Elsevier

Science & Justice

Volume 47, Issue 4, December 2007, Pages 150-154
Science & Justice

Estimation of the post-mortem interval in beagle dogs

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2007.09.005Get rights and content

Abstract

Estimation of the time that has elapsed between death and the post-mortem examination of a body contributes to the investigation of death by defining the period during which death may have occurred. In a veterinary context, investigations involve a range of incidents including out-of-season shooting of game animals, poaching, death during transportation and cases of neglect or non-accidental injury of domestic animals. This study on dogs of the same breed, of similar weights and held under identical conditions, shows that a combination of rectal temperature, environmental temperature, gross pathology and histological changes can provide a scientifically based estimate of the post-mortem interval during the first 10 h following death, of up to one day, one to three days, three to seven days and one to three weeks.

Introduction

Estimation of the post-mortem period contributes to the investigation of death by narrowing the “window of time” during which death may have occurred. The more precise the estimate, the greater are the possibilities of eliminating specific people or events from the investigation. In a veterinary context, these investigations may involve incidents of out-of-season shooting of game animals, poaching, deaths of animals during transportation and cases of neglect or deliberate abuse of companion animals. Similarly, determination of the time of death may be crucial where several animals are found and the question arises of whether this was a single episode or an ongoing problem. Accurate estimation of the time of death is also important in cases where alleged offences are related to statutory time limits regulating, for example, the checking of traps and snares or disposal of carcasses.

In human forensic medicine, study of the time of death is one of the most popular topics for research [1]. However, in the veterinary medical field there is a paucity of published data on estimation of the post-mortem interval. Limited information is available on certain species of deer and other wildlife [2], [3] but studies on companion animals and domestic livestock are lacking.

Veterinary pathologists rely on their experience of autolysis and putrefaction to estimate the time that has elapsed since death. The diversity of animals and the variety of circumstances in which they are found renders these judgements very subjective. James and Knight [4] point out in their article “Errors in estimating time since death” that experienced forensic pathologists frequently underestimate the post-mortem interval. Although no similar data have been published on the subject of veterinary pathology, it is probable that, given the range of species covered and the variety of circumstances, similar errors may be commonplace.

In an attempt to provide objective criteria for the measurement of the post-mortem period in dogs, the current study was conducted on dogs of the same breed, similar weights and held under identical conditions. This study complements published texts on post-mortem changes in domestic animals [5], [6], [7] by highlighting specific gross and histological changes that may assist in refining the estimation of the time of death.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

The dogs included in this study were laboratory beagles from a large breeding facility. They were either ‘retired breeders’ or fell outwith the requirements for use in regulatory scientific procedures. After thorough assessment and ethical review, it was decided that they were suitable for this study. Six females and four males with a median weight of 12.1 kg were grouped in pairs of similar weight and same sex. Following euthanasia with pentobarbital sodium the dogs were placed in lateral

Temperature

Ambient temperature in the storage room varied from a minimum of 10.9 °C to a maximum of 16.8 °C. Humidity ranged from 34% to 63%.

The rectal temperatures of all ten dogs are shown in Table 2. By 17–17.5 h after death the rectal temperature of each dog was less than 19 °C. Fig. 1 shows, in the form of ‘box and whisker’ plots, the fall in rectal temperature over the first 13 h post-mortem for dogs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 4A and 4B. The rectal temperatures of all ten dogs approximated ambient temperature

Discussion

A number of factors in the study design influence the interpretation of the data. Standardisation was introduced by ensuring that all the dogs were of the same breed and of similar weights. They were all in good, but not fat, condition, lying undisturbed in dry, cool conditions. However, only two dogs were necropsied at any one time point. Although the gross pathology and the histological observations represent snapshots of particular times, the similarity of the dogs, and the holding

Conclusion

Experience in medical and veterinary forensic examinations has shown that establishing an exact time of death may not be feasible but an estimate that defines a specific period of time can be most valuable. This study shows that under the circumstances pertaining during the study, a combination of rectal temperature, environmental temperature, gross pathology and histological changes can provide a scientifically based estimate of the post-mortem interval during the first 10 h following death,

Acknowledgement

The authors are extremely grateful to Michael Thrusfield for his advice on the analysis of the temperature data and for his valuable comments on the text.

References (9)

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