Health, well-being of PTSD support dogs focus of new studyApril 17, 2023The Morris Animal Foundation-funded research will explore how working with veterans with PTSD impacts service dogs’ overall health.
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Hero service dogs receive celeb supportSeptember 7, 2022Honoring the role service dogs play in helping America’s veterans and promoting the human-animal bond is the driving force behind a new celebrity-backed awards program.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveVideo: Tips to working with clients who have mental health conditionsSeptember 15, 2021Sarah Hoggan, DVM, expands upon her previous VPN Plus+ article with a video on guidelines practitioners can use to make appointments with clients who have mental health issues more productive and compassionate for all involved.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveA practical guide to compassionate care, for all parties involvedJuly 15, 2021If someone with a mental health condition brings you their animal for help, they are doing the best they can by their pet. It is our professional responsibility to rise to the challenge.
Living with PTSD in a post-COVID worldJune 1, 2021There is no denying the COVID pandemic has changed the way we conduct our everyday lives at home, in public, and at work.
Easing anxiety top-ranking task for PTSD service dogsJuly 23, 2020Disrupting episodes of anxiety might be the most incredible gift a service dog can give to a handler diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Purina donation helps U.S. military veterans adopt rescue dogsDecember 14, 2018A program supporting veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other brain injuries through rescue dog adoption has received a significant donation.
PenFed Foundation donates $50,000 to program providing assistance dogs to veteransNovember 20, 2018PenFed Foundation donates $50,000 to support the launch of Canine Companions for Independence’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) program.
Petco Foundation donates $2.5 million to provide veterans with support dogsNovember 19, 2018The Petco Foundation is donating more than $2.5 million to train and place former shelter dogs to support veterans with physical or emotional disabilities, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
MU study discovers therapeutic riding programs help PTSD veteransFebruary 20, 2018A University of Missouri study has determined that veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder experienced a significant decrease in PTSD scores just weeks after therapeutic horseback riding (THR). Results show that therapeutic horseback riding may be a clinically effective intervention for alleviating PTSD symptoms in military veterans. "Estimates are that more than 23 million military veterans experience PTSD symptoms each year," said Rebecca Johnson, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FNAP, professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and the Millsap Professor of Gerontological Nursing in the Sinclair School of Nursing. "While counseling and behavior therapies often are prescribed, sometimes clinicians will encourage complementary therapies, such as therapeutic horseback riding. We wanted to test whether THR could be a useful complementary therapy in the treatment of PTSD." The interaction between horses and riders has been demonstrated to increase riders' confidence, self-esteem, sensory sensitivity, and social motivation while decreasing stress. For the study, 29 military veterans were assessed for eligibility from a nearby Veterans Administration hospital. Those diagnosed with PTSD or PTSD with traumatic brain injury were invited to participate in a therapeutic horseback riding program once a week for six weeks. PTSD symptoms then were measured both at three …
