Disgusting Dogs going into ICUs at a hospital near you

[SummerFeverVenice]

Is anyone else horrified at the thought of “therapy” dogs going on hospitals’ wards and even into ICUs? I read this article and was throughly disgusted at the idea of animals and all their associated filth being allowed into hospitals.

Outpatient, psychiatric wards I have no problem with. But regular wards and the ICU?! Where infection control and hygiene must be upheld…surely this is a bad idea. In the article one of the volunteers even let her dog lick a patient’s face! Plus the top photo shows a dog that has climbed into bed with a patient.

I feel like dog worship has gone a step too far.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7w4lzyg2lo

The kids on my children’s ward loved the therapy dogs we had. It was voluntary to meet them, they went to a little room and kids came to see them, not in general ward but especially for some of our long term kiddies it lifted spirits and they loved it

I've often had to ask to be assigned a new nurse because the perfumes they are wearing (and not supposed to be ) has set me off. Ask your hospital do you allow therapy animals and inform them of your allergy. It's not a big deal . As a precaution have your epi pens ever at the ready in case a rougue dog appears.

Have you not expressed your displeasure and asked for it to stop?
Therapy dogs should be for and around people that want to interact with them only.

I'd hope the patients would get some sort of say on whether they wanted a dog anywhere near them as some people are really frightened of dogs. Imagine you were in a state where you couldn't speak and a dog was sprung upon you.

The majority of humans who are walking around hospitals will have more harmful germs on their hands than a dog would on its whole body.

Humans are disgusting OP, I hate to tell you. Give me a dog any day of the week!

Writing your post on mums net will achieve nothing, why don’t you contact your NHS trust if you’re so concerned ? Also I imagine these visits will be few and far between, so I wouldn’t get yourself too worked up.

Of course they do.

My best friend owns a ranch with alpacas and she takes one to nursing homes and hospices. She has about 40, but they're not all trained for it. It dresses up and goes to weddings sometimes, too. But people request that.

Agreed!

It will never happen though.

Honestly feeling so bemused that people imagine that hospitals would thrust dogs on people that may be frightened, allergic or simply dislike dogs.

Course it bloody won't. The fact people physically NEED them for one.

Love the sound of a dressed up alpaca at a wedding.

Dogs don't need to be everywhere. I like dogs. But they just don't need to be everywhere. I have allergies and it's sometimes triggered by dog hair. I don't care if people think this is a "joyless" response but honestly the amount of money, time and resources spent on this in the NHS is just ridiculous and definitely money better spent elsewhere.

Therapy animals can be an excellent resource. It's not like grabbing some random dog passing by and taking it for indoor walkies. These animals are specially trained and should be properly risk assessed and supervised at all times. If people are concerned about therapy animals, PALS should be able to provide information about how they're used.

Why do people say this stuff? Someone isn’t real because they don’t think dogs should be in ICU? I agree with that, and am pretty sure I am real.

Including guide dogs, dogs that alert their epileptic owners that they about to have a fit, drug sniffing dogs, explosive sniffing dogs, sheepdogs, @ZedelFan and @Xenia?

What utter nonsense.

Dogs aren’t a threat to immunocompromised people.Being in inpatient in hospital, particularly ICU, is far more of a threat with the number of bugs floating around. This told to me by an ICU nurse.

I'm immune compromised i have two dogs and I have never caught anything from them. Humans, however, have passed on infections that have made me incredibly ill on more than one occasion including COVID which despite being vaccinated made me ill for weeks.

Hospitals have so many people coming and going all the time carrying infections, dirty shoes walking through the corridors and your worried about a dog coming into the hospital? They bring joy, comfort and a distraction.

So, I wouldn't have a problem if I saw a dog being brought in to a hospital

My mum got kennel cough while in hospital. She had been in a local hospital and then transferred to a large regional hospital for her operation. It was diagnosed only 3 days after the move. She was asked had she been on a farm and did she have any animals. No to both questions. She had to have a blood transfusion. Thankfully her op was able to go ahead.

Id try not to worry op. They are not going to bring any therapy animal onto a ward or in a room with a patient who is allergic.
i can see this being more for kids, elderly or dementia patients. Even then if there was a patient there allergic no hospital would do it!
don’t stress. Just concentrate on getting better.

No. Because everyone else loves that dog and they all touch and pet it. If I asked for it to be kept away from me, the room of dog-lovers would be horrified and it would all get awkward. I wish it didn’t leap up every time anyone enters the room. I would be fine with it sitting quietly in a corner.

I've been immunosuppressed since the age of 24 and I've always had dogs and cats. They've never even been mentioned as a risk to me.

Can reassure you that would never ever happen. This thread is a total mountain out of a mole hill

I haven't RTFT but generally with therapy dog the handler, having already trained the dog to a high standard of manners, general recall etc, pays for the certification (which involves a test of handler and dog) and insurance, and gives their time voluntarily. The handler also covers travel costs.

A risk assessment is provided to the school or nursing home for the responsible staff member to read or tweak. Checks are made relating to allergies and phobias.

I know this, because my dog is certified to go into schools.

what a lovely idea! Dogs are amazing as making us feel 10 x better! Bring it on!