Military Animals With PTSD February 16, 2012 Show #17

Last week we discussed results to treatment.
Can you determine whether it is toward
cure, palliation or suppression?

See past shows with Dr Christina Chambreau

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Listen to the show because it has much more information
than what is written here

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With Dr Christina Chambreau

www.myhealthyanimals.com

William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891)
Union General in the American Civil War

"WAR IS HELL"
"There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory,
but boys, it is all hell."

"Some of you young men think that war is all glamour and glory,
but let me tell you, boys, it is all hell!"

"I am sick and tired of war. Its glory is all moonshine.
It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard
the shrieks and groans of the wounded
who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation.
War is hell."
From "On Killing" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

ANIMALS ON HIGH ALERT naturally because they live by their instincts
If their surroundings are supportive, comfortable, secure and reliable they can live in harmony. However, when dogs must fend for themselves and learn to exaggerate their instincts to detect danger they may trip into this state indefinitely

Like dogs living in the wild who live in fear of predators.
They may maintain a state of anxiety and super sensitivity

DOG BREEDS USED IN THE MILITARY
Most are German shepherds, followed by Belgian Malinois and Labrador retrievers. They no longer act simply as guard dogs, they have been trained to enter very dangerous and life threatening situations, like sniffing out drugs, improvised explosive devises called IEDs, roadside bombs, mine explosives, tracking down enemy fighters and clearing buildings. Troops depend upon these animals to be the first to enter and clear an area like any front line soldier.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DOG BREEDS
The qualities of high intelligence, loyalty and obedience, size, agility, and speed make these dogs the most reliable choices for military life. ...
They also bond with their owners and feel the pain of their partners and can tell if their human counterpart also suffers from PTSD.

DEFINITION OF PTSD
We define Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for people as a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. With pets we may not know what they are thinking because they can't speak to use in words, however we can detect certain symptoms.

ADJUSTING TO PTSD
While we know that many people who go through traumatic events have difficulty adjusting and coping for a while, with special care these people learn to adjust over time. However, with homeopathic treatment we can see a higher rate of improvement. People suffering from PTSD say that it may last a lifetime and completely obstruct living their life as a normal adult. The sooner a person seeks help for them self or their pet the more likely to short circuit this illness.

HOUSEHOLD PETS WITH PTSD
Many people will recognize that their household pets may also exhibit signs of PTSD if they have ever been in a life threatening situation like an automobile accident or a dog fight or lived in a family that abused and mistreated them.

FOR MILITARY ANIMALS SPECIFICALLY
War, in general, can traumatize any life force with the extremely explosive loud sounds and tense living conditions. A technique called “desensitization counterconditioning,” exposes the dog at a safe distance to some of the typical triggers for his fight or flight response. Exposing the dog to the sight or sound of gun or gunshot, a loud bang or a vehicle. Like a Pavlovian response, the dog receives a treat or recognition for good behavior. This slow progression is basically retraining but does not go as deeply as homeopathy can go.

Types of signals to recognize
COWERING
BARKING
WHINING
SUBMISSION