Pathomorphological examination of dogs that died from gunshot wounds

The relevance of the study is due to the increase in the frequency of the use of firearms to kill animals during military conflicts. As evidenced by practice, most gunshot wounds are cases of animal cruelty. That is why a forensic veterinary expert must correctly assess not only the gunshot wound, but also the circumstances associated with the shooting. The purpose of this study was to identify and clarify the pathomorphological changes that occur in the organs and tissues of dogs in the area of a gunshot wound when shot with a firearm. As part of the forensic veterinary examination, a pathoanatomical autopsy was performed on two stray dogs that died from gunshot wounds. The first domestic dog received a penetrating wound to the abdominal organs during life, the cause of death of the second dog was a blind wound to the head. It was found that dystrophic and necrotic changes, and haemodynamic disorders, prevailed in the tissues of the gunshot wound. Focal and diffuse haemorrhages were recorded in skeletal muscle tissue, which were localised between stratified muscle fibres. Along with this, foci of haemorrhagic infiltration were noted. Massive thrombosis was detected in the lumen of largecalibre vessels, but the main changes were observed in the microcirculatory bed. Injuries that were recorded on the bodies of dead dogs were classified as serious bodily harm. They lead to pathological processes that are dangerous to the body and result in the death of the animal. The results obtained provide an opportunity to deepen the knowledge of forensic veterinary experts on the issues of animal damage by firearms, and the identified changes can serve to differentiate wounds caused by the action of such weapons from wounds of other origins