The ‘wonder dog’ Chihuaha that help cheer up cancer and dementia patients at Birmingham hospitalq
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PROUDLY wearing his staff name badge, Bailey is one of 11 “wonder dogs” who cheer up patients at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The Chihuahua is one of the “hospital companions” provided by QEHB Charity who visit patients suffering from dementia and cancer.
Its spokesman Alistair McIntosh says: “A cuddle and fuss of a four-legged friend brings a smile to everyone’s faces — even when they are facing difficult things.
“Each of the dogs have their own staff name badge, which they proudly wear. They are all invaluable members of our team — although Bailey’s name badge is almost bigger than him!”
In 2018, the Pets In Hospital scheme was put in place to improve welfare of their older patients.
It has been such a resounding success the dogs have started rounds at the nearby Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham, too, wearing their uniform of bright green coats.
‘Huge impact’
Alistair says: “We’re really keen to make sure that people are aware that this is an official scheme at the hospital and that these dogs are being checked, they’re hygienic, well trained, have the right
temperament to be in our hospital and their owners, too.
“People aren’t allowed to bring dogs on to wards without permission so having them badged up as members of staff is really important. The dogs are very much a part of our team, in the same way you’ll trust any other member of staff with a badge on.”
To make sure the potential dogs are fit for the job, dog day care centre PawPounders help assess each pooch to see if they have the right temperament.
Bailey is regularly joined by ten other dogs including Stella a six-year-old Maremma sheepdog, Monty the eight-year-old rescue dog, who is a mongrel, and Ozzy the Collie cross German Shepherd.
'spread smiles across the hospital'
The different breeds are a deliberate choice as the hospital looks after a variety of different patients. Alistair says: “Having a visit from a friend with a wet nose, four legs and a wagging tail allows the patients to engage in contact with someone who isn’t a clinical member of staff and have a chat about other things besides their treatment.”
Reminiscence is also a key part of the visits as patients with early stage dementia are encouraged to bring back memories of their earlier life — especially if they have owned a dog.
They also visit the young person’s cancer unit, which allows 16-25-year-olds to join together in social activity as they can chat to owners, other patients and, of course, have a cuddle with a furry friend.
Mayisha Begum, 19, of Hollywood, Birmingham, is being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia — and her visits from Stella made her treatment just a bit more bearable.
She says: “She’s amazing, I just love her paws. I wish she was here when I got diagnosed two years ago, she would’ve really helped me then.”
As the dogs continue to “spread smiles across the hospital”, the plan is to extend the project across the Trust — but they are dependant on donations from the public to achieve this. Alistair says: “We’d love to see projects like this rolled out across the UK because the impact we’ve seen in our hospital has been fantastic.”
For more information see hospital charity.org/petsinhospital.
Star of the week
LOVE conquers all and Max was saved from the streets as his owner went to a Spanish wedding.
Max, a cross between a Yorkshire terrier and Jack Russell, was spotted by Nicolle Begovic, 33, at a pal’s wedding last year in Andalucia with her hubby.
The dressage rider and trainer couldn’t leave the pup roaming in 30C heat.
So after a local vet declared him abandoned, she flew Max, above, to Paris and rented a car to drive back to their home in Ockham, Surrey, where the pooch is now settled.
Nicolle says: “We drove, via Eurotunnel, arriving to a gloriously sunny Folkestone before making our way home.
“It was a challenging trip to say the least, with so much paperwork, security and all the gear I had in tow.
“But for Max I’d do it 1,000 times over without a second thought.”
PET VET
SEAN McCormack, head vet at tailored food firm tails.com, is on a mission to help pets.
BEN JACOBS, 43 from Windermere, Cumbria, has a four-year-old cat called Al that loves affection, but gets very cross if you touch his tail.
Why do cats have certain zones they don’t like being stroked? The base of Al’s tail is an unacceptable place to pet him, but he loves a belly rub. What’s going on?
Al is unusual because it’s the reverse pattern of “Yes human, that’s acceptable” vs “I’m going to kill you if you touch me there” for most cats. It’s just to do with their individual comfort zones and what feels good.
The base of the tail is often a sweet spot and most cats love it if you give it a scratch. But a cat with lower spinal discomfort, elderly cats with arthritis for example, would absolutely hate it because it might lead to pain.
Belly tickling tends to be a no-go zone, but if kittens enjoy it growing up then they may tolerate it into adulthood, too.
Work out what floats your cat’s boat, and avoid the danger zones if you don’t want to get scratched.
JACK COHEN, 44, from Isleworth, South West London, has a Siberian cat with unusual drinking habits.
My cat Billy likes to drink out of the toilet. Why does he do that when he has a bowl with fresh clean water to quench his thirst?
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This might seem nasty to us, but to your cat it’s a freshwater stream that’s constantly replenished.
Cats have ultra-sensitive tastes; the fluoride or other trace chemicals found in kitchen drinking water can be enough to put them off. Even the faint metallic taste of water in a metal bowl can be off-putting. Water supplying our toilets and bathroom taps often won’t have the same chemical tang.
Another preference is for running water over still or stagnant. Many cats will demand the taps are turned on in the bathroom sink before they’ll take a drink. Cat drinking fountains can be a good idea as can keeping the toilet lid down to prevent access.
- Do you need the Pet Vet’s help? Email sundayfeatures@the-sun.co.uk and you and your pet could feature in The Sun on Sunday.
WIN: PET BED
SLEEPEEZEE has teamed up with The Sun to offer two lucky dog owners the chance to win a large basket bed – the first that can be washed at 60C – and a blanket, worth £150.
For your chance to win, email sundaypets@the-sun.co.uk with Pawsome Pet Beds in the heading.
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