Dog-Assisted Therapy in Children During Blood or Dental Extraction.

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) during blood extraction or dental procedures in a Primary Care Pediatric Service. Determine the improvement in facilitating the task of venipuncture or dental extraction for nursing or dental professionals. Estimate the reduction in the child's emotional stress during these procedures with the support of a therapy dog. Evaluate the emotional stress in the accompanying family member. These objectives will be accomplished through a randomized open label two-arm controlled study of AAT for children who need a blood or dental extraction.