Characterization and Comparison of Injuries Caused by Accidental and Non‐accidental Blunt Force Trauma in Dogs and Cats

Abstract

Motor vehicle accidents (MVA) are often difficult to distinguish from non-accidental injury (NAI). This retrospective case-control study compared animals with known MVA trauma against those with known NAI. Medical records of 426 dogs and cats treated after MVA and 50 after NAI were evaluated. Injuries significantly associated with MVA were pelvic fractures, pneumothorax, pulmonary contusion, abrasions, and degloving wounds. Injuries associated with NAI were fractures of the skull, teeth, vertebrae, and ribs, scleral hemorrhage, damage to claws, and evidence of older fractures. Odds ratios are reported for these injuries. MVA rib fractures were found to occur in clusters on one side of the body, with cranial ribs more likely to fracture, while NAI rib fractures were found to occur bilaterally with no cranial-caudal pattern. Establishing evidence-based patterns of injury may help clinicians differentiate causes of trauma and may aid in the documentation and prosecution of animal abuse.

Subconjunctival haemorrhage in 147 dogs

“…More caudal skeletal injuries, particularly pelvic fractures, are reportedly more common in vehicular trauma (Kolata & Johnston , Intarapanich et al . ) and cranial injuries, such as rib and skull fractures, are more frequently associated with non‐accidental injury (Intarapanich et al . ).…”

“…) and cranial injuries, such as rib and skull fractures, are more frequently associated with non‐accidental injury (Intarapanich et al . ). Similarly, internal injuries in dogs with non‐accidental injuries are reported to be more cranial ( e.g .…”

“…If radiographs were taken, healed or healing fractures were recorded as these have been previously been associated with increased likelihood of non‐accidental injury (Intarapanich et al . ). In dogs without a history of trauma, the primary diagnosis made by the attending clinician was recorded.…”

“…A statistical association between non‐accidental injury and subconjunctival haemorrhage has been identified in dogs and cats (Intarapanich et al . ). Similar findings are reported for human non‐accidental injuries and it has been suggested that subconjunctival haemorrhage may be a sentinel injury for physical abuse in children (Kleemann et al .…”

“…, Intarapanich et al . ) and also associated with systemic diseases including coagulopathies (Griggs et al . ), envenomation (Martins et al .…”