Noteboom The Law Firm

Canine Therapy For Veterans With PTSD

December 8, 2010 - For all the high-tech treatments the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has seen pass through their medical centers, it turns out the most low-tech solution may be the most effective. Modern medicine may be effective in treating many conditions, but pairing veterans with dogs may be the best treatment for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Many veterans return from combat tours facing several PTSD-related issues which can make even ordinary daily tasks difficult. Many veterans find themselves in a state of hyper-vigilance, which makes existing in a crowd virtually impossible. New research is tentatively showing many veterans suffering from PTSD respond positively from being paired with dogs trained to assist veterans with PTSD. These therapy dogs perform functions ranging from waking veterans from nightmares to preventing people from getting too close.

The Army is considering whether these dogs benefit veterans enough to begin issuing them as they do for veterans who have lost their sight. There are an exorbitant amount of troops suffering from PTSD, so there is a great need to determine if these trained dogs can improve the lives of those veterans. Independent studies are being undertaken by both the Army and the VA to determine if the benefits from these dogs are, in fact, real. Studies will then determine if there is a difference in benefits to dogs given special and expensive training, and regular dogs being given abbreviated training courses. 

One study demonstrated specially trained therapy dogs provide more benefits than veterans undergoing therapy sessions including art and/or music. Walter Reed hospital employs dogs on certain hospital floors because of their proven positive effects on patients. It should be just a matter of time, then, before the Army and the VA come to the same conclusion.