The role of canines in the lived experience of women with breast cancer: a case-based narrative analysis of the relationship between dogs and their guardians

Women with breast cancer often experience significant distress associated with a range of unmet needs, which may lead to them seeking support within their social networks to enable them to address these deficits. For many women, one frequently overlooked yet important member of this network, is the pet dog. Dogs have been cited as beneficial to health and wellbeing in various contexts; however, to date few studies have evaluated the role of companion animals in relation to cancer, and none have assessed the function of pet dogs in regard to breast cancer. This study, therefore, aimed to determine the role and perceived benefits of companion canines in the lived experience of women specifically with breast cancer. Employing a pragmatic, sequential, mixed methods approach, and incorporating an initial quantitative online questionnaire-based survey, phase one is founded upon two pre-existing validity assessed tools, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy -Breast (Brady et al., 1997) and modified version of the Monash Dog Owners Relationship Scale (Dwyer et al., 2006);this resulted in the creation of descriptive statistics, in combination with identification of women willing to participate in phase two of the study. The second phase involved derivation of four comprehensive case studies, generated from a series of interviews, from which evolved a narrative, story, and analysis of each individual case. The quantitative results did not permit correlation, however, individual questions elicited data to enable inter-study comparison, whilst phase two, in addition to the creation of stories for dissemination, resulted in determination of four key functions afforded by the women’s dogs. Perceived as beneficial by the women, these were distraction, especially in relation to nocturnal fear of recurrence, companionship, social and communication facilitation, and haptic and visual interaction. The relationship the women engendered with their dogs, it appeared, was of great benefit to them. It may, therefore, be advantageous to harness this benefit for other women dog-guardians in similar situations. Increasing health professionals’ awareness of the importance of the dog in the complementary care of women with breast cancer, in conjunction with integration of a question concerning dog-guardianship within assessment frameworks, may provide validation for women in comparable relationships, potentially leading to enhanced wellbeing. Additionally, provision of activities to enable women to foster and maintain the relationship with their dog, whilst simultaneously enhancing their support network through engagement in relaxing activities such as canine massage classes, dog yoga and walking groups, may result in greater wellbeing and ultimately a decrease in cancer related distress