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

Love this! Animals bring so much joy.

I love dogs but I presume (hope) that they would always ask if people were ok with therapy dogs visiting because obviously as you say not everyone feels the same.

If you have such a severe allergy then you should have been flagging it already, after all what if the patient in the bed next to you or in the waiting room had a guide dog or a visitor with one?

When my MIL was in the hospice my in-laws were allowed to bring their dogs in. I'll never forget the joy on one lady's face when she got a visit from one of them.

My friend’s wife, in a care home, had a visit from a Therapy Donkey!

OP has obviously never been in Great Ormond street with a sick child and seen the joy that the visiting dogs bring. Seriously

@Itsrainingloadshere we have an admin colleague with a guide dog in our hospital. It’s the drains, MRSA, norovirus, flu and covid people need to be more worried about.

I was in hospital and a therapy came to visit me, it was wonderful, what an amazing service.

Hospital stays can be really miserable. This is a joyful idea.

OP humans can’t catch canine diseases so no infection risk at all.

My mum caught Covid recently in hospital, now Norovirus is closing wards.. no dogs involved. The problem is dirty people who should know better.

You haven't lived!

Work related, I've seen adults eat shit, roll in shit and try to get into bed covered in shit.

I've never seen a therapy dog do anything remotely like that.

My rescue greyhound is a registered Pets As Therapy dog and visits a local hospice every week: the happiness that she gives the patients there has to be seen to be believed. Some patients are not interested and that’s fine but most get great pleasure out of her visit, and I’m so proud of her.

DH has a severe animal allergy with asthma and I’m pretty sure he would not be concerned with this. As you will know, the allergic reactions are usually triggered by dogs running around and the hairs clinging to things like the carpet and sofa. None of which would apply in hospital. Everything is wiped down, the dogs would be calm and under control and you are not tightly packed in to a space where hair is floating all around so the risk really is minimal. He’d probably mention it to the staff though, so they would be aware of no visiting dogs near him.

I saw an article not too long ago with a photo attached about a dying man where they brought his horse into the hospital to say goodbye (?), to comfort him (?), to cheer him up (?). Probably all three.

There was a horse in the hospital!! I don’t think they mentioned the country, or at least I don’t remember reading the location.

I would truly LOVE this

I don't think there is a risk of patients catching parvo, rabies or kennel cough is there?

I'm a nurse, and let me tell you, if you think hospitals are clean you are deluded, OP.

Gosh, I wish I would have been lucky enough to be visited by a therapy dog (or dinky pony) following each mastectomy. I also would have loved one to snuggle with when I was undergoing chemotherapy. Having been immune compromised for a good 18 months how, pets have been fine, it's people I need to be careful of in terms of catching an infection.

Am pretty certain, if not am 100% certain that before they allow therapy animals into the hospital, any hospital, they actually check if there are any patients who are allergic. Therapy animal do not routinely visit everyone in hospital anyway, and checks are made - they don't just turn up one day. OP, does the hospital you are in have any history of allowing therapy dogs in? Either way, all you need to do is speak to your breast cancer nurse and your allergy to dogs will be put onto your records. Should you find yourself in hospital again, during your pre-op assessment, mention to them your allergy of dogs. You should do this each and every time. I do similarly albeit regarding my allergy to a certain kind of adhesive that is commonly found on the standard dressing used post-surgery.

I really don’t understand why it bothers you if the dog will not be visiting you.
The dog will obviously only be visiting those that want it and will be kept away from those that don’t.
It really bugs me that people can see something that brings others joy and think ‘Well I don’t like it so it should be banned…’ instead of simply saying, ‘Well, it’s not for me, so I won’t be getting involved.’
I personally like dogs, but I am not sure if I would be up for visit from a therapy dog, it would depend on how poorly I felt. However, I would feel pleased for the people that were taking joy from it.

It's quite literally the most relevant piece of information you could have given to support your not wanting dogs in hospitals!

If I was in hospital, especially for an extended period of time, feeling bored/depressed/ scared I'd love a visit from a dog.

More chance of catching something off of human visitors to be fair. Norovirus, MRSA, C.Diff, dogs don’t tend to be carriers for those.

And at the end of the day if they come round your hospital bay just say no I don’t want to stroke it and they’ll move straight past you.

It's lovely and all animals have healing power!
I am sure nobody has to interact with the visiting dog if they don't want to.

My dog is a registered visiting therapy dog. We visit care homes, hospitals, schools and hospices.
The joy this brings to many people is wonderful. I have been asked several times, by relatives to visit people as they’re dying.

Stroking a dog can lower blood pressure, calm patients that are stressed, help support people during counselling and many other benefits.

All the dogs are trained, well groomed, vaccinated, wormed and temperament assessed.

In several years of doing this work I can count on one hand the amount of people that react the way the OP does to the idea.

Yes. I am not scared of dogs, but I don’t want them licking me or jumping or nuzzling my property. I work alongside a GP practice and have to go in once a month. As soon as I enter the room, the dog leaps up and starts licking me. When I sit down it put its feet on my knees and nuzzles my bag. I thoroughly dislike it. I thought therapy dogs were meant to be trained?