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Simple Summary This study aimed to improve the moment of dialysis because the emotional management of a person during treatment can help to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. This process positively affects the acceptance and progress of treatment and improves the self-management of the disease, a very important achievement in chronic kidney disease. Serotonin and oxytocin are important neuromodulators of different human behaviours, such as affectivity and socialization, and are involved in the control of stress, anxiety and social cooperation. The relationship between humans and domestic animals provides psychophysical well-being and can facilitate interpersonal bonds by favouring mechanisms involved in social relations. Dogs due to their ethological characteristics, allow the establishment of an active relationship through play, communication and interaction. Animal-assisted activities (AAAs) are structured interventions aimed at improving the psychophysical conditions of people in stressful conditions. Our study was aimed at determining the circulating levels of serotonin and oxytocin in patients who participated in an AAAs program with a dog during dialysis treatment. Our study aimed to measure the levels of serotonin and oxytocin in patients affected by end-stage renal disease (ESRD), undergoing dialysis and participating in a program of animal-assisted activities (AAAs) with a dog. Ten patients with comparable levels of ESRD were enrolled. A blood sample was taken before the start of the study in order to establish basal levels. Eleven meetings were held once a week for 3 months during the last hour of dialysis, and blood samples were collected before and after AAAs. Two more meetings, one month apart from each other, were held two months later without the dog but with the same veterinarian zootherapist. Blood was drawn at the beginning and at the end of each meeting. The samples were then processed for the measurement of serotonin and oxytocin, and data obtained were analysed using analysis of variance with mixed effect models. The results show an increasing level of both serotonin and oxytocin between subsequent meetings with the dog and an increasing trend of inter-intervention levels. Overall, the results suggest that AAAs lead to modifications of serotonin and oxytocin levels, which are also accompanied by behavioural changes of patients.

Simple Summary Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) represent an opportunity for the well-being and health of people, but it is necessary that the animals involved in these interventions are subjected to very thorough health checks in order to avoid the potential risk of zoonoses transmission. Dogs are the main animal species involved in AAIs and may represent a potential reservoir of zoonotic agents (e.g., bacteria, parasites, fungi). Some scientific contributions have been published regarding healthcare checks and related hygiene measures for dogs involved in these interventions, but no attention has been paid to the presence of Toxocara eggs on the fur. Thus, a systematic review was carried out to address this topic. Although the infection of humans through the transmission of Toxocara eggs after direct contact with dogs must be critically challenged, we suggest including the examination of fur during a complete parasitological screening of dogs involved in AAIs in order to exclude hair coat contamination with zoonotic helminth eggs. Moreover, it is important to also monitor the behaviors of dogs that can increase the risk of contamination from the environment (e.g., roll on grass and feces of other dogs or cats) as well as the life habits of dogs (e.g., outdoor or indoor). Abstract Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) usually contribute to the well-being and health of users/patients, but it is essential that the animals involved in these activities do not represent a source of zoonoses. This systematic review focused on the evaluation of the potential risk of the transmission of Toxocara by dogs’ fur, considering their involvement as the main animal species in AAIs. Three databases were considered: MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, and the PRISMA guidelines were used. Out of 162 articles found, 14 papers were identified as eligible for inclusion in the review. Although the findings were very heterogeneous, they showed that regular parasitological surveillance to plan effective control programs is strongly needed to guarantee the health of pets and consequently the public health, according to the concept of One Health. Since AAIs involve patients and/or users potentially susceptible, it is very important to appropriately treat dogs enrolled in these interventions after an accurate diagnosis of parasitic zoonoses.