Allowing Pet Hospital Visits

[Jazzy1]

Do you agree or disagree and why?

 

[GoodEnuff]

I agree it should be allowed.

There were a couple of times in the ICU when we did allow a beloved pet (small dogs) to visit a patient. It was a bit controversial as certain staff were adamantly against it for fear of contamination of some sort.

As long as the pet is clean and healthy, I think it would be a boost to patient (and some staff, too) morale. I did occasionally work at a nursing home and they had service dogs come in fairly often. Residents would truly perk up when they were there.

 

[That Lady in PA]

Disagree for hospitals.
Why? Potential for spreading infections, causing allergic reactions, and creating anxiety for other patients.
Plus many animals are not as well behaved as their owners think they are.

The therapy dogs in the hospital should suffice for anyone needed an animal fix.

 

[GoodEnuff]

Plus many animals are not as well behaved as their owners think they are.

Very true!

I agree there are pros and cons. I also think there is a much higher risk for a patient to catch flu or ? from a human visitor. Do we ban humans from visiting? Like was done during Covid? Another example of that is allowing a child to visit their mother and newborn infant; done all the time now. Kids are little germ factories. Some illnesses are most contagious before symptoms even appear.

I think it depends on the patient and it depends on the animal. I know of very few diseases that dogs carry that can be transmitted to patients but fleas and other parasites do come to mind. I remember a patient in the OR who we discovered at the end of the surgery had head lice. And @MarciKS has mentioned more than a few times about bed bug rooms in the ER. These come from people.

I can argue both sides of this. In addition, if I were hospitalized, I would not want my dog to come visit for fear of the dog getting sick. Hospitals are dirty places, even with excellent housekeeping. There was a study done years ago where touch samples from various surfaces in a hospital were cultured. Bathrooms, beds, etc. The culture that grew the most was from the elevator button.

 

[hollydolly]

I agree... ! ..altho' I could see potential for problems... but it definitely would help patients if maybe on a visit they could have just a little visiting room for the patient and their dog... but sadly I doubt that will ever happen.

I know if my daughter was hospitalised she would be fretting so much about her dogs, it wouldn't help her recovery in any way... so to see them and touch them would be a big boost to most people's mental health...

 

[smiley]

too risky for all sorts of reasons

 

[Aunt Bea]

Pets are allowed under certain circumstances in our local hospitals and nursing homes.

They also allow visits from trained/certified therapy dogs.

When my mother was in assisted living there was an elderly golden retriever that roamed the halls and visited with the residents and staff. There was also an enormous Irish wolf hound named Dooley that used to visit on a regular basis.

The biggest problem was that many of the residents would save food from their meals so the dogs would have a treat.

Kind of morbid and slightly off topic but I believe that family pets should be allowed to see their owners after they die so they have a chance to mourn and understand that they weren’t abandoned by the people that they loved. Animals understand death just like humans do.

 

[Della]

I wouldn't worry about the dog making anyone sick.

However, I didn't want my dog to visit when i was in the hospital/nursing home for three weeks. I thought it would just confuse and upset her to reunite with me for 20 minutes and then have to separate again. It would have been more heart breaking for me, too, I think.

 

[robin416]

I wouldn't worry about the dog making anyone sick.

However, I didn't want my dog to visit when i was in the hospital/nursing home for three weeks. I thought it would just confuse and upset her to reunite with me for 20 minutes and then have to separate again. It would have been more heart breaking for me, too, I think.

This is the one I would struggle with. My girl suffers from severe separation anxiety. And so do I because she's stressed. If she was allowed to come visit me and then get dragged back off, I don't see how that would benefit either one of us.

 

[Jules]

The hospital allowed a visit to someone who they thought wasn’t going to make it. His dog came with the wife every visit. She’s smart but clueless. That description could apply to the wife or the dog since there was no training. His adult family said it wasn’t a great situation.

 

[MarciKS]

Very true!

I agree there are pros and cons. I also think there is a much higher risk for a patient to catch flu or ? from a human visitor. Do we ban humans from visiting? Like was done during Covid? Another example of that is allowing a child to visit their mother and newborn infant; done all the time now. Kids are little germ factories. Some illnesses are most contagious before symptoms even appear.

I think it depends on the patient and it depends on the animal. I know of very few diseases that dogs carry that can be transmitted to patients but fleas and other parasites do come to mind. I remember a patient in the OR who we discovered at the end of the surgery had head lice. And @MarciKS has mentioned more than a few times about bed bug rooms in the ER. These come from people.

I can argue both sides of this. In addition, if I were hospitalized, I would not want my dog to come visit for fear of the dog getting sick. Hospitals are dirty places, even with excellent housekeeping. There was a study done years ago where touch samples from various surfaces in a hospital were cultured. Bathrooms, beds, etc. The culture that grew the most was from the elevator button.

Mainly the elevator buttons get handled by people transporting cdiff and other iso patients improperly as well as trash people not properly handling them and trash.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Years ago when my mom was in hospital and I’d visit her on the way back from caring for my dad, I took the dogs to cheer my mom up.
We brought them to the window of the room my mom was staying at and my mom got all excited. Not long from being there a nurse waved for us to bring them in so we did.

The nurse came to the door to make sure we could get in with our dogs and we did. My mom was so happy to see them. We’d coloured our schnoodles cropped tail pink just for fun and my mom just loved it. She kept saying she has a pink tail.

Our dogs didn’t bother any of the other patients but it sure brought a lot of people to my mom’s room which I think she liked. I think my mom was lonely and the dogs really brightened her day. I’ll never forget it, that’s for sure.

 

[January]

I think it is ok in hospitals in certain circumstancces - not everyone admitted for short term reasons but yes to patients in palliative care or chronic situations

Of course the dog or cat or whatever has to be well behaved and on a lead and supervised by another person - and perhaps pre arranged with staff to make sure everyone is informed of the conditions of visiting.
Likewise pets visiting to residents of Aged Care Facilities

When I worked in Aged Care they had a PAT dog (pets as therapy) who lived there and was fed and walked by volunteers. Well trained dog who had been in guide dog training but failed due to something like fear of traffic or poor hearing which made it unsuitable as a guide dog - but very good for a PAT dog

My dog is also part of Dogs Therapy group who visit Aged Care facilities monthly - is always great success.

 

[Tish]

I agree 100%.

 

[Imogene]

Much as I love my dogs, I would not want them to see them in any medical facility because I regret to say, they are not anywhere near as well trained as my previous guard dogs were (RIP all of them).

I would, however, welcome CERTIFIED service dogs, or goats, or sheep, or cats etc. —- any creature who has been to school and earned the right to wear the vest that says “service”.