Best Defense perceiver of the divine in the canine
We've said it here before but we'll say it again: Yes. Military
working dogs deployed to combat zones can become afflicted with Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD), just like their human handlers. And some, according to
a new, buzz-worthy NY Times article, "After
Duty, Dogs Suffer Like Soldiers," are even being treated in the
same way as humans -- with Xanax.
Over
the last year or so the military has made a big
push to up its numbers of handler-dog teams on the ground in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Not surprisingly, the more dogs that go to war, the more dogs
there are who are likely to suffer the traumas of combat. According to the
article: "By some estimates, more than 5 percent of the approximately 650
military dogs deployed by American combat forces are developing canine PTSD. Of
those, about half are likely to be retired from service, Dr. Burghardt [chief
of behavioral medicine at Lackland's MWD hospital] said."
While
the article points out early on that "the concept of canine PTSD is only about
18 months old, and still being debated," canine PTSD is nothing new. It's been
around as long as dogs have been fighting alongside soldiers. But what I think
is actually noteworthy here is that the term has as the article says, recently
"gained vogue among military veterinarians." Maybe now canine PTSD will get the
attention and resources it deserves.
As
handlers have told me, sometimes there's just no way to know how a dog will
handle the stress of an actual firefight -- even if they tolerated the noise of
a ammunition on a training facility back on base, doesn't mean they'll handle
it the same once deployed. And some dogs -- remember Gunner? --
don't even make it through the earliest stages of that transition to combat
zone.
There has been headway in rehabilitating canines showing symptoms
of PTSD, even with those dogs who are almost completely debilitated by their
fear of sudden noises, strangers, or the dark. But these methods vary in time
and intensity, availability of resources, and degrees of success. As more dogs
are put into service, the problem is likely to rise and the military will have
to adapt to keep up the number of active, high-performing dogs on the ground.
So
how do we solve a problem like MWD PTSD?
One
Army veterinarian commented on a MWD Facebook forum in response to the NY
Times article, the answer is not to wait and depends first and foremost on
vigilance of the handler who, upon seeing and signs of stress or trauma, must
immediately alert a veterinarian so that the appropriate meds and therapy can
be applied as soon as possible.
"Remember,"
she writes, "It takes a TEAM to combat cPTSD!"
In
other War Dog news: Peg, a stray
adopted by the family of a fallen parachutist, Pte. Conrad Lewis, is finally
out of quarantine and is going
home, for real this time. And Gracie, a dog
rescued from Afghanistan by U.S. soldiers needs a home. She lost a leg and part
of both ears to neglect but makes up for it in spades with her loving
disposition. Any takers?
Yes, RBB, we do have an obligation to take care of the dogs who go to war for us. The dogs don't choose to go, we choose for them. And decency and honor do obligate us to take care of them. No one is suggesting that we treat them them "like people".
If we can't "afford" to treat them for the injuries they may suffer in battle, then we should not send them in the first place. Your comparison with confining your dog to a kennel is insulting and not worthy of serious discussion. Sorry if their PTSD is inconvenient for you.
Another reason is that a mentally sound dog is less likely to bite someone. This was the concern with my dog. Soon after we got him he starting acting afraid of everything, especially human males. Then we found out that his first 6 weeks of life included 3 weeks of isolation, so he wasn’t socially well-adjusted.
We spoke to the vet, and got him on Prozac (the dog, not the vet). This let him relax enough to learn proper puppy socializing skills and to attend his scheduled obedience training. He wasn’t on Prozac for long and it was very inexpensive. The dog isn’t and never will be fully right in the head, but at least we don’t worry about him becoming a biter.
This is what war does to men and animals. I think its about time someone put a stop to all these wars which we see in the name of peace which has destroyed homeland economy and terrorized the entire world.
. . . a hearty "amen," dude. Can't really see it happening, but it definitely won't if people don't keep wishing for "peace on earth, good-will to men." (And to their best friends.)
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