Circumstances, Descriptive Characteristics, and Pathologic Findings in Dogs Suspected of Starving

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Pathology
• Animal Forensics

Background:

• Emaciation in dogs can stem from various causes, including disease and starvation.
• Distinguishing between starvation and underlying disease is crucial for accurate diagnosis and welfare assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the circumstances, population characteristics, and pathological findings in emaciated dogs.
• To differentiate between starvation due to exogenous causes (SEC) and death due to underlying disease.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 40 emaciated dog cases.
• Analysis of case circumstances, population demographics, and gross and histopathologic findings.
• Comparison of findings between dogs with SEC and those with disease.

Main Results:

• 33 out of 40 dogs died from SEC; 7 died from disease.
• SEC dogs often had food or foreign material in their stomachs, unlike diseased dogs.
• Common findings in both groups included severe muscle mass loss, fat atrophy, and organ changes.

Conclusions:

• SEC is a significant cause of emaciation and death in dogs, often associated with neglectful circumstances.
• Stomach contents can be a key differentiator between SEC and disease-related emaciation.
• Pathological changes in SEC dogs reflect severe nutritional deprivation.