Animal-assisted therapy--a new trend in the treatment of children and adults.

Animal-assisted therapy is a familiar method of treatment in the rehabilitation of many illnesses and conditions, but is still not applied sufficiently in our milieu. This paper gives an overview of the available literature and some of the research which demonstrates that the interaction between the patient, animal and therapist provides a context which improves communication, elevates self-confidence, reduces the symptoms of diseases, and improves the quality of life. The dog, cat, horse, birds and toy animals are most often used in therapy. Short-term contacts with animals are used, as well as long term keeping of animals, which are looked after by patients following a particular methodology. The therapy is used in the treatment of psychiatric patients afflicted with depression, schizophrenia, phobias and addiction problems. Loneliness is easier to endure in the company of animals. It is also applied in cardiovascular diseases, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, child cerebral paralysis, rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, and other diseases. Research shows a more rapid reduction of symptoms of many diseases when animals are included in the therapeutic process.