An animal therapist can help animals that have undergone therapy.
The duties of an animal therapist may vary slightly depending on the type of work the therapist chooses to do and what specializations they may pursue. Someone who works as an animal behavior therapist often helps train animals, usually pets or entertainment animals, to behave in a certain way. There are also roles for an animal therapist who helps animals with physical therapy, often helping animals in a similar way to how a physical therapist helps humans. Some therapists, who focus on working with people, may use animal-assisted therapy to help humans overcome various difficulties or conditions.
Animal therapists may work with livestock.
An animal therapist is usually someone who works professionally with animals, in some type of therapeutic capacity, although the exact nature of that work may vary slightly. Animal behavior therapists often work with different types of animals to understand why they behave in a certain way and then help change or correct negative behavior. This work usually includes observation by the therapist to understand how an animal is behaving and to interpret this activity based on prior knowledge of animal behavior. An animal therapist who works with behavior problems will often help the owner train that animal to act in the most appropriate or acceptable way.
An animal therapist can assess animals’ life situations to determine potential stress contributing to an animal’s abnormal behavior.
There are also some forms of physical therapy that can be performed by an animal therapist. This type of work is typically done after an animal has sustained an injury or undergone surgery, much like the work done by human physical therapists. This type of animal therapist can help the animal relearn how to walk or run, or adjust to injuries that may have greatly affected the animal’s comfortable mobility. This type of work often includes observing animal behavior and understanding how an animal might be reacting to physical changes it has gone through.
Animal-assisted therapy can help humans overcome various difficulties or conditions.
Some therapists who work with humans may use animal-assisted therapy for people. This therapy generally follows certain therapy routines and strategies when using animals. Someone who is having a hard time dealing with depression, for example, may experience feelings of loneliness and isolation due to a disability or other condition. Introducing a pet into a person’s life can help ease these feelings in some cases. The therapist usually works with an animal trainer to choose the right animal to help the person in therapy.