Non-directional animal therapy is the interaction between humans and dogs in order to diagnose and prevent various diseases. But this applies to all animals. Directed therapy becomes when doctors use specially trained dogs, acting according to unique therapeutic techniques.
The ancient Greeks believed that the god of healing Asclepius sometimes visited the homes of the sick in the guise of a dog - and the wounds treated with his saliva quickly healed. Scientists began to study this amazing phenomenon, they soon identified a natural antiseptic lysozyme, which is found in saliva. With the help of it, pathogenic bacteria are easily destroyed. And treatment with the help of dogs began to be called canistherapy. Dogs were first used to treat people in 1790, contacts with these animals helped not only physical recovery, even mentally ill people were recovering. Dogs are not only great psychotherapists. They help the development of motor functions, emotional and mental abilities. In the USA, in some clinics, dogs work officially. They defuse the atmosphere in hospital wards, help patients regain peace of mind. However, these are not all the abilities that are inherent in dogs. So, they are excellent at diagnosing certain diseases. For example, they distinguish patients with certain types of cancer immediately and without error. And hypoglycemic attacks - a decrease in blood glucose levels in diabetics - are predicted a few minutes before they start. Dogs express their premonitions with gestures, they fuss, bark, howl. This is a harbinger of trouble, in addition, doctors have learned to recognize by these signs what kind of trouble their pets react to. Of course, we are talking about specially trained animals. However, signaling verbally and with the help of howling is common to all dogs.
