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Dogs Demonstrating Signs of Mental Distress Following Military Duty

According to an article in The New York Times, dogs that are used on the front line in military combat are developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dogs are currently being used to do the following:  

• ·        track down enemy combatants;
• ·        clear buildings; and
• ·        sniff out IEDs.

Canine PTSD is present in over 5% of the 650 dogs the military deployed with their combat forces; however, the idea of canine PTSD is no more than 18 months old, so there’s still some serious debate about its existence.

Although, military veterinarians seem to be more accepting of the concept, as they observe “patterns of troubling behavior” among those dogs repeatedly exposed to “combat-related violence” such as gunfire and sudden explosions.

Nevertheless, the military has been taking interest in the concept of canine PTSD. There’s no argument as to how effective these dogs are in their jobs, many of which are specialized tasks and lifesavers for soldiers. There are currently 2,700 dogs on duty, which is up from 1,800, 10 years ago.

Treating these dogs in itself is obviously difficult. The best veterinarians can do is use an educated guess in analysis. Some dogs need to be relieved of duty to solve their issues, and others will need treatment. Like treating veterans with PTSD, there’s debate about what is and isn’t effective.

Unfortunately, dogs don’t have the voice to demand health care but you do! If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.