Animal-assisted therapy had its large breakthrough in the 1960-ties when a psychiatrist named Boris Levinson discovered the great advantages of involving animals in the treatment of patients. Therapy with animals involves that animals are used in a systematic way, in a person's process of treatment. The most distinguished companion animal used within this area is the dog, but horses, cats, rabbits, birds, dolphins and the most common farm animals are used in animal-assisted therapy. Most animals that are to be used for this specific purpose need to be trained in order to maintain their physical and mental health, but also to minimize the risks for the people that are involved. Most studies within this research area are focused on the positive effects on the patients and less on the effects on the animals.

Background: Pet therapy has existed as a concept since 1964 when the American child psychologist Boris Levinson coined the term. Nowadays Animal Assisted Activity (AAA) and Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) are both recognized concepts, and with progressed research the science of pet therapy increases.Purpose: To summate the most recent science in pet therapy (therapy dog) research with focus on physical, psychical, and social effects.Methods: Literature study/review with descriptive design, research on 21 articles published from year 2003 and onward. Articles used in the study were chosen through beforehand decided criteria, subject to quality rating, and summated in an overview. The main results were summated and presented in similarities and differences.Results: The main result of the summation was that important results could be measured in each of the three fields of research. Physical/physiological effects: pain relief, differentiated results on vital signs, and increased activity.

The main purpose of this examination paper has been to do a review of recent scientific and evaluated studies performed on children 0-15 years of age, treated with an animal as an assistant to the therapist/professional. The key term is Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). Our focus has been to describe in what fields these kinds of studies have been performed, what the results are and how effective they have been. As a supplement to our study we have performed 8 short telephone interviews with professionals in the same field of occupation corresponding to the studies we have summarized. Our results concerning the studies show that there has been a positive outcome in the treatment of children and adolescents and AAT.

At two nursing homes for people with dementia a qualitative study was performed. The purpose was to investigate the therapy dog?s meaning to people with dementia from their perspective. Two women and five men with dementia were interviewed, everyone being somewhere between 60 and 87 years of age. All but one had previously owned a dog at some point in their lives.

Background: With increasing age follows higher risks of conditions and illnesses which can cause a decrease in health and wellbeing. A meaningful social environment can positively impact the physical health of older people. Dogs are increasingly being used for different purposes within health care and animal assisted therapy aims to improve people?s physical, social, emotional and cognitive function.Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of animal assisted therapy on older people?s health and wellbeing.Methods: A literature review where searches for academic articles in databases PubMed, Cinahl and PsychInfo were performed. The searches resulted in 14 articles which were selected for further review.

The aim of this study was, that from a view of professional's understand the meanings of including horses in therapy. In order to achieve the aim of the study, qualitative method was used and therewith interviews was performed with professionals who work with equine- assisted therapy. The professionals did also have an education which allowed them to independently treat clients and besides that at least five years of experience of equine- assisted therapy. The issues of the study was to understand the professionals? view of the horses role in equine-assisted therapy, which opportunities and constraints professionals consider that equine-assisted therapy entails and also if the horse could bring something unique to therapy.

Background: Animals have been shown to have a positive effect on people. The nursing science approach says that a person can experience well-being despite illness. The positive attributes of animals can be used in health care to help ill people experience well-being. An animal-assisted intervention can be a form of activity or therapy involving pets (AAA / AAT) or horses (EAT).Aim: The purpose of this study was to elucidate how animals in health care promote well-being for people with long-term illness.Methods: Literature review based on fourteen original scientific articles, with both qualitative and quantitative approach.Results: The compilation of the results led to four main categories with two subcategories respectively. These were: Physical aspects with subcategories Physical well-being and Bodily functions; Psychic aspects with subcategories Psychic well-being and Reduced psychiatric symptoms; Existential aspects with subcategories Quality of Life and Safety; Social Aspects with subcategories Social behavior and Relationships.Discussions: Review and discussion of the selected method.

Background: Animals are used in several health care areas and have been shown to promote many aspects of patients? health. Animals have potential for use in nurses? health promotion work. Nurses need a deeper understanding of the importance and health-promoting properties of animal-assisted therapy.Aim: The aim was to describe the importance of animal assisted therapy for patients? health.Methods: A literature review was conducted based on ten nursing science studies with both qualitative and quantitative approaches, which were selected after critical review.

This study examined constructions of horses and means staff working with horses parallel to therapy in institutional care ascribes to horses. A narrative method was used and the theoretical framework was social constructionism. A question was asked to the narratives: How can practice in institutional care be understood through these stories? The result showed different pictures of institutional care. Horses seem to provide a multi-faceted therapeutic tool.

Bakgrund: Antalet patienter med ångest ökar och orsakar ofta ett lidande för patienten. Sjuksköterskan har omvårdnadsansvar att lindra detta lidande. Olika djurterapier förekommer i vården för att behandla olika besvär, till exempel Animal Assisted Activity (AAA) och Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT).Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka vilken påverkan djur har på patienters ångest. Metod: Studien har genomförts som en litteraturstudie baserad på kvantitativa studier(n=12).Resultat: I samtliga studier framkom en sänkning av ångest vid djurterapier och i sju av studierna var det en statistiskt säkerställd sänkning. Resultatet visar främst en sänkning hos patienter som vårdas inom psykiatrin men även patienter inom den somatiska vården påverkades positivt av djuren.Diskussion: En sänkning av patienternas ångest visar att djur inom vården har en lugnande inverkan.

C-uppsatsen behandlar ämnet Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). Författarens Syfte är att ge en översikt av Arbetsformen AAT samt teoretisk och vetenskaplig bakgrund. Övergripande frågeställning är: Kan husdjur/hundar användas som medhjälpare i terapeutiskt arbete? Underliggande frågeställningar är: Vilka för- och nackdelar kan finnas med att använda husdjur/hundar som medhjälpare i terapeutiskt arbete?, Finns det vetenskaplig grund för att använda husdjur/hundar som medhjälpare i terapeutiskt arbete?, Vilka teorier ligger till grund för att använda husdjur/hundar som medhjälpare i terapeutiskt arbete?Metoden är en kvalitativ, explorativ och kombinatorisk översikt av material om AAT, bandet mellan djur och människa samt vetenskapliga resultat om detta.Teoretiskt anknyter uppsatsen till etologi. Författaren tar upp Darwins teori om det naturliga urvalet tillsammans med Lorenz teorier om instinkter och prägling, Bowlbys bindningsteori och Ainsworths teori om modern som barnets trygga bas.Uppsatsen behandlar hundens kvaliteter och fördelar som therapet (medhjälpare i terapi), nackdelar och fördelar med AAT som behandlingsform samt metoder för testning och träning av therapets.Mina slutsatser pekar på att AAT är ett bra alternativ och/eller komplement till andra terapeutiska behandlingsformer.

Cancer is one of the most feared diseases in veterinary medicine today, and the incidence is higher than ever due to the fact that our companion animals live longer then they did ten to twenty years ago. Cancer is also one of the most common causes of mortality in older companion animals. This literature review will be about two of the currently most common form of cancer treatment of companion animals in Swedish animal hospitals, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. There will also be a section of general nursing care for cancer patients. The section of chemotherapy will describe the indications for choosing chemotherapy, the way to administrate chemotherapeutic drugs, describe specific chemotherapeutic drugs, potential side effects of chemotherapy, and how to handle and store chemotherapeutic drugs safely. The section of radiation therapy will describe the current devices for delivering radiation therapy, describe the indications for choosing radiation therapy and describe potential side effects that radiation therapy may cause.

This work is intended primarily for animal nurses/veterinary technicians and describe parts of the rabbits digestive tract, causes of gastrointestinal disease, symptoms, diagnosis, general care of rabbits with gastrointestinal disease and how to prevent that gastrointestinal illness occur. The work is largely based on literature studies but also on a questionnaire sent out to rabbit owners to get answers on how they generally hold and care of rabbits, which gastrointestinal diseases that are most common, how owners care for their animals at home during illness and to examine if the owners think that the knowledge of this subject is good at his veterinarian/clinic.The purpose of this work is to improve the skills of animal nurses but also to improve the skills of owners through competent advice from animal nurses.The result show that gastrointestinal disease often is caused due to improper feeding and care of rabbits and therefore is advices from animal nurses an important part of preventive care. Animal nurses are also an important part of treatment of rabbits with gastrointestinal disease when supportive care as fluid therapy, supportive feeding and supply of a stress free environment is important for the animals to recover..

This work is intended primarily for animal nurses/veterinary technicians and describe parts of the rabbits digestive tract, causes of gastrointestinal disease, symptoms, diagnosis, general care of rabbits with gastrointestinal disease and how to prevent that gastrointestinal illness occur. The work is largely based on literature studies but also on a questionnaire sent out to rabbit owners to get answers on how they generally hold and care of rabbits, which gastrointestinal diseases that are most common, how owners care for their animals at home during illness and to examine if the owners think that the knowledge of this subject is good at his veterinarian/clinic.The purpose of this work is to improve the skills of animal nurses but also to improve the skills of owners through competent advice from animal nurses.The result show that gastrointestinal disease often is caused due to improper feeding and care of rabbits and therefore is advices from animal nurses an important part of preventive care. Animal nurses are also an important part of treatment of rabbits with gastrointestinal disease when supportive care as fluid therapy, supportive feeding and supply of a stress free environment is important for the animals to recover..

ABSTRACT Background: Aging and losing cognitive and physical functions is difficult. To also be affected by dementia means that you lose some part of your identity and the ability to take care of yourself. It is important to find alternative, non-pharmacological ways to increase health for the elderly and those who are affected by dementia. When dogs are used for therapeutic purposes in health care it is roughly divided into two different forms; AAA (Animal Assisted Activity) and AAT (Animal Assisted Therapy). AAI (Animal Assisted Intervention) is also used as a term, in which AAT is included.