Therapy Dog Presence During Chemotherapy in a Day Chemotherapy Unit: A Prospective Pilot Comparative Pre-Post Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology Nursing
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Psychosocial Oncology

Background:

• Therapy dog interventions are increasingly used in oncology for supportive care.
• Limited evidence exists on their immediate impact on adult patients undergoing chemotherapy in day hospital settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate immediate changes in patient-reported symptoms and respiratory parameters during chemotherapy with and without therapy dog presence.
• To assess the feasibility of integrating therapy dogs into day chemotherapy units.

Main Methods:

• A prospective pilot comparative pre-post study involving 70 adult oncology patients in a day chemotherapy unit.
• Patients were allocated to either a therapy dog group (n=35) or a control group (n=35).
• Assessed anxiety, relaxation, dyspnea, peripheral oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate before and after a 20-30 minute session.

Main Results:

• The therapy dog group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in anxiety and increases in relaxation compared to the control group.
• A greater decrease in respiratory rate was observed in the therapy dog group, though this finding requires cautious interpretation.
• No significant differences were found in dyspnea or peripheral oxygen saturation between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Therapy dog presence during chemotherapy is associated with immediate improvements in patient anxiety and relaxation.
• Findings on respiratory parameters warrant further investigation.
• The study supports the feasibility of therapy dog interventions in day chemotherapy settings and informs future research designs.