Medics get guidelines for treating warrior dogs

Medics get guidelines for treating warrior dogs
By Gregg Zoroya - USA Today
Posted : Thursday Jun 23, 2011 21:48:40 EDT
Panting is normal. That advice is among several new guidelines issued to battlefield doctors called on to treat dogs injured in the line of duty in Afghanistan.

“Canines differ in anatomy and physiology,” the guidelines say. “Knowledge of key differences will assist the physician in resuscitating and stabilizing ... prior to transport to veterinary care.”

About 650 dogs — mostly German Shepherds, Labradors and Belgian Malinois — are in Afghanistan to sniff out explosive booby traps for U.S. troops on patrol. A dog was with the SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden last month.

Since May 2010, 14 dogs have been killed in combat, six wounded and three are missing, said Army Maj. T.G. Taylor, spokesman for U.S. Central Command.

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Medics get guidelines for treating warrior dogs