Nurses turn to pet therapy

Nurses General Nursing

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We all know pets are great for reducing the physical side effects of stress.

What furry creatures await you after a long and terrible shift?

This is my pup. She's 2. Border collie and lab. If you have an obsession with mopping (excited pee-er), digging things out of a dog's mouth, and just generally never having nice things again, she's the dog for you! I will give her this - when my shift swings, she sleeps when I sleep without any trouble.

That puppy sure is a Special Snowflake.

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That puppy sure is a Special Snowflake.

The cat cracks me up every time.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

I unfortunately don't have a furry friend...yet! But pet therapy really works. A hospital that I used to work at as a nurse tech had ambassadors with their pets that would hang out in the main lobby. I remember having an awful day and I went downstairs to grab something from the cafeteria. One of those ambassadors were located right by the elevator doors with a giant, fluffy newfoundland and seriously, having contact with that dog made my day so much better! I met a lot of cute pups during my days at that hospital :)

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
Pop some Claritin.

Yup! As for me, I'm allergic to both cats and dogs. But if I'm around them regularly for any length of time, I become desensitized.

When my gsd first came home, I'd itch and get bumps wherever she scratched me and when I petted her a lot. And when I let her sleep with me! It was awful, I could hardly breathe when I laid in my covers-for days until I washed my bed sheets and cover.,

Now, it's not so bad.

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If I were to become allergic to cats, I would fall into a severe depression.

I love dogs too, but my lifestyle is more amenable to having a cat.

If I talk about my beautiful yellow lab who we had to put down 2 years ago, I still cry. As in ugly cry. My black beauty (cat) used to groom our lab like she was a kitten. It was so sweet. Now Kitty is 13, and I am feeling that dread of knowing her time is probably limited. Don't know how I will handle losing our sweet girl. I wish our pets had a longer life span. It's tough, so tough losing them.

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If I were to become allergic to cats, I would fall into a severe depression.

I love dogs too, but my lifestyle is more amenable to having a cat.

If I talk about my beautiful yellow lab who we had to put down 2 years ago, I still cry. As in ugly cry. My black beauty (cat) used to groom our lab like she was a kitten. It was so sweet. Now Kitty is 13, and I am feeling that dread of knowing her time is probably limited. Don't know how I will handle losing our sweet girl. I wish our pets had a longer life span. It's tough, so tough losing them.

Awww. I ugly cried about my German Shepard who lived to be 15 and 1/2 and we adopted him 15 years prior to the day he died.

I ugly cried every day until we went to the shelter 2 months later and got a female boxer mix pup.

I'm still sad about him, but this Lola is my love.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
Awww. I ugly cried about my German Shepard who lived to be 15 and 1/2 and we adopted him 15 years prior to the day he died.

I ugly cried every day until we went to the shelter 2 months later and got a female boxer mix pup.

I'm still sad about him, but this Lola is my love. [ATTACH]19890[/ATTACH]

Oh she's beautiful!

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

This is boy cat, who has been having urinary system issues. He's a little medicated, but it makes him happy and cuddly.

Okay, not sure why the pic is huge and upside down. Might need a little help from the more tech savvy? But now that I'm looking at it in my phone it's normal. No comprendo?

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This is boy cat, who has been having urinary system issues. He's a little medicated, but it makes him happy and cuddly.

Okay, not sure why the pic is huge and upside down. Might need a little help from the more tech savvy?

He looks a little medicated. Heeeey kitty!!!

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
He looks a little medicated. Heeeey kitty!!!

He's actually a lot medicated. Boy cat's got some strong narcotics on board. But he's so sweet when under the influence and not feeling any pain.

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He's actually a lot medicated. Boy cat's got some strong narcotics on board. But he's so sweet when under the influence and not feeling any pain.

Wouldn't it be nice if all our under the influence pt.s acted this way?

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