Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Some challenges in forensic veterinary pathology: a review.
- Journal:
- Journal of comparative pathology
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Munro, R & Munro, H M C
- Affiliation:
- Royal Veterinary College · United Kingdom
Plain-English summary
Forensic veterinary pathology is a field that looks into animal deaths and injuries, but it's still developing and faces several challenges. One major issue is figuring out the age of wounds and bruises, as well as determining if an animal drowned and how long it has been since it died. Many findings in this area come from experiments rather than real-life cases, which can make it hard to apply the results accurately across different animal species. Additionally, diagnosing drowning based on what is found after death is still tricky, and researchers are exploring new methods, like imaging techniques, to better estimate the time since death. Overall, while there are promising developments, many aspects of forensic veterinary pathology still need more validation and research.
Abstract
Forensic veterinary pathology is a diverse discipline that is in an early phase of its development. Common challenges include estimation of the age of skin wounds and bruises, the diagnosis of drowning and estimation of the time since death. However, many details of the pathological findings related to these various aspects await validation. The 'multispecies' nature of veterinary pathology, combined with the preponderance of published observations originating from animal experimentation, rather than casework, poses two challenges. Firstly, extrapolation of results between species may jeopardize the reliability (and credibility) of the forensic opinion. Secondly, experimental studies may not truly reflect the spectrum of changes seen in actual cases (e.g. extent of injuries, infection, age and health of victim). With regard to drowning, diagnosis based on post-mortem findings remains problematical. Methods for estimation of the time since death (also known as the post-mortem interval) continue to be a major focus of study, with fresh avenues such as post-mortem diagnostic imaging offering interesting possibilities.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23153727/