Do animals suffer from post-traumatic stress

[Gordon_R]

Do animals suffer from post-traumatic stress?

There is growing evidence that many animals show lasting changes in their behaviour after traumatic events. Can they point to an evolutionary source for PTSD?

www.bbc.com

These findings add to a growing body of evidence showing that fearful experiences can have long-lasting effects on wildlife and suggesting that post-traumatic stress disorder, with its intrusive flashback memories, hypervigilance and anxiety, is part of an ancient, evolved response to danger. The work is part of a wider scientific debate over the nature of PTSD and whether it is an evolved response shared among mammals, birds and other creatures, or is unique to humans.

 

[Nanfeishen]

Do animals suffer from post-traumatic stress?

There is growing evidence that many animals show lasting changes in their behaviour after traumatic events. Can they point to an evolutionary source for PTSD?

www.bbc.com

Completely believable, have 3 rescue dogs, and each one suffered in different ways before landing up on our doorstep. Even though its been years for 2 of them , certain things still trigger a distress response in them.
For one its a complete fear of the bath, and wont even go into that room (people who rescued her say that the rest of the litter she was part of was drowned).
1 of the other 2 is agoraphobia, he will barely walk around the block before suddenly doing an abrupt turn and head home. Previous owners tried to ditch him and would keep him outside where he slept on the back porch, no basket nothing as a puppy.
3rd one is more recent Dec/Jan this year ,so far the only thing i can gauge is he hates being cold, and i mean really hates it. Has to be covered up and literally wrapped in a blanket, the moment he is, all you hear are little satisfied grunts emanating from under the pile of blankets every so often.
Previous rescue that has subsequently passed away, had spent many years outside living on the streets with some vagrants, hated thunder and lightning. Would shiver and shake and climb all over you when it happened. You literally had to cradle her until the storm had passed. moment it had she was off your lap. If you tried to pick her up normally she got quite snappy and was quick to nip, not enough to draw blood, but enough that you know where you stood.

So do animals suffer from PTSD ?, dont doubt it in the least.

 

[schuits]

A little doggie witnessed the murder of it's owner in it's home. It hasn't been the same again, and get's very very nervous when strangers enter the house. So totally believable.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Completely believable, have 3 rescue dogs, and each one suffered in different ways before landing up on our doorstep. Even though its been years for 2 of them , certain things still trigger a distress response in them.
For one its a complete fear of the bath, and wont even go into that room (people who rescued her say that the rest of the litter she was part of was drowned).
1 of the other 2 is agoraphobia, he will barely walk around the block before suddenly doing an abrupt turn and head home. Previous owners tried to ditch him and would keep him outside where he slept on the back porch, no basket nothing as a puppy.
3rd one is more recent Dec/Jan this year ,so far the only thing i can gauge is he hates being cold, and i mean really hates it. Has to be covered up and literally wrapped in a blanket, the moment he is, all you hear are little satisfied grunts emanating from under the pile of blankets every so often.
Previous rescue that has subsequently passed away, had spent many years outside living on the streets with some vagrants, hated thunder and lightning. Would shiver and shake and climb all over you when it happened. You literally had to cradle her until the storm had passed. moment it had she was off your lap. If you tried to pick her up normally she got quite snappy and was quick to nip, not enough to draw blood, but enough that you know where you stood.

So do animals suffer from PTSD ?, dont doubt it in the least.

Completely agree, I don't for 2 seconds doubt that animals can some from PTSD.

Have had many rescues in my life, and they've all had their quirks and responses to previous trauma, when we know what the previous trauma was... in some of them we can only guess by the responses to things.

 

[thestaggy]

Of this there is no doubt in my mind.

When the wind picks up and it looks as if a storm is on the way, our one dog starts panting, trembling and tries to hide away. It is the thunder that gets her and she can now seemingly associate the changing weather with thunder. She is fearful of any loud noises in general, even a door slamming because of wind will stress her out.

The other dog hates hosepipes and barks uncontrollably if it sees you with one and will try and grab it from you. He's a rescue and it turns out the previous owner used to blast him with the hosepipe because he was rather boisterous as a puppy (bull terrier, so if you know the breed you'll know what sort of energy levels they have).

My mom volunteers at a pit bull rescue and rehab center - you can guess what the dogs have been through - and so many of the dogs that come through there are scared of the male volunteers or extremely aggressive towards them.

 

[Gordon_R]

I think the article refers to wild animals, and yes, dogs do show many of those traits too.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Of this there is no doubt in my mind.

When the wind picks up and it looks as if a storm is on the way, our one dog starts panting, trembling and tries to hide away. It is the thunder that gets her and she can now seemingly associate the changing weather with thunder. She is fearful of any loud noises in general, even a door slamming because of wind will stress her out.

The other dog hates hosepipes and barks uncontrollably if it sees you with one and will try and grab it from you. He's a rescue and it turns out the previous owner used to blast him with the hosepipe because he was rather boisterous as a puppy (bull terrier, so if you know the breed you'll know what sort of energy levels they have).

My mom volunteers at a pit bull rescue and rehab center - you can guess what the dogs have been through - and so many of the dogs that come through there are scared of the male volunteers or extremely aggressive towards them.

Se moer, what energy levels... *looks at my two that sleep all fscking day long and THEN destroy my house and life*

 

[jibo82]

Most definitely, at least some animals. I have seen it in dogs.

 

[pinball wizard]

Of this there is no doubt in my mind.

When the wind picks up and it looks as if a storm is on the way, our one dog starts panting, trembling and tries to hide away. It is the thunder that gets her and she can now seemingly associate the changing weather with thunder. She is fearful of any loud noises in general, even a door slamming because of wind will stress her out.

So, what was the prior stress trauma?

 

[OnlyOneKenobi]

Seen it in various pets over the years - mainly cats and dogs, so yes - makes sense that other animals (wild and domesticated) would also suffer from PTSD after having experienced some kind of trauma.

 

[pinball wizard]

Completely agree, I don't for 2 seconds doubt that animals can some from PTSD.

Have had many rescues in my life, and they've all had their quirks and responses to previous trauma, when we know what the previous trauma was... in some of them we can only guess by the responses to things.

I wonder if it is ptsd as we understand it, or simply learned behaviour on the part of a domestic animal?

 

[ToxicBunny]

I wonder if it is ptsd as we understand it, or simply learned behaviour on the part of a domestic animal?

I doubt its PTSD as we understand it in humans, but it manifests in a similar way in dogs from my experience.

 

[pinball wizard]

I doubt its PTSD as we understand it in humans, but it manifests in a similar way in dogs from my experience.

Yeah, sure, I see plenty of the behaviour described in this thread in the rescue dogs I have worked with over the last 20 odd years, but it isn't ptsd as we understand it in my opinion.

This is interesting research.

 

[RedViking]

Yap.

Bassett Hounds are born with post traumatic stress.

 

[tcofran]

My one dachshund was diagnosed with having seperation anxiety once, after we left him with friends when we went on holiday

 

[ToxicBunny]

Yeah, sure, I see plenty of the behaviour described in this thread in the rescue dogs I have worked with over the last 20 odd years, but it isn't ptsd as we understand it in my opinion.

This is interesting research.

I could of course be very controversial and say that even PTSD in humans could possibly be classified as learned behaviour in some ways...

 

[pinball wizard]

I could of course be very controversial and say that even PTSD in humans could possibly be classified as learned behaviour in some ways...

Well, there is a view that ptsd is caused when a person's morals and ethics hits a brick wall, and can only be overcome by understanding and accepting the ability to be good and bad.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Well, there is a view that ptsd is caused when a person's morals and ethics hits a brick wall, and can only be overcome by understanding and accepting the ability to be good and bad.

In all honesty, PTSD is a hugely complicated beast... but at its core there is more than likely an element of learned behaviour from our instinctual selves that kicks in and then our higher brain trying to deal with that flood. Potentially in dogs its a similar trigger but with less higher brain functionality to try and control/understand it.

 

[Thugscub]

The neighbours rat. Walking around with a hush puppy shoe stuck in its ring piece. Yapping for 8 hours every night.
Post traumatic ring piece attack.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

I believe its possible, but on lower levels, not exactly like humans, simply because humans have the added abstract brain functions, however humans has the lower and higher level to deal with. The lower level is probably where a certain TIME must pass which you have no control over, before it gets better, on the higher level you can talk and think yourself out of it, or deeper into it unlike an animal.
One also has to take into account if its a once off situation or if it continues without escape.