23-01-2012

FECAVA Working Group on AAT:

Katerina Loukaki, DVM, PhD Medical Faculty of Athens University, Fecava Director, Katia di Nicolo DVM, Fecava Director, Silvia Leugner,DVM, Fecava Director, Stein Dahl DVM, Fecava Director

From the early years of our lives, companion animals help us understand the surrounding world. The ability of animals to enter the world of humans and become true companions by breaking the mirror of isolation in difficult moments has been studied over the last years and companion animals now undertake a new task. The participation of animals in therapeutic procedures and in social missions constitutes the new contribution of animals to modern man. Since ancient times, animals contributed to the treatment of patients. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries there are many reports in the medical bibliography regarding animal assisted therapy interventions. In 1919, at the St. Elizabeth Hospital-Washington, a USA army team implemented the visit of dogs as a therapeutic intervention for psychiatric patients. In 1990 William Thomas proposed a new therapeutic approach: the Eden approach aimed at mainstreaming the entire natural environment, animals included, in cases of long-term hospitalisation. Over the last fifty years the contribution of companion animals is via specialised intervention methods often referred to as Animal Facilitated Activities. These interventions are categorized as follows: a) Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) and b) Animal Assisted Activities (AAA). Animal Assisted Therapy is an applied therapeutic method that uses animals in order to resolve or improve daily and/or chronic human problems. The application of such programs is carried out by highly qualified persons - doctors, nurses, psychologists and veterinarians with the help of specially trained volunteers. These therapeutic interventions necessitate the selection of specially trained animals. On the one hand, the purpose is to improve the quality of life for specific social groups, e.g. the visually impaired or persons with mobility problems and on the other the attendance of animals in emergency situations, such as the recovery of survivors after natural disasters. Veterinarians constitute an integral part of the planning and realization of such programs, since it is absolutely vital to draft specific terms and conditions for the implementation of AAT interventions. The role of veterinarians is fundamental because they set out the hygiene rules for the protection against animals and their zoonotic diseases. The rules must be set from the beginning taking into consideration the participating species and the veterinarian must keep control throughout the program. Moreover, the veterinarian is responsible for the selection of participating species including  their genetic selection, their sex, age, behaviour and diet as well as the prevention and prompt diagnosis of disease; in a broader sense veterinarians are responsible for the wellbeing of program animals. According to the provisions stipulated by AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), FECAVA (Federation of European Companion Animals Veterinary Associations) and IAHAIO (International Association for Human Animal Interaction Organizations), AAT programs use mainly Resident Animals (RA) such as the dog, cat, rabbit, horse, companion birds, aquarium fish and  guinea pigs. Wild animals or fish are not generally used. Nevertheless certain programs developed recently do use wild animals and marine mammals in AAT interventions inside special zoo spaces, national forests and in marine designated zones. FECAVA has appointed a Special Committee whose purpose was to publish a set of Official European Directives for AAT, AAA and RA programs. The veterinary profession once again has to play an important role in the health and welfare of animals in any human activity, to protect public health as far as this is possible and to ensure the balance and health of ecosystems.

 Selected references

Serpell, J. A . Animal-assisted interventions in historical perspective. In AH Fine (2ndedition. chap. 1), Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and Guidelines for practice, Academic Press of Elsevier, San Diego, California, 2006

Walter -Toews, D.  Zoonotic disease concerns in animal assisted therapy and animal visitation programs, Canadian Veterinary Journal 34, pp. 549-551, 1993

Fecava’s Symposium in  WSAVA/ FECAVA/BSAVA Birmingham  International  Congress 12-15 Arpil 2012,    will be the new  amazing scientific event for AAT and Vets!!!

To register: please follow the link: http://www.bsava.com/BSAVACongress/Scientific/VetStreams/Thursday/AbouttheFECAVASymposium/tabid/1569/Default.aspx