The concept of a service animal is not a new one: service animals are used for a wide range of illnesses as diverse as diabetes and PTSD. Although these highly-skilled animals are incredible when working with chronic illness, service animals can be extremely expensive and often have long waiting lists for people seeking assistance. While a service animal can help you manage your diabetes through alerting you to life-threatening situations, therapy animals can provide a different kind of support to get you through your condition.

Therapy Animals Versus Service Animals

Service animals possess a lot of restraints. Only miniature horses and dogs are currently allowed to qualify as service animals. These animals are permitted to go anywhere a member of the public is allowed to go and are assigned to conditions ranging from diabetes to PTSD. Service animals typically provide a service, in that they alert their owners to dangerous blood sugar levels, perform acts for their owners, or guide their owners.

Conversely, therapy animals are not limited in their scope but are also not protected enough to be able to visit any area available to the public. That being said, therapy animals provide a valuable service to their owners through their companionship. Therapy animals are most commonly seen in hospitals and convalescent homes but are enjoying an increasingly common use in households. They provide the comfort of companionship and give their owners a reason to focus outside of their own condition.

While service animals are often effectively prescribed for their owners, therapy animals do not require any reference. They can be purchased by anyone for anyone, and they do not require any special training in order to be effective.

What a Therapy Animal Does

Therapy animals are used as companions rather than service creatures. In providing companionship, however, animals perform an important function. There have been demonstrated links to decreased blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as elevated oxytocin levels, which have been linked to overall health and wellness.

Although a therapy animal is not going to provide men and women with a means of avoiding diabetes complications, they can help create a solid foundation of health and reduce stress. Whether you are a cat person or a lizard is sure to brighten your day, a therapy animal can give you a small, simple boost in health and wellness and improve your body’s response to chronic illness.