A unique therapy dog joins an Italian hospital in Bergamo

A new project is underway that brings a "four-legged" doctor into the wards. An intensive care dog has arrived at the Treviglio hospital in the Bergamo area. His name is Prince and he will help the patients of the facility

An Italian hospital in Bergamo has taken on an extraordinary new doctor: he does not wear a white coat, he has never graduated from medical school, but he will undergo a special training program to support the staff on the wards.

His name is Prince, and he is a puppy Golden Retriever that has just started his training as a certified intensive care therapy dog. And what is his specialty? Complementary therapies that will help bridge the gap in each patient’s recovery process with traditional treatments.

More to the point, “Dr.” Prince’s job is to lighten the burden of the stress associated with being in the intensive care unit. It’s a vital and difficult job, but one the Golden Retriever is certainly up to.

A crucial role in intensive care

ICUs in and of themselves are environments of particular medical and emotional complexity, almost always dealing with long stays and significant psychomotor implications. “We have the responsibility to use all the tools put at our disposal,” affirms Palazzo. “I am certain that our new four-legged colleague will be a valid support during the care paths of our patients, creating moments of lightness not only for them but also for their families and healthcare professionals.

Dog for smile: a pioneer pilot project

The initiative is part of the “Dog for Smile” pilot project, which has been described as the first of its kind in Lombardy, to avail dogs as a further form of support for patients during their hospitalization. Many scientific studies have emphasized that this form of therapy really works by reducing anxiety and fear in people who participate in activities that involve animals.

One such study was undertaken by the Italian Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care. The findings report “the effectiveness of animal-assisted interventions in the intensive care setting, gathering data on changes in electroencephalographic electrical activity, heart rate and blood pressure variation, oxygen saturation, salivary cortisol levels, prefrontal cerebral oxygenation, and pain scale assessment“, explains Dr. Silvia Zambelli.

Prince will be a partner in offering emotional support for the case to hurry along its recovery and provide a better quality of life. With sometimes only one stroke, a positive difference can be made. At the end of the year, “Dr.” Prince will enter among the ranks in the hospital as he already has his badge.

Source: ASST Bergamo Ovest