Introducción

This policy addresses personal pet visitation. For Service Animals see policy titled Service Animals Policy. For Therapy Animals see policy titled Volunteer Pet Therapy Program Policy. While patients may desire to have their personal pets visit them while hospitalized or bring them to clinic visits, there are a number of associated risks that come with animals entering the hospital. Pets can transmit bacterial and parasitic infections, including C. difficile, MRSA, Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, and other diseases; this presents further risk to patients who have a weakened immune system. Pets have not been temperament tested nor do they typically undergo the same degree of health assessment or exclusion practices (e.g., age) as compared to animals used in animal therapy activities. Additionally, other patients, visitors and staff may have allergies to particular animals.

Alcance

View the Applicability to see where this policy applies.
This policy applies to all inpatients, outpatients, visitors, employees, volunteers, vendors and contracted employees, and all free-standing facilities of UCHealth.

Comité de Supervisión Responsable

Clinical Policy Advisory Group

Detalles de la política

A. General Information

1. Personal pets will not be allowed inside the hospital or clinics, regardless of whether they were brought by patients, visitors, or staff members.
   a. Once it has been determined that the pet is not a service animal and/or not part of
   the UCHealth Pet Therapy program, patients and/or staff should be notified that the
   animal is not permitted inside the hospital.
2. Exception
   a. In unique situations requiring compassion, (e.g., an end of life situation, comfort measures for cognitively impaired persons, animal left in car with no one to care for it until shelter is arranged) approval should be obtained from the patient’s attending physician and either, the unit nursing manager or the Administrator-On-Call (AOC) for a time limited pet visitation. Consult with Infection Prevention if a pet visit is expected to be granted.

i. If an exception is granted:

1. Nursing should include a note in the patients chart, which should specify the approved date, time, and location of visitation, and the maximum duration of visitation.
2. A designated pet handler must be identified. The handler is responsible for supervising the animal at all times, preventing contact of other individuals with the animal, promptly cleaning up any fecal or urine accidents that occur, supervising the visitation process, and reporting any events (e.g., bite, scratch) to a health care provider.
3. When possible, the pet handler should be instructed to bathe the animal within 24 hours prior to visitation.
4. The animal must not be allowed to interact with other patients or visitors. Animals should be taken directly to the site of visitation, avoiding areas of heavy traffic.
5. Visitation is best performed outside of the medical facility whenever possible, consistent with facility rules for the patient leaving the facility under proper supervision. If outdoor visitation is not possible, visitation should be performed in a private room.
6. Animals should not be fed or given treats during visitation.
7. The animal must be on a short leash or in a carrier. Use of a retractable leash is not allowed. Animals must not be allowed to roam freely in the visitation area.
8. An animal that is disruptive or exhibiting fearful or aggressive behavior should be immediately removed.
9. The animal should not have the ability to interfere with medical measures (i.e., not be able to damage IV tubing).

ii. Situations that are not eligible for exceptions include:

1. Animals that are prohibited from visiting due to risk of disease carriage/ transmission include: nonhuman primates, reptiles, amphibians, rodents and prairie dogs.
2. Patients in a multiple patient occupancy room (unless the actual pet visitation occurs in a private room).
3. Neonatal Intensive Care.
4. Patients whose cognitive status would result in an inability to safely interact with the animal.
5. Patients that have undergone recent solid organ or stem cell transplant or who are significantly immunocompromised.

Related Policies

UCHealth System Service Animals Policy

Bibliografía

Darling, K. Animal Visiting in Healthcare Facilities. In Boston K.m., et al, eds. APIC Text. 2014. Available
at https://text.apic.org. Accessed October 4, 2022.
Murthy, R., Bearman, G., Brown, S., Bryant, K., Chinn, R., Hewlett, A., George, B., Goldstein, E., HolzmannPazgal, G., Rupp, M., Wiemken, T., Weese, J., Weber, D. 2015. Animals in Healthcare Facilities:
Recommendations to Minimize Potential Risks. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology; 36, 5, pp.
495-516. https//doi.org/10.1017/ice.2012.15

Replaced Policies

GVH: Pet Visitation
MH: Pet Visitation
PPRH: Pet Visitation
PVH/MCR: Pet Visitation
UCH: Pet Visitation