Animals in the hospital: how and when they can enter

In Lombardy, 60 percent of hospitals have opened their doors to dogs and cats. With some conditions, the same applies in Tuscany, Emilia, Liguria, and Veneto. The benefits for patients

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Pet Hospitals Benefits

These visits are very welcome and helpful for patients. Dogs and cats they can enter hospitals to go and find their owner and since 2003 an agreement between the State and the Regions (entitled Rules for the protection of pets and pet therapy) allows and encourages this type of encounter, especially for the elderly and children. However, pets can obviously enter the hospital only if certain safety conditions are met, which are established by each facility or on a regional basis, as is the case in Lombardy.

ANIMALS IN HOSPITAL

More and more public hospitals are opening their doors to pets, allowing visits to their patient-owners. One of the latest cases is in Treviglio, in the province of Bergamo, where they have opened their doors to pets. dogs, after careful checks. The same procedure applies in Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, and Veneto. Rabbits are also allowed in the San Martino Hospital in Florence, along with dogs and cats.

ALSO READ: Pets help the heart, lower blood pressure and replace drugs

PETS IN HOSPITALS

What are the advantages of these permits? Dogs move and behave according to the wards they are stationed in: in pediatrics, they elicit smiles; in geriatrics, they invite petting. And all this helps patients, bringing them closer to the normality of daily life, which for many signifies a full recovery. They relax and reassure them, especially where patients are under particular stress. They also provide invaluable companionship.

DEPARTMENTS WHERE DOGS AND CATS CAN ACCESS

Obviously, not all departments have been opened to pets. dogs e cats However, they are not allowed in intensive care units, cardiovascular wards, or operating rooms. They must also be kept on a leash, bathed and cleaned, and inspected before entering the hospital.

ACCESS RULES ANIMALS IN THE HOSPITALS

The access rules of the animals domestic, dogs and cats (but sometimes also rabbits) are set at the regional level and also by each healthcare facility. In general, however, there are some fundamental rules that are recognized as unquestionable everywhere:
  • The dog must always have a leash and muzzle
  • You can enter only if accompanied by a person who is of age and capable of managing it.
  • The dog's companion must have gloves and a bag to collect any droppings and hair loss.
  • Cats must be kept in special carriers
  • If released they must be on a leash

Benefits of having dogs and cats in hospital for children

What can I say? The idea is good, but we shouldn't overdo it. Our hospitals sometimes aren't exactly renowned for their hygienic conditions, and there are so many cases of patients who find themselves dealing with dangerous infections right in the wards. So, yes to... animals in the ward, but with the necessary precautions.

TO KNOW MORE: Duemari Veterinary Clinic, where two hundred animals are saved every year. Not just dogs.

HOW DO YOU BRING A DOG TO THE HOSPITAL TO VISIT A PATIENT?

To be admitted to the hospital, your dog or cat must first be thoroughly cleaned and brushed. It must also wear a harness or collar and, if requested, a leash and muzzle.

PET VISITING

Inside the Irccs Burlo Garofolo hospital in Trieste, specialized in pediatrics and women's health, pets are allowed in the garden, in the pediatric and gynecological ward areas, and in the rooms where the pet therapy.

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IN L'AQUILA I DOGS THEY VISIT CHILDREN IN PEDIATRICS

Frequent use of the dogs, for therapeutic purposes, concerns children hospitalized in pediatric wards. As in the case ofhospital Saint Salvatore of L'Aquila, in the capital of the Abruzzo region, where the dogs They are welcome to keep children company, distract them and make their hospital stay easier.

PETS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

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