Photo By Joshua Cox | Military working dog (MWD) handlers practice placing splints on a mannequin dog during...... read more read more
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Military working dog (MWD) handlers from the Navy, Army and Air Force learned how to render first aid to their canine counterparts during a one-day training evolution onboard NAS Pensacola, April 21, 2021.
The training began with classroom instruction in the morning, followed by hands-on exercises with robotic dogs in the afternoon. During the hands-on training MWD handlers from the Gulf Coast region practiced common first aid procedures on the robotic dogs.
The course, led by Army veterinarians and veterinary technicians, was designed to train military working dog handlers how to respond in the event a canine is injured during a deployment, said Capt. Catherine Barich, DVM, NAS Pensacola Veterinary Treatment Facility officer-in-charge.
The handlers learned how to stop bleeding, apply bandages, check vital signs and prepare the dogs for medical evacuation in the field.
The afternoon training was divided into several stations where handlers learned different first aid techniques. At one station, the handlers learned how to apply a tourniquet to a dog with a major leg injury. The robotic dog actually bled from the injured leg and barked while handlers worked to apply the tourniquet and stop the bleeding.
At another station, Barich led instruction on applying a chest seal to a dog with an open chest wound. She also demonstrated how to prepare and place a splint on a dog with a broken leg.
“I think (the training) is really important because in a lot of situations downrange we are not going to have enough veterinary teams in those situations who are able to apply first line care to these military working dogs,” Barich explained. “Having handlers trained in first aid care really helps us as definitive care for these dogs.”
Barich said in an emergency it’s important for handlers to get the first aid process started before the animals reach a veterinary team.
“Dogs like ourselves — we are always potentially in a situation where things can go wrong,” said Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Christian E. Duarte, a military working dog handler with NAS Pensacola Navy Security Forces.
When things go wrong and life-threatening injuries are involved, it’s important for handlers to be able to bandage up their partners, Duarte added.
Barich said the course was a great opportunity for military working dog teams from around the Gulf Coast region to work together and learn in a hands-on environment.
“A lot of these handlers are in different branches, so it’s kind of nice for them to also interface with each other,” Barich said. “Even though they are in different branches of the military, they can come share their experiences, learn together and work together as a team.”
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2021 09:10 |
| Story ID: | 394984 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 104 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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