Page 345 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
military, saving countless lives each year. Despite technological advances, these dogs remain the single most effective weapon we have against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), the enemy ’s weapon of choice in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. IEDs are the biggest threat to life and limb that the men and women of our armed forces face. To fully train a MWD in detection and defence costs tens of thousands of pounds. When they can’t work anymore, every effort is made to ensure they have the best retirement possible. The remarkable story of one particular MWD perfectly illustrates the lengths the people at the DATR will go to make sure that these four-legged heroes have every chance at a good retirement.
MWD “Tek” was trained as a dual-purpose K9, to detect a range of explosives and weapons. He was also trained to attack – on or off lead – if his handler or team was under threat. Tek fully passed out of his training and was awaiting deployment when his legs gave out during an exercise one day. He couldn’t get back up.
Tek was referred to a specialist veterinary neurologist who diagnosed the rare neuromus- cular disease, canine Myasthenia Gravis. His immune system was attacking the receptor cells in his muscles, disrupting the signal from the brain telling his muscles to move. Unfortunately, this led to a condition called Megaoesophagus, where the oesophagus no longer functions normally. With this diagnosis, Tek went from being a valuable military asset to being a liability with the stroke of a pen.
With tens of thousands already invested in his training, and with zero chance of him ever being able to work again, the financially sound thing to do would have been to put him down. Instead of cutting their losses, the Ministry of Defence spared no expense in saving him. They spent many thousands of pounds more on his diagnosis, specialist treatment and rehabilitation while they searched for a forever home for him.
After his diagnosis, Tek was moved to the DATR.
When he arrived there, he could not stand on his own. It was a process of trial and error to dial in the correct dosage of his medication so that he could walk again. He’d lost a lot of weight and had to be fed by hand from a raised position so gravity could help get the food to his stomach instead of sitting in his oesophagus or worse, going into his lungs. Cpl Andrew Duff was tasked with preparing Tek for adoption. He said: “When I first laid eyes on Tek, he was in the vets and I really didn’t think he was going to make it.”
Under veterinarian Maj Carolyn Bates’
meticulous care, however, Tek began the slow road to recovery. He needed to be fed small amounts, and often. He couldn’t walk for any distance on his own. For the dedicated staff at the DATR, Tek’s recovery was time consuming and complicated, yet they did whatever it took to save him and give him back a decent quality of life. This decision stands out, because once the oesophagus becomes involved, many vets will recommend euthanasia. Few consider that it is not necessarily a death sentence and that it can be managed. The choice to try and treat Tek illustrates how short sighted such thinking is and how, when managed properly, a dog can live a full quality of life with Megaoesophagus and Myasthenia Gravis once the initial crisis is over. Tek is fortunate to have been in the hands of such experienced and dedicated vets.
On 28th March 2018, retired MWD (RMWD) Tek was adopted by a civilian family and sent to a pampered retirement in the Suffolk countryside. He has fully regained his weight and muscle tone and while his condition still needs daily management, he is able to walk for miles and has even taken up scent work and tracking just for fun. To look at him, you’d never know anything was wrong.
Tek’s story is one of many, and only illustrates one aspect of the role the DATR plays in supporting military readiness. According to Lt Col Martyn Thompson, Commanding Officer of the DATR, there are currently about eight hundred and fifty MWDs in Defence, four hundred and ninety Military Working Horses and nine mascots. The DATR’s three training squadrons (Canine, Equine and Veterinary) are comprised of two hundred and forty-two dedicated individuals who manage every imaginable duty associated with procurement, training (of animals and handlers), and veterinary treatment and referrals.
The team at the DATR are unsung heroes, training animals that save the lives of many, and helping those same animals to retire well. RMWD Tek’s successful recovery reflects the caring and professional attitudes of the entire Defence Animal Training Regiment’s team and the Ministry of Defence’s policies in protecting these incredible dogs even when they are no longer an asset.62
62 ‘The British Army’s Defence Animal Training Regiment – One Dogs Tale’ by Naomi Thomas Chiron Calling Winter 2020.
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