Nemours/A.I. duPont brings dogs in during kids' medical tests

The Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington has been bringing dogs into outpatient areas, hoping pet-assisted therapy will reduce the stress of taking medical tests for its young patients.

The hospital also is preparing to publish what officials there say is the first study to quantify the effects of pet-assisted therapy with pediatric patients.

The research is part of a hospital-wide effort to improve the quality of services to patients and their families.

"We have a focus on relieving anxiety, suffering and pain, and we're working on two tracks," said Dr. Paul Rosen, a pediatric rheumatologist. "The first is quality improvement. We're asking our patients, families and staff what we can do better. The second is research."

The social, emotional and health benefits of pets are well documented for ailing adults. Pets help lower blood pressure, boost the health of the sick, help people struggling with addiction and brighten the lives of those with depression.

For almost two years, the hospital has worked with the Wilmington-based pet-assisted therapy organization PAWS for People to bring therapy teams to inpatient rooms for visits. After surveying patients, their families and staff at all levels of care, the hospital decided to expand the successful program to the outpatient units, beginning with blood draws.

"We asked the kids and families what they wanted, and I wrongly assumed they would want pain relief cream, but they asked for pet therapy," Rosen said. "We talked with the phlebotomists, and the team there has really taken the bull by the horns. They do 100 blood draws a day. We thought if we could impact 100 blood draws a day by alleviating stress and pain for our patients, we should do it."

For 18 months, rotating teams from PAWS have paid daily visits to patients and their families in the waiting area and, at the request of patients and with permission from parents, they also keep the children company while the phlebotomist draws blood. The dog handlers always ask whether a child is allergic to dogs, and some of the kids choose not to pet.

"I thought it was a wonderful idea, and the kids love them," said phlebotomist Kietsa Hendricks. "I have one kid who refuses to come in without a dog."

Rosen has been more than pleased with the reaction of patients and families, calling the use of therapy pets in the outpatient area "groundbreaking."

"We have families telling us their child comes to the lab and doesn't cry any more, and parents who say they don't have to hold their child down any more," he said.

Skyler Ross, a 12-year-old from Wilmington, didn't even notice her blood draw was happening last Wednesday because she was petting Buddy, a soft-coated Wheaton terrier.

"He's so cute; he looks so adorable," she said while phlebotomist Tammy Funk made quick work of her blood draw.

Even the children and adults who didn't want to pet Buddy didn't seem to be able to take their eyes off him.

"When the dog enters the room, even if they aren't petting it, it has a beneficial effect; people start smiling," he said.

PAWS teams recently began visits to the emergency waiting room, where the results are the same, and last week PAWS founder Lynn Robinson participated in a test to expand the outpatient pet therapy program to the MRI unit.

PAWS teams also have been visiting surgery waiting rooms, resulting in a new study about to be published.

Two Nemours nurses, Kelly Radulski and Emily Kazaba, themselves pet lovers and proponents of pet therapy, have written the study called Positive Paws, which documents the effects of pet therapy in decreasing anxiety in parents waiting as their children undergo surgery. It will soon be submitted to peer review journals for publication, said Christina Calamaro, Ph.D., director of nursing research, who helped with the study.

"They registered the pre- and post-anxiety of parents waiting for their kids in surgery," she said. "Having the dogs there didn't lessen concern for their children, but it did help with their anxiety. The primary data is about to be published."

The research won't stop there, Calamaro said. Other outpatient areas identified by staff as places where pet therapy could help children include physicals and IV therapy.

"We will continue to measure the outcomes of pet therapy," she said. "The benefits have been known for years; now we'll have the results to prove it. Our goal is to be the leader in pet-assisted therapy."

The hospital also is seeking donor support for the expanded program. Tom Hollinger and Bill Denney, partners at Newton One LLC, a financial consulting firm, recently pledged $40,000 to support the program.

Rosen, who joined the PAWS for People board, said the key ingredients to continuing and expanding the pet-assisted therapy program, as well as other initiatives, are input from patients and their families, input from staff, and community support.

"Our overall plan is to keep improving in every area, and we've got the support of our front-line families, doctor and nurses and top-line leadership support. PAWS for People is an amazing asset. I want every child to have access to it."

Another dog park adventure

I recently wrote about a woman who brought a ferret to the Glasgow park, which sent my West Highland Terrier and other dogs into a tizzy. Last week, a woman bought a parrot in a traveling cage to the New Castle dog park. As I was reaching to leash my dog, the parrot owner's terrier jumped in to protect her bird and owner, and we almost had a dog fight. The owner very nicely left. But again: A dog park is for well-socialized dogs, not any other animals.

Email Deb Lucas your news, events, column ideas and the results of column topics to dlucas@delaweareonline.com or call her at (302) 324-2852.

Pet-related events

• The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the May 19 kidnapping and cruel beating of a pit bull in Wilmington. Call (302) 698-3006 if you can help.

• The Delaware Humane Association will hold a Vaccination Clinic for cats and dogs 10 a.m. to noon June 21 at the shelter and adoption center in Wilmington. Clinics are first come, first served, and cash or checks only are accepted for payment. Your pet's most recent previous rabies certificate with veterinarian's signature or stamp must be presented to receive a three-year rabies vaccination. (302) 571-0111; dehumane.org/vaccinationclinics

• Anyone feeding roaming cats in the 19805 ZIP code can take a cat in for a free spay or neuter procedure at Faithful Friends near Elsmere in Wilmington, thanks to a PetSmart Foundation grant. If you cannot get the cat/s in a carrier, Faithful Friends will humanely trap, spay or neuter the cat/s and return them to you. (302) 427-8514, ext. 0; faithfulfriends.us