Distinguishing accidental from non-accidental blunt force trauma

What is it about?

Accidental injury can be difficult to distinguish from non-accidental injury. In this study, we have demonstrated that motor vehicle accidents and non-accidental blunt force trauma in dogs and cats present with different patterns of skeletal and soft tissue injury.

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Why is it important?

It is critical to identify animal cruelty in order to ensure the safety and welfare of both the animal and the human members of its household. To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare criminal cases of animal abuse with known cases of motor vehicle accidents. Establishing evidence-based patterns of injury will help clinicians to distinguish causes of trauma and also aid in the identification and prosecution of animal abuse.