Health
Heal Yourself Doggy Style
And live to age 700 (in dog years)
By Joe Kita; Photographs by Sasha Waldman
Dr. Walker, a fourth-year resident at St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, steps off the elevator and begins his rounds.
His patients this evening are all post-op, recovering from prostate surgery, a hip replacement, and a broken leg. Nothing he can't handle. Dr. Walker stops at the nurses' station first. He's young, single, and handsome, with sleek black hair and dark eyes, so they always enjoy seeing him. He flirts with them all and gooses one in particular. She blushes, giggles, and gives him a friendly pat in return.
Dr. Walker pads off down the hall and enters Room 954. He senses immediately that this patient is depressed: Leon Slater, 73, vital signs stable, on 50 milligrams of Demerol, recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. He sits down beside the bed, shakes hands, and calmly listens. It's obvious that Dr. Walker makes the man feel comfortable and cared for. It's a subtle talent that not all physicians learn in medical school. Before leaving, Dr. Walker rewards himself by snagging a cookie off the dinner tray.
Room 958: Florence Velasquez, 86, recovering from a hip replacement. This frail old lady visibly brightens at the sight of Dr. Walker. She hugs him tightly and tousles the hair on his head. "Thanks so much for coming," she says.
Room 962: Nicky Antol, age 11, compound fracture of the tibia, being held for observation. Dr. Walker loves kids. In fact, he's perfected a trick that never fails to make them laugh. He lies down on the floor, and when Nicky yells "Bang!" he lolls his tongue, rolls over, and plays dead.
In case you haven't guessed, Walker is a dog—a four-year-old Labrador retriever. But it's not an exaggeration to call him a doctor. He is a service animal, specially trained and certified by Therapy Dogs International. Accompanied by his owner, Mike Pennella, he visits local hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. He doesn't accept medical insurance, just Alpo Snaps. And he's a volunteer.
"The evidence favoring the health value of pets is so compelling," says Larry Dossey, MD, author of Reinventing Medicine, "that if pet therapy were a pill, we would not be able to manufacture it fast enough."
James Rising, MD, DVM, a physician and veterinarian, goes as far as to prescribe dogs for some of his patients. "I'll write an actual prescription," he says. "‘Take one dog and love it every day.' Then I'll tell them to go to the animal shelter and have it filled. In some cases, these dogs have been so effective, patients have been able to throw away their medications."
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Men's Health Philippines - March 2006 Issue
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