Dog-assisted Interventions as a Non-Pharmalogical Method of Pain Management in Clinical Settings: A Narrative Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2026.93.72500Keywords
dog-assisted therapy, animal-assisted intervention, pain management, therapy dog, non-pharmacological therapyAbstract
Introduction and aim: Pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek medical care and the limitations of pharmacological treatment, especially in the context of opioid-related harms, have intensified the search for complementary approaches. Dog-assisted interventions (DAI) involving trained therapy dogs have been investigated in clinical contexts where pain plays a central role. This paper summarises evidence on the analgesic potential of DAI, with attention to postoperative, procedural, chronic, paediatric and oncological/palliative settings.
Material and Methods: A narrative review was conducted. Studies were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, combining terms for dog-assisted therapy, animal-assisted intervention, therapy dog and pet therapy with pain-related descriptors. Quantitative and qualitative studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses were considered. Additional records were identified through citation tracking of relevant reviews and key primary studies.
Results: The evidence is heterogeneous but points in the same direction. Short, structured sessions with a therapy dog can reduce self-reported pain, lower anxiety associated with pain, and improve patient satisfaction without serious adverse events when infection-control rules are observed. Beneficial effects were reported across postoperative, procedural, chronic, paediatric, and oncological or palliative settings, with the strongest signal in paediatric and procedural contexts. Proposed mechanisms include oxytocin release, cortisol reduction, cognitive distraction, autonomic regulation and improved adherence to therapy.
Conclusions: DAI appears to be a safe and well-accepted complementary option for pain management. It should be viewed as an adjunct rather than a replacement for established analgesic strategies and its routine use requires further confirmation through better-designed randomised trials, standardised outcome instruments and clearer reporting standards.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Martin Zeigner, Joanna Błaszczyk , Kacper Godyń-Müller, Mateusz Kasprzak, Michał Grześkowiak, Hanna Pelant, Bartosz Kulak, Michał Brzeziński, Zuzanna Majchrzak, Klaudia Pierzyńska
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