The Healing Power of Pets During Cancer
One of the most important ways that animals can help humans through the cancer journey is by reminding us to focus on the present. My dog, Olive, seems to worry plenty — about dinner, walks, new people — but she doesn’t seem to worry about the future. And, of course, she’s not mulling over deep topics such as mortality or medical recovery. That’s kept me in the present with Olive, enjoying life when it’s good.
Patricia San Pedro, a breast and skin cancer survivor and activist, had a similar experience with her pets. A Sylvester patient, she had a double mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy.
“During my dance with cancer, my dog and cats soothed my heart and helped focus on the present moment,” she said. “That is huge, because I think a lot of us, when diagnosed, will write a script into the future that hasn’t even started yet.”
During her active treatment, San Pedro had three rescued pets: a little, fluffy white dog named Merlot, a tabby cat named Tango and a calico cat named Chloe. During and immediately after her surgery, a neighbor kept the cats, but Merlot remained by her side.
“The cuddling, the unconditional love, and the sense of peace that she brought to me life truly was part of my healing,” says San Pedro, the author of The Cancer Dancer: Healing: One Step at a Time, founder of the Positively Pat health and wellness community, and leader of the Link of Hope Sistahs cancer support community. “I am convinced these animals know that you’re going through a challenging time – at least mine did — and they turbo-infuse you with love.”
Her pets also infused San Pedro’s life with companionship, the importance of which is often underestimated in health journeys.
“I had a gaggle of girlfriends that were with me constantly, and some family members, but I lived alone,” San Pedro says. “It was my pets that were with me 24/7.”
Merlot, Tango, and Chloe also forced San Pedro to move around – a crucial component of healing and cancer survivorship in general.
“She forced me to at least take walks during the day, and that was good for me,” San Pedro says. While going through chemo, those walks were slow, and she began to see and enjoy her neighborhood in ways she never had before. “I was going, ‘thank you for the trees, thank you for the air, thank you for my legs,'” San Pedro says. “I was walking in gratitude with her.”
Canine energy during the cancer journey
Feng Shui, an ancient practice focused on well-being through the cultivation of positive spaces, views pets as sources of positive energy and emotional well-being in a home. I understand this, as I’ve always felt that dogs bring a special canine energy into my home. Olive is the third dog my husband and I have had. When our first dog, a chihuahua mix named Scrunch, passed over the Rainbow Bridge (one of the few euphemisms for death that I’m willing to use), we weren’t sure we wanted another. Eventually, though, we missed that canine energy – that ineffable sense of sharing our space with another being who had his own agenda and needs, but was extremely tuned into us.
The second dog we adopted, Ernie, brought a different chihuahua-mix canine energy into our home. Several years later, we adopted Olive as his “little sister.” The last months of Ernie’s life coincided with my mom’s last months, as she was dying from ovarian cancer. My husband, the two dogs and I were fortunate to be able to spend a lot of time with my parents during the two and a half years my mom was in treatment for her cancer. And we were able to spend her last months living with them. Ernie was my mom’s constant companion throughout this time, gently settling himself on her legs (it was painful for her to have him in her lap) whenever she sat on the couch with her feet up. He’d make everyone in the house smile.
Ernie died just days before my mom died. A dear friend suggested that perhaps he needed to be there to greet her when she passed on. Although I don’t know exactly what I believe about the afterlife, I know that I like the idea of Ernie meeting up with my mom.
Canine-assisted therapy for Sylvester cancer patients
If you have a pet, you probably are not surprised to read that a growing body of evidence shows that interacting with a dog leads to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, lower blood pressure, and increases in “feel-good” hormone oxytocin. It doesn’t matter if the pet is yours, a stranger’s or part of a pet therapy program — the healing power of pets applies universally.
That’s why I was so excited to see that Sylvester has restarted its canine-assisted therapy program, after pausing it during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three trained and credentialed dogs (and their handlers) visit patients at Sylvester’s main campus and satellite locations. They provide companionship, support, joy, distraction and affection during treatment.
“There is evidence to support that pet therapy dogs can decrease anxiety, improve mental health and increase relaxation,” said Jessica MacIntyre, D.N.P., M.B.A., APRN, Sylvester’s assistant vice president of advanced practice providers. “Pet therapy is an integral part of the healing process, and that’s why we include it as part of our cancer support services.”
I’ve been reminding Olive that she’s therapeutic for me. My husband and I laugh at this idea because, honestly, Olive needs an emotional support animal of her own. If she understood that she was providing support and healing to me, she’d probably freak out at the responsibility that implies. I get it. As I type this, she’s sprawled out in a miniature couch, sleeping off a very “ruff” day of barking at enemies, begging for food and napping.
The cancer journey can feel lonely, whether you live with a pet companion, a human companion or no live-in companions. Sylvester’s Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care services can help ease your journey. And if you see one of Sylvester’s therapy dogs, stop for a scratch, a hug or even just a smile.
Written by Rochelle Broder-Singer, a journalist with over two decades of experience in journalism and communications, for Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Tags: Animal-assisted therapy, Mental health and pets, Pet therapy benefits, Stress relief with pets, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
