Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The New World Of Pet Prosthetics, Anna Brooks

Capstones

When an abandoned dog was found in Brooklyn with his paw gnawed off, the animal shelter had two options: amputate the leg, or put the dog down. But neither seemed like a solution. So they decided to do something different, and fit the dog for a prosthetic leg. Prosthetics for people have been around for millennia, and now these devices are moving into the animal kingdom. This story explores the new world of animal prosthetics, and how these devices have changed the lives of animals like Mr. Stubbs — the first alligator with a prosthetic tail — and saved the …

An Analysis Of The Association Between Animal Exposures And The Development Of Type 1 Diabetes In The Teddy Cohort, Callyn Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on exposure to animals and risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D) has had conflicting results with some researchers finding that animal exposure reduces the risk of T1D and others finding no association between animal exposure and T1D. Previously conducted studies on the association between animal exposure and T1D are case-control studies that have been limited by recall bias. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between early life animal exposure and the risk of persistent, confirmed islet autoantibodies (IA) and T1D diagnosis among an eligible cohort of genetically high T1D risk participants enrolled in the international …

The Effects Of Pet Ownership On Physical Well-Being In Older Adults, Tami Pohnert

Theses and Dissertations

A large percentage of Americans own pets which may impact their health. This study examines pet ownership’s effect on well being in older adults looking at race/ethnicity. A sample of 6,565 older adults (>60) was selected from the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey. Pet owners comprised 28.3% of the sample. The theories of symbolic interaction and social integration were used to examine pet ownership’s effect on physical components of well-being. The descriptive results showed statistically significant differences in age, education, income, and marital status between pet owners and non-pet owners. Pet owners were younger, more educate, higher income …

The Significance Of The Therapeutic Use Of Pets On Socialization With Elders In An Extended Care Facility, Lisa Byrd

MSN Research Projects

In the year 2020, 80% of the United States population will be over the age of 65 years (Fick, 1993). Elders frequently reside in extended care facilities and experience feelings of loneliness, depression, disorientation, and helplessness (McQuillen, 1985). The therapeutic use of pets has been shown to have positive effects on the socialization of elders. Most research has been conducted utilizing group therapy with a pet. This study focused on the benefits of therapeutic use of pets with the individual elder. The theoretical framework was based on the Neuman Systems Model. The purpose of this study was to determine the …

The Eden Alternative, Jennifer Ellen Gettman

Theses

The purpose of this study and program implementation was to integrate animal, plants, and teamwork philosophy into the nursing home environment. The focus of measurement was to identify the therapeutic value of the Eden Alternative in nursing home residents.

Utilizing the Yesavage Geriatric depression scale, 196 residents of a St. Louis based nursing home were studied. Fifty-five percent of the residents were identified of having some depression. Utilizing the long form of the Yesavage tool, residents were questioned to establish a base level of minimal, moderate, and severe depression. In a six-month follow-up, 22% of the severely depressed were reassessed. …