After a sampling of Egg Nog, a patient at Cayuga County Nursing Home is now talking up a storm.

The unnamed resident hadn't spoken in months, but all that changed several weeks ago when Egg Nog came into the picture.

And it wasn't a sampling of a traditional holiday beverage that triggered the changes. Actually, Egg Nog is a 7-year-old boxer/Labrador mix who was recently donated to the home, located at 7451 County House Road in Auburn, by a Camillus couple who could no longer care for the K-9.

And since his arrival at the home three weeks ago, Egg Nog has made quite an impact on residents, guests and staff members alike.

“I've never really had many pets, and I just can't believe how much of a difference Egg Nog has made since he came here,” Deb English, nursing home administrator, said by telephone.

The dog's best attribute, she continued, is his unconditional love for the residents, who have responded to his presence remarkably.

“Having him here has just had a calming effect on everybody,” she said.

Residents who suffer from memory loss or dementia somehow remember Egg Nog's name, she added, and his companionship helps ease residents' stress due to infirmity or confusion.

“It's unbelievable, but since he's come, there's just a reduction in (residents') anxiety in general,” she added.

For years, pet therapy has been a widely accepted form of rehabilitation. Studies show that heart attack and stroke victims who have pets live longer, and the presence of a tropical fish tank can significantly lower blood pressure. Research published last year by a New York hospital showed that cardiac patients with pets at home are much more likely to be alive a year after their hospital discharge than those who don't own animals. “At nursing homes, programs and activities can get boring and repetitive, so having dogs there really provides a break in a patient's routine,” said Rob Houston, a representative with Therapy Dogs International, Inc., a New Jersey-based organization that provides testing and registration to therapy dogs and their handlers across the nation. The pets then visit hospitals and assisted living facilities in order to provide their unique brands of comfort and companionship.

Organizations like TDI exist in lots of places, he continued, and his company has representatives in all 50 states, including ones in Verona and Rochester.

“A lot of times, older people will remember a dog they had in the past or one they had who recently died,” he continued. “It happens all the time ... dogs just trigger good memories.”

Egg Nog's healing powers, then, come as no surprise to English, who said the dog has seemed right at home since the beginning.

His unofficial home is in the facility's east wing, she said, since his bed and dog dish are kept there, but Egg Nog is allowed free rein throughout the home.

“He's a little older, and his temperament is just right for the patients,” she explained. The dog usually wanders the halls, stopping to visit residents, visitors and staff members, most of whom have come to think of Egg Nog as practically a part of the facility itself.

The home's staff, too, has benefited from Egg Nog's company. In an occupation that can often be stressful and traumatic, English said that having the dog is a refreshing change.

“He's been great with our staff, too. He gives us something to talk about ... he just makes it more enjoyable to come to work every day.”