Dogs and Dopamine

When drugs don’t work, try a dog!

A 28-year-old woman suffering from Parkinson’s disease (PD) was said to have improved incredibly after a friend gave her a Highland terrier as gift. The young lady’s health had deteriorated so badly before the dog arrived that she used to use morphine pumps for 14 hours a day.

And just to control the symptoms, she took large doses of four different drugs.

The usual drugs she took for this debilitating disease gave her occasional reprieves but it was the terrier that caused a breakthrough. Her doctor said that she has had such“major improvements” that she no longer needed to take morphine!

Symptoms and drugs

As a person loses dopamine-producing cells in the brain, his or her motor system gets out of synch. This is PD. As a result, that person’s hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face can tremble uncontrollably or freeze and become very rigid. PD usually attacks people over the age of 50. Patients find it difficult to perform simple tasks as walking, swallowing, chewing, and talking.

The most common drug taken by PD patients for short-term relief is Levodopa. Human nerves can convert this drug to dopamine and, therefore, replenish the dwindling supply in the patient’s brain. Dopamine is the brain chemical that allows a person to move and think. Dopamine is also commonly associated with the pleasure system of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement.

According to some doctors, merely interacting with pets has a noticeable effect on levels of dopamine. Dog-owners amongst us already know how happy our dogs make us – now it seems they could help in managing a debilitating illness.

Dogs and dopamine

Our own "dopamine enhancer", Rosie!

Returning to the subject of our story, “remarkably sustained benefits occurred,” said her doctors at Imperial College, London, “with improvement in her walking and symptoms including appetite, sleep and bowel function, as well as socialisation.” The doctors were so impressed, her case was reported in the Journal of Neurology.

Although unsure exactly how relating with her terrier affected her brain condition, doctors believe that caring for the pet – walking, feeding and looking after it – had given her the drive to exercise regularly.

In the United States, dogs are being trained to specifically aid PD patients. Independence Dogs, Inc. (IDI), a non-profit organization, the Pennsylvania Hospital, and GlaxoSmithKline are now working together for this purpose. IDI commented, “As Parkinson’s disease progresses, many patients have difficulty walking which often leads to a compromised quality of life.”

While a dopamine-inducing drug may provide relief and short-term supply of the chemical, only dogs can motivate a PD patient to walk, socialise, and have a new drive for life.

NOTE: Owning a dog, or other pet, is a major responsibility, and deciding to get a pet is not a decision that should be taken lightly without considering how it will affect all aspects of your life. Discuss the decision with all members of your family, your carer if you have one, and your GP if relevant to ensure that you can properly care for the animal. You should also consider what breed or type of dog would be most appropriate – for example, different dogs need different levels of exercise. The Kennel Club and/or the RSPCA will be happy to advise.

Do you have a dog? Has this helped you, or encouraged you to keep more active and social than you otherwise would? We’d love to hear your pet stories!

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