A Vets Role In Abuse
A veterinary may be one of the first people to have to make a decision whether a dog is being abused or not. They may have the following things presented to them and then will have to decide whether the injury is suspicious or not. An abused dog or animal may be brought in for medical attention by either the abuser himself or possibly a family member. There are also cases where the animal may be brought in by an authority figure, like the humane agency or a law enforcement agent. Vets may also be asked to make assessments outside his clinic, sometimes at the scenes of abuse, like farms. Vets can sometimes be witnesses to an abuse and may have some abusive training in helping him make the right assessments.
Warning Signs Of Abuse
An abused animal will have many factors to consider. Not all injuries are abuse and different things need to be considered, such as if the dog is trained on an electric dog fence. There are some signs and warning signs that you can look for and be aware of when it comes to knowing or being suspicious that a dog is being or has been abused. The behavior of the owner or family members can be one thing to look at. Other factors include the types of injury and the behavior of the dog. Some things that should make you suspicious is: The owner acts vague and nervous when asked about the injury, he won’t tell you how the injury occurred. His explanation of the injury does not fit the type of injury the dog has. Other family comments do not fit the explanation, children or other family members may say what really happened. A history of other pets dying or disappearing in the past. The owner may use different vets to try to hide previous injuries.
Signs Of Neglect
Neglect in some eyes is a form of abuse, although the dog or animal is not having pain inflicted on them, neglect can still cause injury and health problems. Some obvious signs of neglect are overgrown nails, hair that is matted, and underweight dogs that are thin and continues to thin. Sometimes animals are neglected because the owner just simply has to many to care for properly. Owners who neglect animals tend to show an unconcerned behavior towards the animals. They show a lack of concern in getting medical treatment and caring for their pets.
Suspicious types of injuries are:
- Non-accidental injuries – signs are fractures, burns, bruising, repetitive injuries, internal injuries, drownings and eye injuries
- Sexual abuse – this may involve anal, vaginal and injuries around the penis and scrotum area
- Dog fighting – a few signs are, cuts, scratches, and ear cropping close to the head