Sometimes the love of a good dog really is the best medicine.
For almost four weeks, the most beloved zoophile Flavio Santos was hospitalized in Brazil, where he was treated for cancer.
It was a difficult time for him, no doubt exacerbated by the fact that he greatly missed his beloved home, his best friend for life, a dog.
When the nurses caring for Mr. Santos found out about this, they decided to pay a special visit, perhaps not knowing what the difference was. The two friends are finally reunited. But, as it turned out, the impact of this visit was deeper than it seemed at the time.
After Santos spent time with his dog, doctors noticed very pleasant changes. The patient’s global outlook seemed to change.
“I was surprised”, the doctor said. Rodrigo Tancredi. “He was aware, oriented and spoke”.
Tancredi went on to note that these animal visits appear to have psychological and physical benefits, resulting in increased appetite, lower heart rate and blood pressure.
This was the first time a pet has visited a patient at this hospital, but given the proven positive effects, I hope it won’t be the last.
