U of S researchers studying benefits of service dogs for COPD patients

Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan's College of Medicine and Sociology department are studying how service dogs might be able to help people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Dr. Erika Penz, a respirologist with the College of Medicine, treats many patients with COPD, an inflammatory disease that blocks airflow to the lungs.

"The main complaint that patients have with COPD is that they get breathless when they try to do activities," she said. "Some people it's when they try to walk fast, and others it could be as simple as getting out of bed and trying to brush their teeth in the bathroom."

She said service dogs are effective for patients who live with conditions like anxiety, depression and PTSD. These are all symptoms that COPD patients also live with.

"We thought that perhaps incorporating therapy dogs into their lives might improve their quality of life, maybe even actually improve their symptoms and hopefully even their function over time," Penz said.

Therapy dogs can help reduce heart and respiratory rates and lower blood pressure, she said, and so they may be able to help a COPD patient's symptoms like shortness of breath.

First, Penz said the research team is looking for eight to 10 people to take part in the exploratory study to help guide the research. The participants can either be people who have COPD, or caregivers.

The second part of the study will be a series of focus groups, bringing together patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

The purpose of these sessions will be to develop hypotheses about the benefits of therapy dogs for people living with COPD. From here, they hope to be able to test their hypotheses in real world situations.

Penz said participants of the study will receive an honorarium to offset the costs of their time.

With files from Saskatchewan Weekend