Healing Hooves and Soothing Whiskers: The Power of Animal-Assisted Therapy with Species Large and Small (part 2)
“It’s alright to be little bitty.” -Alan Jackson
Boo the guinea pig helps provide animal-assisted speech therapy at The Speech Express in Melbourne, Australia. While less commonly seen than therapy dogs, smaller creatures like Boo and his friends can bring just as much joy and meaning to clients and SLPs alike!
In last week’s article, two animal-assisted therapists who work with horses described the challenges of adding these larger therapy animals to their team, as well as the personal and professional joys they bring. But what if you’re looking for a way to provide animal-assisted speech therapy without the high costs and care an equine requires?
At the opposite end of the therapy animal spectrum, Gen Ward, a Speech-Language Pathologist and owner of The Speech Express in Melbourne, Australia, has found guinea pigs to be a great addition to the speech therapy dogs at her clinic.
“We wanted another animal in the clinic for clinicians to integrate into therapy, especially for those who either didn’t have their therapy dogs in that day or couldn’t have a dog at all. Guinea pigs were the perfect choice—small, sociable, and full of personality!”
Getting started with a small, adorable therapy animal family
“I had guinea pigs growing up, and they were basically my social sidekicks. Anytime I had friends over, they stole the spotlight! I’d carry them around in an old handbag filled with hay, sling it over my bike’s handlebars, and ride around while they happily squeaked at me between nibbles of carrot. They were my adventure buddies before I even knew what animal-assisted therapy was!
Now Gen and her team work with Muffin, Popcorn, Boo, and Giggles—each with their own quirks and hilarious antics. “They’ve become an essential (and adorable) part of our therapy team.”
The guinea pig family at The Speech Express work with therapists who don’t have a therapy dog with them. Each "piggie” brings their own personality to interactions with clients during animal-assisted speech therapy sessions.
But adding guinea pigs was not as simple as running to the pet store and purchasing a few new pets. For starters, Gen and her team dedicated a “piggie room” to keep them safe and comfortable since there are multiple therapy dogs in the office.
Also, “we wanted them to be more at eye level for our clients to engage with, rather than constantly looking down into a cage. Because they’re prey animals, we didn’t want them to feel like we were always looming over them. This setup encourages them to be confident, curious, and interactive—which they absolutely are!”
While they live at the clinic full-time, on an average day Gen says they spend around 2-3 hours actively working with clients (mostly being present in the room and eating). She recommends having designated blankets, towels, or baskets for bringing them into therapy rooms. “We even used a big dog bed for floor-based activities at one point, which worked brilliantly for containing the piggies while still allowing interaction and even playing some games inside the dog basket with them.”
When Popcorn, the youngest team member, was just a baby, Gen decided to do a “free-range” session with him. “That was a mistake. He was so unpredictable, wild and a little too free!
“The little guy took off, zooming around the room like a fluffy bullet, dodging furniture and diving behind the couch where it was imPAWsible to reach him. The client and I were in absolute hysterics, watching this tiny tornado of fur and whiskers cause chaos. It took quite some time (and a lot of strategic snack placement) to catch him again! After this we decided he ought to only be allowed in the basket, however he regularly tries to escape!”
“That said, if [the ‘piggies’] are having a glorious time lounging in the sun outside, we’ll often bring the session to them instead of pulling them away from their happy place. Some clients just want to start or end their session in the piggie room—after all, they’re fantastic little conversation starters (and excellent at demanding snacks with their endless ‘wheeaak’ sounds).”
Challenges of Animal-Assisted Speech Therapy with Guinea Pigs
Despite their adorableness, there’s also a down side to having guinea pigs as therapy animal partners: “Guinea pigs poo. A lot!
“We quickly realized we needed a strict cleaning schedule to manage the sheer volume of tiny poos they produce. Thankfully, our reception team helps with daily maintenance cleaning, keeping everything fresh and hygienic.
“But honestly? The mess is a small price to pay for the endless joy, comfort, and connection these little fluffballs bring to therapy.
Other challenges? How about when the family of fluffballs decided to expand their numbers?
“One of my favorite moments was when we had to explain to an entire clinic full of clients how our three ‘brother’ guinea pigs mysteriously became four! Let’s just say, a lot of parents really appreciated our creative (and slightly dramatic) storytelling in that moment.
“Yes, guinea pigs can mate with their own siblings. Yes, it’s surprisingly common to misidentify their sex. And yes, if you leave what you think are three boys together… well, nature finds a way!”
And that’s how Popcorn, “the cheekiest of the lot”, joined The Speech Express family.
“These little creatures bring so much joy—not just to our clients, but to our team as well. So many kids look forward to their sessions because they get to see the guinea pigs. They’re fun, cheeky, and completely unpredictable, which keeps things fresh and flexible. It’s also really interesting finding out which clients connect with which guinea pig and why!”
Guinea pigs are just one of nine species recognized for animal-assisted speech therapy!
Selecting a Guinea Pig for Animal-Assisted Speech Therapy
While there are 13 recognized breeds of guinea pig in the United States and possibly as many as 40 worldwide, Gen did her research before deciding on Abyssinians because of their personalities and “crazy, cowlick-style fur.” Even so, “baby guinea pigs are little escape artists, and their shyness can sometimes feel like rejection. Taming them takes patience, as they can sense if you’re nervous or hesitant.”
Gen recommends keeping them in pairs. “They’re far more confident together—and twice as chaotic, which makes for plenty of fun.”
Echoing Marjorie and Betty’s sentiments on how their miniature horses bring personal joy to their work days, Gen says, “On a personal level, I love chatting with [the guinea pigs] at the end of a long day. There’s something incredibly therapeutic about venting to a guinea pig—they just nibble on their lettuce, glance up at you, and silently say, ‘Come give me a cuddle!’”
Though don’t count out an equine addition at The Speech Express in the Future. “I half-joked at the time [of adding Muffin, Popcorn, Boo, and Giggles], if the guinea pigs worked out well, maybe we’d consider miniature donkeys next!” Gen says.
You can follow Gen Ward and her team of animal-assisted speech therapists @the_speech_express_ on Instagram, or The Speech Express on Facebook.
If you’re interested in learning more about the varied, challenging, and rewarding niche of animal-assisted speech therapy, check out the book Paws for Progress: Integrating Animal-Assisted Interventions Into Your Speech-Language Pathology Practice and the online course Talk to the Paw: Foundations for Therapy Animal Inclusion in a Professional Setting.
Also be sure to explore Speech Dogs site, including Frequently Asked Questions and Resources for Animal-Assisted Speech Therapy, and follow on Instagram @speech_dogs.
