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Therapy dogs lower blood pressure in the elderly
Therapy dogs could be used to treat or prevent the development of cardiovascular disease in the elderly.
Researchers assess effect of dogs on nursing home residents

A study by researchers in Sweden has revealed that therapy dogs could be used to treat or prevent the development of cardiovascular disease in the elderly.

The study, published in the journal Anthrozoos, investigated whether repeat visits by a therapy dog to a nursing home might affect the blood pressure and heart rate of its residents.

The investigation involved two consecutive experiments - a dog study (two researchers and a therapy dog) and a control study (two researchers alone). Each group visited three nursing homes over three different periods, during which researchers measured the heart rate and blood pressure of residents at 0 and 20 minutes of each visit.

In the control study, researchers found that the participants’ heart rate and blood pressure did not change significantly. In the dog study, however, researchers found that participants had a much lower blood pressure compared with those in the control.

‘These findings suggest that visits by a therapy dog–handler team might constitute an effective non-medical treatment for elevated blood pressure and heart rate in older adults,’ the authors conclude.

‘This type of treatment may in the future be used to treat, to prevent, or to delay the development of cardiovascular disease in older people. It may also promote health in a more general sense and decrease use of pharmaceutical drugs, which might be associated with undesirable side effects.’

The study was carried out by by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the University of Skovde, Sweden. 

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."