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Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) involves using trained animals to help people cope with or recover from different health conditions.
AAT might help reduce stress and promote relaxation. It might also reduce feelings of loneliness. AAT that involves physical touch might stimulate pleasure in the brain. This seems to promote relaxation and well-being. AAT might also work by distracting patients from pain and activating comforting thoughts.
People use AAT for anxiety. It is also used for pain, muscle strength, dementia, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.
- Anxiety. Single sessions of various forms of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) seem to improve anxiety in adults and children. The long-term benefits of AAT for anxiety are unclear.
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- Autism spectrum disorder. It is unclear if equine-assisted therapy or canine-assisted therapy are beneficial in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Login for details - Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Small clinical studies suggest that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) may modestly improve symptoms in children with ADHD.
Login for details - Back pain. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in low back pain.
Login for details - Cancer-related pain. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial for reducing pain associated with cancer in children and adolescents.
Login for details - Cerebral palsy. It is unclear if equine-assisted therapy is beneficial in children with cerebral palsy; some meta-analyses and small clinical studies suggest that it may improve gross motor function, particularly in those with milder forms of the illness.
Login for details - Dementia. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in dementia.
Login for details - Depression. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial for reducing symptoms of depression; the available research is inconsistent.
Login for details - Down syndrome. Login for details
- Down syndrome. Login for details
- Fall prevention. It is unclear if equine-assisted therapy is beneficial in preventing falls.
Login for details - Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in children and adolescents with FASD.
Login for details - Fibromyalgia. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in fibromyalgia.
Login for details - Heart failure. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in heart failure.
Login for details - Intellectual disability. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in children with mild intellectual disability.
Login for details - Multiple sclerosis (MS). It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in MS.
Login for details - Pain (acute). It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in children with acute pain.
Login for details - Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial for PTSD.
Login for details - Postoperative pain. Small clinical studies suggest that canine-assisted therapy might be modestly beneficial for reducing postoperative pain in children or adults.
Login for details - Psychological well-being. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial for improving psychological well-being in elderly individuals in long-term care; the available research is conflicting.
Login for details - Schizophrenia. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in schizophrenia.
Login for details - Scleroderma. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in scleroderma.
Login for details - Scoliosis. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial for scoliosis.
Login for details - Social anxiety disorder. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) improves social anxiety disorder.
Login for details - Spinal cord injury. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in spinal cord injury.
Login for details - Stress. It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is beneficial in reducing stress.
Login for details - Stroke. Some clinical studies suggest that animal-assisted therapy may improve recovery post-stroke.
Login for details - Traumatic brain injury (TBI). It is unclear if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) improves recovery after TBI.
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Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is likely safe when used appropriately along with standard treatments. AAT should not be used in place of standard treatments.
Some people might be allergic to certain animals used in AAT. There have also been reports of animals carrying diseases that have been transmitted to patients. Animals used for AAT should always be screened by a veterinarian.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if AAT is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. But there's no reason to suspect safety concerns when used correctly.Children: AAT is likely safe when used appropriately.
It is not known if this treatment interacts with any medicines. Before using this treatment, talk with your health professional if you take any medications.
There are no known interactions with herbs and supplements.
There are no known interactions with foods.
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is used in various ways. Specific goals of treatment are set before therapy starts. Animals are selected based on their friendliness and companionship. The most commonly used animals are dogs, which allow for the best level of interaction. But cats, birds, fish, horses, and other animals have also been used for therapeutic purposes.
AAT is used in mental health treatment sessions, group therapy, recreation therapy, activity therapy, and day-treatment programs. Seek and follow relevant directions from your physician or other healthcare professional before using this treatment.
Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA), Animal-Assisted Education, Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI), Animal-Facilitated Therapy, Animal Companionship, Animals In Human Therapy, Animal Visitation, Canine-Assisted Ambulation, Canine-Assisted Therapy, Canine Therapy, Canine Visitation Therapy (CVT), Companion Animal Therapy, Dog-Assisted Therapy, Dolphin-Assisted Therapy, Equine-Assisted Activity, Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT), Equine-Assisted Therapy, Equine Therapy, Hippotherapy, Horse-Riding Therapy, Pet-Assisted Therapy, Pet-Facilitated Therapy, Pet Therapy, Psychoeducational Horseback Riding, Therapeutic Horseback Riding.
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