Hematologic and serologic status of military working dogs given standard diet containing natural botanical supplements

Lee, Eunchae; Choi, Jun-Ha; Jeong, Ha-Jeong; Hwang, Sung-Gu; Lee, Sang-Rak; Oh, Jae-Wook

doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2018.02.016

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The health and welfare of the MWDs are crucial, and they are kept in excellent fitness with regular courses and specific training. Generally, MWDs work 8–12 h a day, many days a week and they are fed a regular diet [ 11 ]. Pre-deployment examinations are vital to check the fitness-for-duty status of the MWDs [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Military Working Dogs Operating in Afghanistan Theater: Comparison between Pre- and Post-Mission Blood Analyses to Monitor Physical Fitness and Training

Spinella

Tidu

Grassato³

et al. 2022

Animals

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The intergovernmental organization known as the United Nations (UN) was born “to maintain international peace and security” through different operations and tasks, including “mine action” and “explosive detection”. Explosives are the most frequent cause of injuries in military personnel and an enormous danger for civilians. The role of explosive detection dogs (EDDs) and mine detection dogs has gained great consideration over time, leading to their intense use in military operations. Literature regarding working injuries reported by EDDs during missions is limited. The aim of the present study is to investigate the hematological changes that occurred between pre- and post-mission blood analyses in military working dogs deployed to Afghanistan in order to evaluate signs of health problems or physical adjustments. Examining the clinical records, only three dogs reported a medical issue, one with gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), and two with lameness episodes. Lack of health issues occurring during the missions was reflected by the absence of significant differences between pre- and post-mission blood analyses. Blood results were also examined by dividing the EDDs into groups considering age at departure, sex, breed and mission length. A few categories demonstrated significant changes in some parameters; however, the mean values were always included in the ranges of normality, indicating that their physical fitness and training were adequate for the required tasks.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%