Military Dogs Diagnosed With PTSD After Serving in War Zones

As U.S. troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan, many are coming home with mental and emotional damage brought on by war -- and not just the human soldiers.

Crews at Lackland Air Force Base, where all of the military's working dogs are trained, say they are beginning to notice post-traumatic stress disorder in dogs as well.

"Where they were once very outgoing and very sure of their work, now they want to avoid contact," said Colonel Kelly Mann, a veterinarian who runs the Holland Working Dog Hospital at Lackland, which treats ailments and diseases affecting America's four-legged service members.


Canine PTSD symptoms are very similar to symptoms humans experience, he said, including startled reaction to loud noises, panic attacks, sleep problems and loss of social ability.


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