Babylon Beacon

Pets, Pets, Pets


 

 

A recent study led by a Florida Atlantic University researcher found that walking shelter dogs may reduce PTSD symptoms in military veterans. With up to 4 million veterans suffering PTSD symptoms and about 3.9 million dogs in shelters, these findings could benefit both people and pets.

The United States is home to more than 21 million military veterans, many of whom have difficulty re-entering civilian life. From 10 to 20 percent suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one of the most common trauma-induced mental illnesses. It is estimated 20 veterans die of suicide each day, resulting in about 6,000 deaths by suicide each year.

Human-animal interaction is known to reduce stress. Yet, few studies have examined the health effects of interacting with dogs, specifically in the veteran population. Researchers enlisted the help of two no-kill shelters for a study evaluating the effects of walking with a shelter dog on psychological and physiological stress indicators in veterans.

with of Ph. Cheryl Krause- Parello, D., lead researcher study about veterans PTSD walking shelter dogs, poses with her rescued Dachshunds (photo by Alex Dolce).

Cheryl Krause-Parello, Ph.D., lead researcher of study about veterans with PTSD
walking shelter dogs, poses with her rescued Dachshunds (photo by Alex Dolce).

This study was led by Cheryl Krause-Parello, Ph.D., lead author, a professor and director of Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors® ( C-P.A.W.W.®), within Florida Atlantic University’s nursing college, who conducted the study while at the University of Colorado, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Maryland’s School of Nursing and SUNY Fredonia. The study was funded in part by the ISAZ/Waltham Petcare Science Institute and C-P.A.W.W.®

The Waltham Petcare Science Institute is located in Leicestershire, England. Waltham’s breakthroughs in pet nutrition support Mars Petcare brands such as WHISKAS®, PEDIGREE®, CESAR®, SHEBA® and ROYAL CANIN®.

Krause-Parello and her team evaluated three physiological stress biomarkers: heart rate, salivary cortisol, and the enzyme alpha-amylase over four weeks of walking with a dog and walking with a human. The body’s reaction to stress affects these biomarkers. The researchers included heart rate because of its strong correlations with physical and psychosocial stress.

 

 

The clearest indicator for decreases in stress came from heart rate data, which was most apparent for veterans with greater PTSD symptom severity. Heart rate was measured before, during and for 30 minutes after walking.

“Based on heart rate variability, our study provides evidence that walking with a shelter dog may benefit veterans with higher symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Severity of symptoms and perceived stress tended to decrease more after walks with a dog than walks with a human,” said Krause-Parello.

Responses to walking with a dog and a human from week one to week four were different depending on PTSD symptom severity. Walking with another person did not change stress levels, as measured with cortisol, in those with high PTSD symptom severity. Walking with a dog or another person led to decreases in cortisol among those with low PTSD symptom severity. For individuals with high PTSD symptom severity, walking with a dog did not change stress levels, as indicated by alpha amylase, but walking with a person led to increased stress. For individuals with lower PTSD symptoms, alpha amylase did not change significantly for either type of walk.

“Our findings emphasize the need for more research to determine if this form of human-animal interaction is beneficial to veterans with PTSD and to help us identify the optimal level of interaction that will be most impactful for them,” said Krause-Parello.

The researchers emphasize the obvious benefits of human-animal interaction for shelter dogs. Shelter dogs need to be walked and socialized on a consistent basis to develop a positive relationship with humans, maintain a good quality of life, reduce their stress, expand the boundaries of a mundane kennel cage and improve the likelihood they will be successfully adopted. The dogs in the study resided in the two shelters and were awaiting adoption.

“Considering the large number and availability of shelter dogs in the United States, it really makes sense to consider the potential for these dogs to be involved in a unique intervention that combines the benefits of human-animal interaction with the benefits of altruistic action like volunteerism,” said Erika Friedmann, Ph.D., co-author and professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

Men and women ages 22 to 69 years old participated in the study. A total of 72 different dogs participated in 124 walks and ranged in size from toy (7.2 pounds) to giant (90 pounds). Each dog was walked one to six times. Veterans were asked to draw a name to determine which dog they would be walking to ensure randomization and to minimize the risk of becoming attached to a shelter dog that might be adopted during the course of the study.

“This innovative research confirms the importance of the human-animal bond. It brings to life an unexpected connection between shelter dogs and veterans, serving to meet a need for both and providing direction for programming that addresses both the health of veterans and that of shelter dogs. It is a win-win,” said Patricia Liehr, Ph.D., associate dean at Florida Atlantic University’s nursing college.

Dogs for Adoption at Babylon Animal Shelter (631-643- 9270) 80 New Highway, N. Amityville: Pepsi #19-60 has been at the shelter over a year. He’s only two years old, and was trapped outside the nearby Pepsi factory. He needs to be only dog. Blue #20-247- lovable, big boy, 18 months old. He lost his home through no fault of his own, and loves to play in water.

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