purring is daily therapy. This is the same as ultrasound treatment, because the rumbling frequency is about 20 hertz. This means that blood pressure decreases, fatigue is relieved, and the pulse normalizes. In addition, cats anticipate the onset of heart problems. And they indicate this quite definitely - they sit on the owner’s left shoulder or closer to the chest (sometimes from the back).
In a serious situation, the cat may not leave the patient for several hours. According to statistics, cat lovers visit doctors almost five times less often than those who do not have one.
There are many stories about how cats saved people from heart attacks and hypertensive crises. The cat can even warn of a possible attack. Cat owners know that their pets sometimes begin to cuddle when their owner is very irritated or under stress. It turns out that the furry cat knows that irritability and uncontrollable attacks of fear often accompany malfunctions of the cardiovascular system. 
Petting cats is also good for digestion. Cats can relieve fatigue, stress, migraines, lower blood pressure, and normalize pulse.
The merits of cats have recently been recognized not only by folk medicine, but also by official medicine. They cannot yet explain their abilities, but they actively use them. A method of treating or preventing diseases using a special kind of contact with cats is being developed - feline therapy. Murka's "services" are used by hospitals, boarding schools, rehabilitation centers and nursing homes.
Different cat breeds “specialize” in different diseases. For example, long-haired cats (Siberian, Angora, Persian, Burmese, Norwegian forest cats) are excellent psychotherapists and neurologists. They help people suffering from insomnia, irritability, and depression. Persian cats can relieve joint pain and symptoms of osteochondrosis.
Short-haired or hairless cats (Sphynxes, Siamese, Oriental, Abyssinian, Tonkinese, Korats, Egyptian Mau) are usually better than other breeds in treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system: gastritis, colitis, liver and kidney diseases, as well as gynecological problems. 
“Teddy” cats - British, exotic shorthair, Carthusian, Scottish fold, Russian blue, Bengal - “specialists” in cardiology. They know how to relieve heartache. Well, in yard cats the healing abilities are more pronounced than in purebred cats.
It is believed that the color of a cat also affects its healing abilities. From this point of view, black cats take twice as much negative energy from a person than cats of other colors. Ginger cats themselves give off positive energy. Cream-colored cats tone up our energy, while gray-blue cats calm us down. White cats are unsurpassed healers in all of the above indicators. In the UK they are even sold in special pharmacies. 
In the course of research, scientists have found that people who have owned a cat live on average 10 years longer than those who have never owned a furry pet. Cat owners had better blood pressure and lower blood cholesterol levels. According to gerontologists, cats are a real elixir of youth for their owners.
Cats can also act as an “acupuncturist”: when they climb onto their owner and, purring, release their claws, they irritate the reflexogenic zones, just like during a real acupuncture session.
Bioenergeticists believe that a cat is a real energy-information device. In their opinion, if a cat often lies on its owner's head, he most likely has hypertension or a tendency to headaches. If your pet lies on the left shoulder blade or shoulder, this indicates heart problems. The cat lies on its lower back if it “feels” kidney problems, and on its legs if the owner suffers from low blood pressure or often catches colds.
As we all remember very well, the story of Doctor Aibolit is purely a fairy tale. No veterinarian, no matter how much they love animals, would think of sitting in a deep forest under a tree waiting for a patient - a fox suffering from mumps or a bunny with lupus.
What are we talking about? What we mean by this is that animals (if we ourselves don’t ruin them with lack of care and poor nutrition) in case of “sick leave” get by just fine with the gifts of natural medicine and usually don’t need doctors.
How do they do it? Very simple. Even Pliny the Elder, who lived long before the era of total vaccinations and colonoscopy, wrote in his “Natural History” that animals can easily do without medical care, eating various medicinal herbs and roots in case of problems with the body.
Moreover, “they do this so that people do not see them at this time, since they do not want people to know the healing properties of herbs.” That's right, why share knowledge?
Moreover, this knowledge is embedded in animal instincts so deeply and for a long time that no effort can erase them from there. Let's take dogs for example. Why, pets should have long ago gotten used to visiting veterinarians and gotten rid of all this nonsense with self-medication. But no! And an experiment conducted once confirmed this.
How do they know?
Everything was very simple. The experimenters took two puppies from their mother at the age of one and a half months and raised them for up to six months in complete isolation from their own kind. No dog telegraphs for you or anything like that. Communication only with a person.
Six months later, the puppies were released to roam free. Of course, both soon discovered a specially prepared aromatic pile of fish bones, not very suitable for internal consumption. But who stopped? The puppies pounced on the sudden treat and soon suffered severely from intestinal damage from sharp bones.
But they did not call for help. Both dogs, without saying a word, went into the nearest undergrowth, found some kind of grass there that was suspicious from our point of view, ate it, immediately cleared their stomachs, after which they safely dealt with the rest of the treat.
Of course, scientists followed all these actions with interest, and most of all they were interested in the “suspicious” weed. It was a green bristlecone, which grows almost everywhere in central Russia and is certainly not listed among medicinal plants. At least for people.
But it turned out to be very popular among dogs. Moreover, we note that no one told the puppies about the healing properties of bristleweed. They were taken away from their mother too early, and people themselves had no idea what this herb was capable of.
In the footsteps of Pavlov's dog
Another method of dog self-healing was personally observed by Academician I.P. Pavlov. Let's give him the floor.
“One of the dogs operated on according to our method, 10-15 days after the operation, began to be exposed to the corrosive action of gastric juice. The dog was kept on a leash in the laboratory. One early morning, near the dog, which was generally very calm, much to our chagrin, a heap of plaster broken off from the wall was found. The dog and the chain were moved to another part of the room. The next morning, the same story was repeated: the ledge of the wall was again destroyed.
At the same time, it was noticed that the dog’s belly was dry and the phenomena of skin irritation were greatly reduced. Only then did we finally figure out what was going on. When they made a bed of sand for the dog, the breaking of the wall stopped, and the gastric juice no longer harmed the animal. We gratefully acknowledged that the animal, with its intelligence, helped not only itself, but also us. It would be a pity if this fact were lost for animal psychology.”
That is, the dog arranged a therapeutic bedding for itself until people finally realized what it needed. in fact, it is necessary.
We're wincing, but we're chewing
Well, besides dogs, are any of our smaller brothers knowledgeable in medicine? Of course.
Forgotten healing moss
Deer and other herbivores heal cuts and scrapes using ordinary moss, which has quite healing properties. People, by the way, knew about moss and even successfully used it as an antibacterial dressing material back during the First World War. But then they somehow forgot about him. And completely in vain!
Maybe any of you have watched crows hovering around the pipes of village stoves when they are burning? Do you think the birds decided to warm up for free? Nothing like this. With the help of smoke, cunning birds remove all kinds of bird lice from under their feathers. And if the smoke does not help, then the bird will find an anthill and lie down on it, spreading its wings and spreading its feathers in all directions. After all, ants will happily feast on parasites living in feathers.
The main thing here is to maintain a time interval so that hardworking insects do not get to the delicate bird’s body. But the birds are all right with this: the process is over - we fly on about our business.
The enemy is within
The larvae also feed on the insides of the caterpillar, eating it right down to the shell itself. It would seem, what can you do against such a ruthless enemy? But the caterpillar found a way out. Sensing an invader inside her, she urgently switches to a special diet, the basis of which is plants with a high content of a special alkaloid that kills insects.
In early spring, foxes and badgers sunbathe their cubs (to obtain vitamin D). They carry the little animals out of their holes. laid out in the sun and even turned over from one side to the other.
Dystrophy, malnutrition, and vitamin deficiency are overcome in wild animals by migrations and autocoprophagy - eating their own feces, rich in vitamins, which are secreted by bacteria living in the intestines. Parrots peck at special clay that removes plant poisons from the body. monkeys eat the earth... But we haven’t grown up to that yet.
Experts say that treatment through communication with animals was known many centuries ago. By independent method zoo- or animal-assisted therapy became in the middle of the 20th century.
In many countries, special organizations and centers have been created in which zootherapy is carried out. Communication with animals helps in the treatment of people suffering from physical or mental illness. The beneficial effects of living things on our body are recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).
But it must be remembered that self-treatment with zootherapy cannot replace specialized medical care. This method can act as an additional method of healing.
What is zootherapy?
Zootherapy– a type of treatment that uses real animals or animal symbols, such as toys or drawings. In specialized centers, in addition to the animals themselves, doctors, psychologists and social workers participate in the treatment process. It is worth noting that with this type of treatment, specialists use specially trained animals, and not the patient’s pets.
It is wrong to think that zootherapy is available only in large centers. Pets also have a positive effect on the human body. Scientists have confirmed that people who keep animals get sick less often, live longer and are less susceptible to stress and depression.
Animals are actually very subtle psychologists. They know how to determine our mood, and even those places where pain is concentrated, explains psychologist Natalya Morozova. – Zootherapy– the method is quite effective, although it is not yet fully known in what ways the therapeutic effect is achieved. There is a theory - when a person touches an animal, an energy exchange occurs, and the animal, as it were, draws on the person’s negative energy, giving away healthy energy in return. Of course, this looks like mysticism. But from a professional point of view, we can say that animals are some of the best psychotherapists. They, unlike many people, can listen, do not judge and understand. All this is extremely important for a person, especially for someone who experiences certain psychological problems.
Zootherapy is wonderful because it has no contraindications, perhaps except for allergies to animal fur. Doctors note that this is also an absolutely natural, non-drug method of healing that has no adverse reactions. In addition, this method of treatment does not require large material costs and special equipment and is therefore accessible to everyone.
What animals heal us?
Cats
These animals not only lift your spirits, but also help relieve stress and treat insomnia. It is especially useful to keep cats at home for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Experts say that if blood pressure increases, you need to pet the cat for a few minutes, and the pressure will decrease.
Sometimes cats are able to stay next to a sick person for hours. This is because they are attracted by the “energy of pain,” and the animal can easily determine the place that emits this energy.
Cats are not only wonderful diagnosticians, but also almost physical therapy devices. Scientists have found that a cat's purring has a healing effect similar to ultrasound treatment in the range of 20–50 hertz.
The British, inspired by the cat's abilities, are selling white medicinal cats in pharmacies. By the way, experts believe that cats and cats have different therapeutic profiles. Thus, cats specialize in diseases of the nervous system and internal organs. And cats are profiled for osteochondrosis, radiculitis and arthrosis.
Dogs
Firstly, dog owners are protected from physical inactivity and its consequences. Regular walks with your four-legged friend will reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases and strengthen the immune system.
A dog in the house protects the human nervous system. In the history of medical research, there are cases where, as a result of targeted treatment with the help of dogs ( canistherapy), children with severe forms of autism were healed. Dogs also help cure hysteria, neurasthenia, psychasthenia and neuroses.
Scientists are confident that dogs contribute to the development of communication skills in their owners and increase human self-esteem. Your pet doctor can be of any breed, the main thing is that the animal is not aggressive and has a stable psyche.
Horses
Hippotherapy, or treatment through communication with horses, involves horse riding. In essence, this is physical therapy, which has proven effectiveness.
Since the middle of the last century, doctors have been using this treatment method for neurological and mental diseases. Today, therapeutic riding centers operate in almost 50 countries around the world. There is also such a center in Omsk. The organization "Radovest" conducts hippotherapy classes for everyone who needs help.
We conduct classes in the park of the 30th anniversary of the Komsomol throughout the year,” says the head of the equestrian club “Carousel”, director of the public organization “Radovest” Elena Koryabina. - Of course, we are looking at the evidence. Not all children, for example, can be exposed to the cold, which means they cannot undergo hippotherapy courses in winter. We mainly work with children from one year to 17-18 years old, there are adults too, but there are not many of them. The main diagnosis of people seeking help is cerebral palsy and autism.
Last year we had one hundred people at hippotherapy, this year about one hundred and twenty. First of all, hippotherapy is a psychological effect; the rider feels more confident on a horse, this is especially important for non-ambulatory children. For autistic children, the horse is a mediator; it is silent and easier to communicate with. The horse makes it clear how to move correctly. A child on horseback receives a certain movement pattern, children with cerebral palsy develop balance, and from a horse they transfer the understanding of how to properly hold themselves to the ground. Not a single technical device has yet been created that would make it possible to imitate the mechanisms of movement that a child can learn in the process of hippotherapy.
Experts advise using hippotherapy for musculoskeletal disorders, polio, scoliosis, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other diseases. It has been proven that communication with horses creates a positive emotional background, which in itself is healing.
Aquarium fish
A small island of the ocean in the apartment will have a positive effect on the psyche. Watching fish swim in an aquarium relieves stress. Therefore, these animals are most suitable for those who are constantly depressed and suffer from neuroses. The therapeutic effect is achieved after 15 minutes spent in front of the aquarium. The maximum duration of the procedure is one and a half hours.
The aquarium is suitable for families with a small child. Fishes will help him study better. It turns out that they can increase a person’s intellectual level.
In addition, the presence of an aquarium in the house creates a special beneficial microclimate. The evaporating water will humidify the air, which will help prevent asthma and colds. In general, a bright aquarium evokes joy and a sense of well-being in its owners. And according to some reports, it even helps strengthen family relationships.
And other animals
Rodents will help those who have problems communicating with people. They help their owners overcome self-doubt, get rid of complexes and isolation. According to experts, white rats are specialized in the treatment of neuroses. And rabbits and hamsters treat joint diseases.
Poultry increases human creativity and performance. Parrots can relieve heart pain, cure stuttering and neuroses. The singing of canaries will also calm your nerves and improve your mood.
Reptiles are healers of the human nervous system. A visit to the terrarium has a positive effect on patients with neurasthenia or dementia. Experts warn that therapeutic communication with cold-blooded animals does not imply physical contact; for a medical effect, it is enough to visually interact with amphibians.
In fact, all living beings are capable of exerting therapeutic effects on the human body. The only difference is the degree of effectiveness of this effect and the patient’s place of residence. For example, in some countries of the world, even chickens, goats, llamas and donkeys are used for zootherapy. In Africa they are treated with the help of elephants and crocodiles, in Australia with the help of kangaroos. The main thing is not to forget that any zootherapy for serious health disorders should accompany specialized medical treatment, and not replace it.
Based on materials from 55med.ru
Humans are far from the only creatures who care about their health. Many animals also master the art of healing. Sometimes even people learn from them.
At first glance, a cat basking in the sun is the most harmless creature in the world. In fact, it is a formidable predator that eats meat. But sometimes a cat happily eats grass. And owners often feed herbivorous cows with animal proteins. Who has gone crazy - animals or people? Not cats!
Dogs, which are also carnivores, also sometimes feed on grass and other plant foods. They need it to improve digestion, just as people benefit from eating dill, parsley, lettuce and other greens. But the main purpose of grass in the diet of predators is to cleanse the stomach. The grass causes irritation of the esophageal mucosa, which leads to vomiting, during which the body is freed from hairballs accumulated in the stomach.
Natural salt shakers
Most animals require nutritional supplements, be they proteins, vitamins or mineral salts. This is why cows and deer are fed table salt. Both domestic and wild herbivores must regularly consume a certain amount of salt, the lack of which they can compensate for by licking salt from special feeders. But how do wild animals solve this problem without human help?
African elephants can travel long distances in search of vital salt. In Kenya, elephants go into deep caves, from the walls of which they lick salt deposits formed as a result of water seeping through the rock. In search of salt in caves, elephants can descend to depths of up to 150 m!
And elephants living in the forests of Central Africa dig the ground to replenish mineral reserves in their bodies.
Dry cleaning
Not only sea creatures, but also land animals need the services of cleaners. Some of the most skilled masters of this matter are African starlings, which feed almost exclusively on the backs of wild herbivorous mammals (buffalo, elephants, hippopotamuses and others) and cattle. Mammals patiently tolerate the presence of birds because they protect their skin from flies, ticks and other bloodsuckers.
Monkey medicine
Taking care of their own health, monkeys sometimes resort to unexpected tricks. A striking example of this is the Zanzibar gwerets, or Kirk's colobus. These small animals often eat almond and mango leaves. They like their taste, but the substances contained in the leaves can cause serious digestive upset in gverets. In the forests where these monkeys live, local residents traditionally make charcoal from wood. Various peoples have used charcoal for food poisoning from time immemorial: it absorbs toxins and prevents them from being absorbed into the blood. Some time ago, monkeys also learned to use charcoal for medicinal purposes. The monkeys wait patiently until the worker burning the coal turns away, and hastily steal the miraculous pieces, which they then leisurely eat in the branches. Thanks to this “medicine”, they can feed on tasty leaves without any harm to their health, neutralizing the poison they contain.
Baboons have also learned to use plants for medicinal purposes. For example, they eat the leaves of Sansevieria, a plant often grown on indoor windowsills, as a pain reliever.
Sand bathing and smoke fumigation
People have been using smoke for disinfection and disinfestation for a long time. Some birds are also able to use smoke for this purpose, such as jackdaws and crows, which sometimes deliberately fly into clouds of smoke from fires made by humans.
Many forest birds willingly bathe in the ashes of extinct fires: wood ash is known to have a strong disinfectant effect. According to the observations of Siberian hunters, wood grouse love to take medicinal baths in the warm ashes of burning peat bogs, which they find by the smell of smoke.
Otherwise, animal therapy is called pet therapy or animal therapy. These unifying terms contain up to ten different names that characterize individual groups of animals.
The direction of treating mental disorders and various physical and personal disorders through “communication” between a person and a specially trained animal was developed back in the 18th century.
Origin of the method
Animal therapy began with the use of ordinary domesticated dogs as the first healers. Unexpected helpers first appeared in 1796 at a philanthropic clinic for mentally ill people, organized through the efforts of the British humanist William Tuke.
This method of treatment did not correspond to generally accepted scientific standards and met with strong resistance from the public. However, studying the mental state of the clinic’s patients a short time after the introduction of four-legged assistants to the staff significantly reduced the aggressive attacks of conservative opponents.
It was proven that by communicating with animals on a primitive tactile level and having the opportunity to provide minimal care to dogs (walking them, combing them, participating in feeding), patients began to react more calmly to surrounding stimuli. There have even been cases of former clinic patients returning to full social life.
But the influence of the conservatism of that time turned out to be too strong, and the method was not allowed to develop into an official direction of medicine.
This happened only in the middle of the 20th century. American psychiatrist Boris Levinson, conducting therapy sessions at his home, was amazed to see the reaction of one of his young patients, a nine-year-old autistic person, to the doctor’s dog, which was usually kept locked, suddenly entering the office. Without making contact with anyone, the child began to play with the big dog and allow him to touch him, which meant an unprecedented breakthrough in treatment.
From that moment on, Jingle began to participate in most of the doctor’s meetings with patients, and the mental state of many of them noticeably improved.
Levingston's colleagues, who greeted the new method of animal therapy with ridicule, had to quiet their criticism when it became known that Freud himself used his dog Yofi as the main assistant during psychiatric sessions.
The essence of zootherapy
The main focus of animal therapy is working with children and adolescents who have communication difficulties or impaired motor functions. The last use of the method, which has become very important, is adaptive therapy for children with Down syndrome. Animals, as if taking on the capabilities of a sick child and always moving one step ahead, together with him overcome important steps in the socialization of the individual and physical development.
The psychological aspect of the method accounts for 90% of the positive results of animal therapy. A child, tired of serious treatment, perceives communication sessions with a four-legged friend as encouragement, a joyful event, a game that allows him to try on new roles.
The animal is not able to respond, but it reacts sensitively to any sounds and touches, so the patient does not experience stress from a feeling of misunderstanding, does not worry about encountering aggression or ridicule. He reveals himself most fully and himself initiates the urge to action - to start a dialogue with people or to take the first independent steps.
It is not uncommon for a series of 10-15 animal therapy sessions to be comparable in value to a full course of strong antidepressants or nootropics, but without a huge number of side effects and contraindications.
The next 10% of success depends on stimulation at the physiological level. For example, during dolphin therapy, the child’s body is immersed in water and, at a reflex level, begins to interact with the elements, performing simple movements. A specially trained dolphin nearby enhances this interaction, forcing the patient to demonstrate enhanced motor skills for the convenience of mutual play.
Approximately the same effect, but with minor nuances, is observed when communicating with other animals - comprehensive stimulation is used everywhere.
Forms of animal-assisted therapy
Animal therapy is not always intentional. This situation is possible if you have your own pet at home, communication with which brings pleasure to family members. Exotic animals can also play this role, but most often you can hear about the healing effects of a cat or dog on a person. This form of unintentional treatment is called “undirected pet therapy.”
Another form - directed therapy - involves the involvement of a trained four-legged healer in the process. Before being allowed to visit people in need of treatment, animals undergo multiple tests for resistance to stress, patience, and lack of aggression. Specialists constantly work with them, and the animals themselves are kept in conditions of increased comfort.
Main functions of the method
Animal therapy (hippotherapy, ichthyotherapy, etc.) has main goals that must be achieved during one or more courses of treatment. Conventionally, the overall effect of animal-assisted therapy can be divided into a number of narrowly focused functions, however, it should be understood that even when choosing only one direction, the patient one way or another receives the entire “range of services”, since the animal will “give all its best”.
- Interaction at the psychophysiological level. It is formed on the basis of tactile contact with the pet, in games, in the process of caring for the pet.
- Psychological impact. It consists of different situations, but is most often used to develop a sense of responsibility in the patient, to distract from serious problems, to increase self-esteem and a sense of self-worth.
- For the purpose of rehabilitation after injuries or for partial elimination of congenital physical and mental pathologies.
- Expanding the comfort zone for people with phobias and serious complexes that interfere with social adaptation.
Having a pet as a family member has been proven to help people cope with depression and feelings of loneliness. For many patients suffering from anthropophobia (fear of people), a silent interlocutor has even become a ticket to an active, full life in society.
Indications
- diagnoses of cerebral palsy, autism;
- mental disorders, neuroses;
- disruption of the organs of speech, hearing and vision;
- underdevelopment of motor, mental, mental functions;
- Down syndrome;
- congenital or acquired heart and vascular defects;
- birth and other injuries.
Children with musculoskeletal disorders are referred separately for dolphin and hippotherapy.
Types of therapeutic effects by animals
What is animal therapy called, indicating a specific species? The following types of treatment with animals are officially used on the territory of the Russian Federation:
- Ichthyotherapy is communication with dolphins in their native aquatic environment.
- Canistherapy – working with dogs of various breeds.
- Hippotherapy – communication with a horse and horse riding.
- Felinotherapy – interaction with cats. Most often used as a non-targeted treatment.
Canistherapy is considered the most universal and widespread, however, in the process of long-term treatment of children with congenital defects of various etiologies, they try to use all types of therapy with animals. When working with children who are deprived of the ability to move, realistic images of animals and recordings of the friendly sounds they make (for example, dolphin songs) can also be used.
Canistherapy
For each individual case, the canister selects a special dog in accordance with the patient’s character and the doctor’s prescription. For a teenager or adult who has problems with socialization, large individuals of calm, phlegmatic breeds are selected. The same dog will be recommended to parents of inactive children - you can lie on it, pet it and feel it for a long time.
Funny, active dogs are used for group and individual lessons with active, energetic children. One hour of such a game will help the child throw out accumulated energy, fill him with positive emotions, relieve aggression, tearfulness, and the threat of hysterical attacks.
Dogs are often used to relieve early fears associated with unpleasant experiences with other animals. Subconsciously, a person associates the image of a dog with fidelity, selfless devotion, and reliable friendship, so even the depth of a child’s phobia, as a rule, does not withstand several sessions of such therapy.
Dolphin therapy
Not only people with disappointing diagnoses are referred for ichthyotherapy, but also pregnant women, and even those who are unable to conceive a child. It's all about ultrasounds, which dolphins emit in the form of abrupt, squawking screams or drawn-out, clicking songs - the power of their impact is so great that in a dolphinarium with several talking animals, sensitive equipment can break down! Dolphin conversations have only a positive effect on the human body, and children feel this especially subtly.
Dolphin therapy involves short, no more than 25 minutes, sessions of communication with animals. And this time, multiplied by 8-10 meetings, is enough for a long-term positive emotional reserve. Tactile therapy with animals only enhances the effect, and children willingly stroke the sides and fins of these unusual healers.
Hippotherapy
In addition to the unique effect on the pelvic muscles from a leisurely ride on horseback in a specially equipped horse saddle, communication with this amazing animal is filled with positivity and calm peace.
For children and adolescents with mobility impairments, the sensation of movement associated with the close proximity of a powerful animal is a lesson in boundless trust and the discovery of new possibilities. Gradually, self-confidence and a sense of security in the process of communicating with a horse develops into an invaluable experience of communication in society.
Felinotherapy
Everyone knows about the energy potential of a homemade Murka. As well as the incredible ability of a cat to recognize the weak points of the human body. The cat picks up the psycho-emotional background of the person in contact with it, and when it receives disturbing impulses, with its caresses it forces the owner to provide a tactile response in the form of stroking. At these moments, the human body uncontrollably sends a response - increased synthesis of oxytocin, which, when released into the blood, causes a psycho-emotional feeling of tenderness, love, and the desire to do good.
People with a history of heart and vascular disease notice that after interacting with a cat, blood pressure levels often return to normal, tachycardia stops, and heart pain goes away. Insulin-dependent diabetics feel less need for drugs to lower blood sugar, since the main cause of increased glucose levels - stress - is suppressed in the presence of a pet.
In a house where there are small children and a cat lives at the same time, they are less likely to encounter pediatric and ENT diseases, allergies, and gastric disorders.
Contraindications to the method
Contraindications to zootherapy include both general and local factors. The following are considered common:
- acute infectious diseases in humans;
- a deliberately negative attitude towards such treatment;
- severe mental disorders.
Local contraindications include individual intolerance to animal hair, saliva, dander, as well as a negative reaction of the specific individual with whom treatment is intended. In the latter case, the specialist will have to replace the animal, since it is impossible to achieve a good result if the patient has a negative attitude towards the animal.