Study: Therapy dogs help kids in ER skip anxiety meds

A new study from Wayne State University finds that therapy dogs may be just what the doctor ordered for kids experiencing anxiety in the emergency room. Research shows around 15% of children need medication or physical restraint just to get through treatment in the ER, adding to an already stressful situation for them and their parents. The study included 80 kids ages 5 to 17, who received standard child-life therapy – but half of the kids also spent about 10 minutes with a therapy dog team. Dr. Jeffrey Kline, lead researcher and WSU School of Medicine emergency medicine professor & associate chair of research, said there was an almost 50% reduction in anxiety among the kids who interacted with the therapy dogs. “The dogs worked as well as say, for example, a drug like valium – but