What is the role of pet therapy in managing mild to moderate dementia?

Pet Therapy for Mild/Moderate Dementia

Animal-assisted interventions can effectively reduce agitation and improve quality of life in people with mild to moderate dementia, making pet therapy a valuable non-pharmacological approach that should be incorporated into dementia care plans.

Evidence for Pet Therapy in Dementia Care

The 2025 Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations specifically mention animal-assisted interventions as beneficial for managing agitation in individuals with severe vascular cognitive impairment or dementia 1. This represents the most recent high-quality guideline evidence supporting pet therapy in dementia care.

Several research studies provide additional support for this intervention:

• A 2019 Cochrane systematic review found that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) may slightly reduce depressive symptoms in people with dementia (low-certainty evidence) 2
• A study of nursing home residents with dementia showed that dog-assisted interventions significantly improved quality of life scores between baseline and post-intervention 3
• Another study demonstrated significantly longer and more frequent periods of positive emotions and social interaction during animal-assisted interventions compared to control interventions 4

Benefits of Pet Therapy in Dementia

Pet therapy offers several specific benefits for individuals with mild to moderate dementia:

1. Psychological benefits:

   • Reduction in depressive symptoms 2
   • Calming effect on agitated patients 5
   • Increased positive emotions (pleasure) 4

2. Social functioning improvements:

   • Enhanced social interaction 4
   • Increased physical contact and engagement 4
   • Communication facilitation during therapy sessions 5

3. Behavioral symptom management:

   • Potential reduction in agitation 1, 2
   • Creation of a more secure environment 5
   • Unconditional acceptance that increases self-esteem 5

Implementation Considerations

When implementing pet therapy for individuals with mild to moderate dementia:

• Session structure: Weekly group sessions of 30-90 minutes appear effective 4, 5
• Duration: Programs lasting 6 weeks to 6 months have shown benefits 2
• Animal selection: Dogs are most commonly used, though horses have also been studied 2
• Alternatives: When live animals aren't feasible, robotic pets may provide some benefits, though evidence suggests live animals create more physical engagement 2

Practical Application

Pet therapy should be considered as part of a comprehensive approach to managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. The 2020 Canadian Consensus Conference on dementia specifically recommends considering group interventions that provide general stimulation in a social setting for people with mild to moderate dementia 1.

Limitations and Considerations

Despite promising results, some limitations should be noted:

• The duration of beneficial effects has not been thoroughly explored 6
• The relative benefits of "resident" versus "visiting" pet dogs remain unclear 6
• High-quality evidence specifically for mild to moderate dementia (versus severe) is still developing
• Safety protocols must be established to protect both patients and therapy animals

Conclusion

Pet therapy represents a promising non-pharmacological intervention for individuals with mild to moderate dementia. While pharmacological treatments like cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are important for cognitive symptoms 1, animal-assisted interventions offer complementary benefits for emotional well-being, social engagement, and behavioral symptoms.