After Duty, Dogs Suffer Like Soldiers

[pickel]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/us...s.html?_r=1&hp





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 said.

Though veterinarians have long diagnosed behavioral problems in animals, the concept of canine PTSD is only about 18 months old, and still being debated. But it has gained vogue among military veterinarians, who have been seeing patterns of troubling behavior among dogs exposed to explosions, gunfire and other combat-related violence in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Taxmancometh]

Poor dogs.

[Epidemic]

wow, interesting. although Explosions are not common place among the ranks of dogs I am surprised they would see death of soldiers other than their pack members (aka handlers) as a serious concern. Hunting dogs hear gun fire and see death all the time and by nature even kill members of other packs in turf wars. I wonder if hunting dogs are subject to PTSD when shooting and killing other animals.