ANÁLISE DO CONHECIMENTO DOS FISIOTERAPEUTAS DO ESTADO DE SANTA CATARINA REFERENTE À TERAPIA ASSISTIDA POR CÃES

Introduction: Determining the origin of animal-assisted therapies (AAT) is a complex issue, considering that history has always assumed that the interaction between humans and animals had benefits for a number of reasons¹. Animal-assisted therapy is an intervention that complements the rehabilitation process, aims to improve the quality of life of patients and generate greater adherence to treatment. The objective of this study was to analyze the percentage of physical therapists in the state of Santa Catarina who know about Dog Assisted Therapy. Methodology: This research is a qualitative and quantitative exploratory study that sought to analyze through the application of a questionnaire the knowledge of Physiotherapists in the state of Santa Catarina on Dog Assisted Therapy (DAT). Results: The study had the participation of 553 professionals with active registration in CREFITO-10 and residing in the state of Santa Catarina, most of them work with the trauma-orthopedic area and do not know what care is needed with the therapy dog. Among the participating professionals, most completed their graduation in the last ten years, a period of greatest visibility of therapy in Brazil. Conclusion: Within the sample of professionals analyzed, many know about dog-assisted therapy, however, not all would use it for various reasons.