Dr. Wendel - Travels with a Therapy Dog – Meeting Alan

Dr. Wendel - Travels with a Therapy Dog Meeting Alan

Alan stopped talking abruptly, tilted his head, nodded, then finished his sentence. However, Alan wasn't speaking to anyone that others could see. The diagnosis of Psychotic Disorder can be devastating, as I've observed in nearly thirty years working as a psychiatric nurse. Alan was my patient at an Adult Day Care Center where my therapy dog Wendel and I work. Psychosis can take many forms and usually involves some type of hallucinations (auditory and visual being the most common, with smell and taste involved occasionally) the patient responds to stimuli not actually present. In addition, delusions false beliefs or opinions - are often present and interfere with normal activities. Deterioration in self-care abilities usually accompanies the disease and the person requires careful monitoring and medicating.

So it is that Alan had joined Dr. Wendel's list of patients. The doctor, as he's commonly called (Wendel has advanced degrees in psychiatry and the elderly), has the right medicine in most cases. Reality orientation is part of Wendel's amazing ability. He's able to connect separate worlds and as Alan's monologue got louder, I cued Wendel. In addition to his scholarly accomplishments, Wendel always dresses in colorful outfits and is highly trick-trained. A little paw touched Alan's leg.

"Oh, hello, Wendel look how cute you are!" Alan exclaimed.

"Let's get you some breakfast, Alan," I said, as I brought the therapy session to a close.

This incident would play out numerous times during the morning, with frequent re-direction most helpful in Alan's case. That is, until lunch time.

"I'm not hungry," Alan stated emphatically. As it turned out, Alan was convinced that the kitchen workers added arsenic as a seasoning.

"Would I let Wendel eat poison, Alan?"

"No, of course not," Alan responded. And with that Wendel happily obliged for his favorite patient and savored a mouthful of tuna salad. Alan observed Wendel for adverse reactions, and satisfied that his meal was indeed arsenic free, dove in.

Alan's suspicions gradually subsided and then switched to a dread of pencils ("lead contamination") equally disruptive but not nearly as interesting to Wendel. Alan's condition stabilized with a medication adjustment but Wendel kept a close eye on him for quite some time, especially when lunch was served.

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