Symptoms of PTSD in dogs can include: panic, panting, fearfulness, being timid and clinging to their owners, aggressive reactions in dogs that were never aggressive before, depression, and hyper-vigilance (especially for working dogs and guard breeds).
“The symptoms of PTSD in dogs are similar to those in humans and include chronic anxiety; hypervigilance; avoidance of certain people, places, or situations; sleep disturbances; fear of being alone; decreased interest in a favorite activity; or aggression,” Teller said.
Signs of Emotional Trauma in Cats and Dogs
Trauma can also manifest as “shaking, hiding, urination and/or defecation when the trigger attempts to interact, howling, pacing, excessive vocalization, and panting,” says Pia Silvani, director of behavioral rehabilitation at the ASPCA's Behavioral Rehabilitation Center.
Dodman, the director of the animal behavior clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, says that PTSD in dogs can be managed but never fully cured because “dogs never forget”.
The best service dog breeds for PTSD are often considered dogs that are intelligent and even-tempered. For example, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, and golden retrievers are commonly used as service dogs. These dog breeds are often well-behaved and intelligent.
For example, PTSD service dogs can be trained to detect a veteran's physical signs of anxiety and distress, serving to alert to and interrupt anxiety and panic attacks during the day as well as interrupt nightmares during the night.
New research suggests that adversely training, e.g. yelling at, your dog could cause long-term psychological harm. Dogs that had undergone adverse training methods were found to have higher cortisol levels in their saliva and displayed more stress behaviors.
Acute post traumatic stress disorder is the most common form of PTSD seen in dogs. Acute reactions begin occurring directly after the traumatizing incident or incidents and generally subside within three months.
overly submissive (i.e. rolling onto back, ears back, tail tucked and urinating) changes in the texture of their fur, or abnormal loss of fur. unusual separation anxiety when their human leaves. avoiding any physical contact (especially when normally affectionate)
Stress signs to look for include whale eye (when dogs reveal the whites of their eyes), tucked ears, tucked tail, raised hackles, lip-licking, yawning, and panting. Your dog might also avoid eye contact or look away.
Dogs can be thrown into a state of extreme stress over a variety of different experiences. Common causes may include weather – including natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes, car accidents, household accidents, and physical or emotional trauma during interactions with people or other animals.
They can use touch or gentle pressure to provide calm and comfort to a handler that is in distress. They can help to ground their owner back to a present state when they are having a panic attack. They can retrieve medication that may be needed.
Don't approach or pet a service dog.
They're trained to stay attuned to the needs of their human, so petting or playing with them can distract them from their job. If you're interested in learning more, make sure to address the person first and always ask for permission before interacting with their service animal.
Its veterinarians say that about 5 percent of those that have served in Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from “canine PTSD,” which can make some dogs aggressive, timid or unable to do their jobs. The diagnosis, known as C-PTSD, is still debated among some in the veterinary field.
As with humans, exercise can be a great stress reducer. Physical activities like walking or playing fetch help both you and your dog release tension. It is also good to provide your dog with a safe place in the home where he can escape anxious situations. Everybody enjoys a calm place to retreat.
It has been shown that when an excess of cortisol enters the body due to a stressful event, it can take up to 72 hours for levels to return to a 'normal'.
Common symptoms of anxiety include increased vigilance, drooling, panting, restlessness, compulsive behavior, changes in sleep patterns, more barking than usual, urinating or defecating indoors, destructive behavior, and depression.
It can take months or even years for formerly abused dogs to recover and go from a reclusive and scared pooch to a trusting and loving companion. However, you also need to temper your expectations because in most cases, you can never achieve a full resolution of the issues.