Healthcare Recommendations for Protection, Detection, Assistance, and Therapy Dogs

Healthcare Assistance/
Category Protection Dogs Detection Dogs Therapy Dogs

Preventive care • Dental care • Consideration that dogs may • Standard canine
• Core vaccines to include leptospirosis, travel outside the area preventive care based
Bordetella, CIV (in • Additional vaccines beyond on lifestyle: vaccines,
parasite (including
at-risk populations) core may include respiratory
• Annual heartworm testing; vector-borne complex, leptospirosis, Lyme
disease, etc. •
HW), etc.
Annual wellness
disease in at-risk populations
• Fitness and conditioning; adequate • Intranasal vaccines or screening tests (e.g.,
biochemistries, fecal
warm-up before work medications may affect
• Annual wellness screening tests (e.g.,
•
olfaction
May need frequently updated •
analysis)
May travel extensively
biochemistries, fecal analysis)
• Flea and tick preventives
•
health certificates for travel with owner; therefore,
preventive care may
• Prophylactic gastropexy Health screenings may need
require a more global
• Leave functional dewclaws and tails intact
to be expanded based upon
unique risks (infectious disease approach
• Awareness of susceptibility (exertional or other exposures) • May need frequently
and nonexertional) to heat stroke
• Annual wellness screening updated health
certificates for travel
tests (e.g., biochemistries,
fecal analysis)

Behavior • Be aware of and prepared to address • Be aware of and prepared to • Be aware of and
• Noise sensitivity address prepared to address
• Anxiety • High arousal • Highly trained
• Environmental aversions • Predisposition to • When not in harness
• Acclimation to husbandry practices compulsive behaviors or vest, dog is not
and clinic/staff • Benefits of behavioral and “working”
• Recognition and early treatment of environmental enrichment
post-traumatic stress
• Implications of training methods on
welfare

Nutrition • Body Condition Scores • Dietary flexibility should be • Adjust based on

(ideal is 3.5–4.5 out of 9)
• Use of supplements as appropriate to
the individual (joint, probiotics, skin)
• Caloric requirements and
dietary assessments
• Need for special diets (prescription,
performance)
encouraged by regularly activity level of their
interchanging 2–3 complete job/MER
and balanced diets to support • Encourage compliance
lean body condition and GI
microbial diversity
with AAHA position
on raw diets owing
• Use of supplements as to exposure of some
appropriate to the individual of these dogs to
(joint, probiotics, skin) immunocompromised
• Encourage compliance with patients
AAHA position on raw diets
• Detection dogs may have
different workloads that may
require adjustment to protein
and fat intake in order to
maintain muscle condition and
avoid weight gain

Reproduction • Delay desexing in both males and • Delay desexing in both males • Puppy stages (before
females until past closure of growth and females until past closure being in service)
plates to decrease the risk of of growth plates to decrease • Discuss age of
orthopedic issues later the risk of orthopedic issues desexing based on
• Consider leaving males intact through later orthopedic risks and
working life • Brucellosis if breeding breeding potential
• Neutering does not measurably change • See heritable diseases
motivation to work
• Consider minimally invasive ovariectomy
or OHE and combining with gastropexy

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Healthcare Recommendations for Protection, Detection, Assistance, and Therapy Dogs
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Healthcare Assistance/
Category Protection Dogs Detection Dogs Therapy Dogs

Common injuries • Feet, pads, nails • Heat-related • Blunt trauma: HBC, falls
• Musculoskeletal (muscle strains, DLSS , • Bites/stings • Burns and cuts (advise
overuse/repetitive injuries) • Toxicities booties in inclement
• Ballistic wounds (gunshot, handgun); • Punctures/lacerations/trauma weather)
penetrating injuries (knife, impalement);
• Orthopedic and • Risks vary based on
blunt trauma from falls musculoskeletal injuries environment (hot, cold
• Dental trauma (fracture of teeth,
• Feet, pads, nails surfaces)
particularly canines) • Local dermatitis such
• Tail tip trauma (“happy tail”) as harness rub
• Airway obstructions (e.g., inhaling ball) • Bite wounds
• Heat injury

Common diseases • Infectious diseases (vector-borne, • Gastrointestinal: GDV/discuss • Based on age, breed,
region-specific disease; leptospirosis) prophylactic gastropexy lifestyle
• Gastrointestinal: diarrhea, GDV • Environmental risk factors • Early intervention and
• Ear/skin disease (atopy, environmental, • Orthopedic: hip/elbow accommodation for all
disease processes are
food allergy) dysplasia, osteoarthritis,
• Upper respiratory (in at-risk kenneled lumbosacral disease
•
encouraged
Osteoarthritis from
populations)
• Urinary: UTIs; prostatitis increased load or
• Ocular: corneal disease (pannus), strain (i.e., mobility/
balance)
foreign bodies

Handling • Low-stress techniques • Keep handler and canine • Should not be

• Premedication as appropriate together as a team handled or examined
• Keep handlers with dogs • Avoid arousal while in harness or
• Have handler apply cage-style muzzles • Do not over-restrain •
vest (working)

• Staying below threshold; avoid triggers • Consider keeping them Understand/identify

special commands
• Practice calm behaviors from veterinary separate from other animals
• Presence of handler
team and dog-handler team advised
• Consider performing exams outside (do
not trap dog in
small area)
• Understand and identify special
commands

Screening for • Hip dysplasia • EIC • Note training facility

heritable diseases • LS disease • CNM may have already run
• Elbow dysplasia • Elbow and hip dysplasia •
these
• Degenerative myelopathy • Ophthalmic diseases: CERF •
Orthopedic, cardiac
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) exams (PRA, etc.) Breed dependent:
DM, PRA, MDR1, EIC

Mental/emotional • End-of-life or end-of-career decisions • End-of-life or end-of- • End-of-life or end-of-

considerations may be especially difficult and career decisions may be career decisions may
require additional considerations/ especially difficult and require be especially difficult
accommodations additional considerations/ and require additional
• Euthanasia: it will involve a network of accommodations considerations/
support from teammates and honoring • Financial limitations and accommodations
their process and culture responsibilities • Fatigue and burnout
• Traumatic events (apprehension, • Dog may be a proxy for • Breaks appropriate for
getting shot) create an incredibly strong handler stress (emotions roll intensity of work?
bond with dog down the leash) • High level of
• Financial limitations and responsibilities attachment to handler
• Dog may be a proxy for handler stress • Separation anxiety
(emotions roll down the leash)

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Healthcare Recommendations for Protection, Detection, Assistance, and Therapy Dogs
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Healthcare Assistance/
Category Protection Dogs Detection Dogs Therapy Dogs

First aid • Trauma/hemorrhage • Hemorrhage control • Toxicity (e.g., human

• Airway obstruction • Airway obstruction medications)
• Toxicity, field decontamination (both • Toxicity, field decontamination • Minor wounds
oral and dermal decontamination) (both oral and dermal • Bite wounds
• Hydration decontamination)
• Heat injury • Heat injury
• Transport • Hydration
• Triage GDV • Opioid reversal
• Assessment of vital signs and • Allergic reactions
knowledge of normal values

Triggers for • Loss of mobility, pain • Agencies and organizations • Hearing or vision loss
retirement • Loss of interest in job may have specific • Addison’s disease
• Terminal disease requirements and/or (depending on service)
• Inability to certify/recertify •
recommendations
• Any severe disease
• Contraindications for high-stress •
Medical
Performance/behavioral
that impairs the dog’s
function
performance: Addison’s disease,
epilepsy, laryngeal paralysis, cardiac • If handler cannot handle
disease long-term treatment
needed for dog
• Loss of interest in job

Needs of handlers • Communication • Include handlers in treatment • Disability may impair

• Respect for bond decisions ability to treat dog
• Access to medical education and • Full treatment plans with (e.g., eye drops)
medical information regarding their dog detailed return to work • Accessibility of
(resources 24/7) strategies/requirements hospital
• Evaluate need for and • Discharge letters/
implement return to work medications labeled
fitness program such that client can
get the information
• Dog-proof the house
to prevent FB

Needs of owners • Financial planning • Agencies or organizations • Usually as above (or

• Communication; timely written reports may need to be involved in as below)
• Utilizing “HMO” contract or insurance treatment decisions • Who is paying the bill?
• Investment in dog, assurances; value of • Practitioners may
treatment consider offering
discounts

Needs of • Education • Agencies or organizations • Varies depending on

organizations • Needs dogs that can provide the may need to be involved in organization
services expected of them treatment decisions • Some maintain
• PR: media loves a good working ownership
dog story • Update to help in
breeding for the future

Possible • Illicit drugs • Illicit drugs • Human

exposure risk pharmaceuticals

The 2021 AAHA Working, Assistance, and Therapy Dog Guidelines are available at aaha.org/workingdog.
These guidelines were prepared by a Task Force of experts convened by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and were subjected to a formal
peer-review process. This document is intended as a guideline only, not an AAHA standard of care. These guidelines and recommendations should not be
construed as dictating an exclusive protocol, course of treatment, or procedure. Variations in practice may be warranted based on the needs of the individual
patient, resources, and limitations unique to each individual practice setting.