title: Forensic pathology of companion animal abuse and neglect.
abstract: Submission of cases of suspected animal abuse and neglect (AAN) to veterinary pathologists is increasingly frequent. These cases require modification of postmortem procedures and written reports, as the questions asked by courts typically differ from those asked in routine diagnostic cases. Here we review the practice of veterinary forensic pathology as it applies to cases of companion AAN, as well as the fundamental principles of forensic pathology, the components of a forensic necropsy, and the goals of the necropsy in cases of blunt-force trauma, projectile wounds, and starvation. Future directions and endeavors in veterinary forensic pathology are broached.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, S2 120, Schurman Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. Email: jag56@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gerdin
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: McDonough
mesh_terms: D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends; D000818:Animals; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D010341:Pathology, Veterinary; D057805:Pets / Q000293:injuries*; D013217:Starvation / Q000662:veterinary; D018634:Veterinarians; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000662:veterinary; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000662:veterinary
keywords: forensic medicine; forensic pathology; forensic veterinarians; forensic veterinary medicine; necropsy; veterinary forensic pathology; veterinary forensics