Lab Notes: Dogs to Help Soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Weight Gain Common After Knee Replacement

1. Dogs to Help Soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

It will come as no surprise to anyone who shares their life with a dog that the Canadian Veteran Affairs department may use canines to help soldiers suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The department cites the Baker Dog Behavioral Centre in Ontario for their work with abandoned and surrendered dogs that are trained to be psychiatric service dogs. These special canines are taught to deal with panic attacks and to perform a variety of tasks including night terror response, seizure alert and medication reminder. After temperament and health checks, chosen dogs receive six months of intensive training and must pass public access and personality tests before being matched with clients. Now if they could only be taught to purr …

2. Weight Gain Common After Knee Replacement

Contrary to popular thought that people who undergo knee replacement surgery will exercise more after the procedure, most patients put on weight, according to a University of Delaware study. In fact, say the researchers, many patients gain an average of 14 pounds within two years. The study also found that the weaker the patients were before surgery, as measured by the strength of their quadriceps, the more weight they gained post operatively. Weight gain after knee surgery can impact the health of the other knee, say the researchers who add that between 35 and 50 percent of knee replacement patients will have surgery on the other knee within 10 years.

3. Mass. Preschools Mandate Brushing

In an effort to reduce the statistic of one in every four Massachusetts kindergartners having dental disease, the state Department of Early Education and Care has mandated that preschools institute tooth-brushing routines for any kids who eat at such an institution or attend for more than four hours a day. Many preschools use a tiny amount of toothpaste — so the kids can swallow it — and aren’t big on getting kids to use proper form, given that they’re trying to get dozens of kids to brush at once. Some parents say government shouldn’t be able to get into their kids’ mouths, and even dentists who support the plan worry about the potential for spreading germs when that many kids are in one place using (and playing with) toothbrushes and spitting around each other.

(By CalorieLab editors)